Article Index

April 27, 2023

With the traditional ringing of the bell we bring this meeting to order!

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Welcome to this week’s meeting of the eClub of the State of Jefferson.

I am Bob Gibson, President of the Rotary eClub of State of Jefferson. Welcome to this week’s meeting. I hope this finds you well.

I have commented on the first three elements of The Object of Rotary the last three weeks. They are:

The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service.
High ethical standards in business and professions, the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations, and the dignifying of each Rotarian’s occupation as an opportunity to serve society.
The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian’s personal, business and community life.

This week I am commenting on the fourth and final element of The Object of Rotary, i.e., “The advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service.” The international aspect of Rotary sets it apart from many other service organizations. Our opportunity to work together with our Rotary colleagues in other countries is so valuable. We gain a firsthand insight and appreciation for the cultures and challenges existing in other countries. We have a rich tradition of creating projects that are consistent with the values and needs of the people we are serving. Rotary provides us the opportunity to understand our differences, strengthen our communication and celebrate our similarities.

Thank you for your interest in our Club and your commitment to “Service above Self.”

Enjoy the meeting.

If you have any questions or comments, I am available. My e-mail address is: bob@bluewaterphoto.net.

email president@StateOfJeffersonRotary.org

Special Board Meeting for Monday, May 1 at 2:00pm PDT.
The only agenda item will be a discussion of our project proposal.

District Conference, May 6-7, 2023

Registration is LIVE for District Conference!
2023 DisCon – Celebration, Inspiration, and Fellowship
This year’s conference will be at The Graduate in downtown Eugene,

Friday, May 5th through Saturday, May 6th, 2023.

Dear Rotarians:

Pursuant to Article VI of our District 5110 policy, I hereby set the District Annual Business & Resolution Committee Meeting to be via Zoom on Saturday June 17^th at 9:00 AM. A registration and zoom link will be sent soon to allow you to register for attending.

As part of our annual meeting, we are required to consider any proposed resolutions. I have asked PDG/Vice Governor Rick Olson to chair the resolution committee. We will hold our resolution committee meeting during the annual business meeting on June 17^th.

If you have proposed resolutions, they need to be submitted by May 3, 2023. Please submit them to DGRick1920@gmail.com

District Nominating Committee

Pursuant to Article VI of our District 5110 policy, I hereby open the official call for nomination for members to serve on our District Nominating Committee to help select the District Governor that will serve for the Rotary year 2026-27.

If you meet, the qualifications listed below and wish to be considered, please email your name, and club to me at dgaimee2223@gmail.com

ARTICLE VI -- NOMINATING COMMITTEE

The District Nominating Committee shall consist of seven (7) persons who are members in good standing of Rotary Clubs in District 5110 and who reside within the boundaries of the District, three of whom shall be the last three (3) Past District Governors of this District. The other four members of the committee shall be persons who have served as Assistant Governor or Rotary Club President in District 5110, to be selected as set forth in section 2 of this Article VI. The chair of the Nominating Committee shall be the Past District Governor whose term as District Governor was served prior in time to the other members thereof.
This section sets forth the procedure for selecting the four members of the nominating committee who are not Past District Governors; qualifications of the candidates; limitations on their terms of service; and designation of areas from which members are elected. The provisions of this section do not apply to Past District Governors serving on the committee.
1. The district shall be divided into four (4) areas with approximately equal numbers of Rotarians, each of which shall elect one member of the nominating committee. Initially, the areas are designated as follows:
  1. Area One: Benton, Linn, Jefferson, Crook and Deschutes counties;
  2. Area Two: Lincoln and Lane counties;
  3. Area Three: Jackson and Siskiyou counties;
  4. Area Four: Douglas, Coos, Curry, Josephine, Klamath, and Lake Counties.

To maintain approximate equality of numbers of Rotarians among the areas, the areas may be changed from time to time by resolution duly submitted and adopted at a District Conference, such resolution to be voted upon only by certified electors at the conference.

1. The elections committee shall compile, by area, short biographical sketches of Leadership Academy graduates who are eligible and willing to serve on the nominating committee. No less than thirty days prior to the opening day of the District Conference at which the election for members of the Nominating Committee will occur, names and biographical information on all eligible and willing candidates shall be emailed to area clubs and the District Governor.
2. Eligible candidates shall be individuals who have served as Assistant Governor or as Rotary Club President within the seven-year period prior to the year in which the nominating committee will meet and have graduated from the District Leadership Academy or RLI.”
3. If only one eligible and willing candidate is available from an area, the District Governor shall certify that candidate as a member of the nominating committee. If more than one candidate is available from an area, the member of the nominating committee shall be determined by an election at the District Conference in the Rotary year prior to the member’s term of service on the committee. Voting shall be by the certified electors from the area that has more than one candidate. Balloting shall be by the single transferable ballot system. The candidate receiving a majority of the votes shall be elected. The voting shall take into account the second and subsequent choices where necessary. Each club shall have the number of votes as determined under Section 15.050.1 of the Bylaws of Rotary International. All votes from a club with more than one vote shall be cast for the same candidate.
4. An individual selected for the nominating committee pursuant to this Article shall serve a one-year term. No such individual may serve more than three (3) one-year terms.

Thank you,
DG Aimee Walsh

April is Maternal and Child Health Month

Saving Mothers & Children

Rotary makes high-quality health care available to vulnerable mothers and children so they can live longer and grow stronger.

We expand access to quality care, so mothers and children everywhere can have the same opportunities for a healthy future. An estimated 5.9 million children under the age of five die each year because of malnutrition, inadequate health care, and poor sanitation — all of which can be prevented.

How Rotary makes help happen

Rotary provides education, immunizations, birth kits, and mobile health clinics. Women are taught how to prevent mother-to-infant HIV transmission, how to breast-feed, and how to protect themselves and their children from disease.

Protecting the Environment

unsplash com photo 1464822759023B Rotary members understand that the whole world is their backyard. They see the effects of climate change in communities they care about, and they’re taking action. They’re tackling the problem the way they always do: by collaborating with communities to develop solutions to local challenges, using their connections to change policy, and planning for the future.
For inspiration, browse club-led environmental projects from around the world in Rotary Showcase. Through The Rotary Foundation, you can support environmental projects
Learn more about these programs and resources and send your questions to rotary.service@rotary.org.

Partner with a Rotary Action Group to protect the environment

Start or expand your environmental efforts by partnering with one of numerous Rotary Action Groups that are working to protect the environment:

The Rotary Action Group for Endangered Species brings together people who have expertise in protecting vulnerable creatures. The action group helps clubs and districts plan service projects that make an impact and connects them to a global network of people who are passionate about saving species. For example, the group partnered with the Rotary Club of Carpinteria Morning, California, USA, to co-sponsor a symposium on pollinators in Central America. Connect with the Rotary Action Group for Endangered Species to get involved.
The Environmental Sustainability Rotary Action Group is one of Rotary’s fastest-growing groups. With its extensive expertise, networks, and informational resources, it inspires and empowers the family of Rotary to implement effective environmental projects. These projects promote environmental sustainability, raise awareness of climate change, and take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate disruption Contact the Environmental Sustainability Rotary Action Group to get involved.
The Food Plant Solutions Rotary Action Group, Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Rotary Action Group, and Rotary Action Group for Community Economic Development also undertake projects that prioritize environmental protection and conservation. They can help you complete a community assessment, design a sustainable project, find project partners, and use measurement and evaluation methods to assess your projects’ progress.

World Immunization Week: Vaccines Save Lives

Find the World Immunization Week Toolkit

Polio marking During World Immunization Week, 24-30 April, join us in advocating for polio eradication and the importance of vaccines.

As one of the greatest advances of modern medicine, vaccines are safe, effective, and save millions of lives each year. Our progress in the fight to end polio is proof that vaccines work.

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative estimates that the polio vaccine has saved more than 20 million children around the world from paralysis. However, approximately 12.5 million children are totally unvaccinated. They are known as zero-dose children, and vaccinating them is critical to stopping polio for good.

We need to continue vaccinating the world’s children against polio, because polio anywhere is a threat everywhere.

Here’s how you can support Rotary’s efforts during World Immunization Week:

Use the World Immunization Week Toolkit for graphics and sample posts to share on social media with the hashtags #EndPolio and #VaccinesWork.
Download and share our video, “Zero-Dose Children.”
Donate to PolioPlus to help Rotary and our partners deliver polio vaccines to vulnerable children. Or start an online fundraiser to help us end polio using Raise for Rotary and share it with your network. Contributions will be matched 2-to-1 by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Rotary districts can give District Designated Funds (DDF) to PolioPlus to help meet our goal of raising US$50 million each year to eradicate polio.

Join us during World Immunization Week and remind the world that together, we end polio

Navajo Literacy Project

Save the Date! June 7th, 2023 to participate in Navajo Solar light installations.
Housing is limited. Contact John Allman to reserve your space and to get more information.

April is Maternal and Child Health Month

The Added Burden of Dementia for Women

Women make up a big majority of those living with dementia. Identifying signs of dementia in women and sex-based contributing factors could help change that.

By Tree Meinch

128037 Women make up a significant majority of those living with dementia today. In the U.S., for example, roughly two-thirds of the estimated 6 million-plus people living with dementia are women.

While the whys behind this sex-based trend remain uncertain, research is underway to test many potential factors and contributors.

Until we know more, the signs and symptoms of dementia in women remain the same as those exhibited in anyone else, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.

Greater Burden of Dementia for Women

Beyond the actual individual diagnosed, research also shows that women account for roughly 60 percent of the 11 million individuals providing care for those with Alzheimer’s today. This compounds the ways that dementia disproportionally impacts the lives of females.

“We know there is more of a burden with this disease on women,” says Heather Snyder, molecular biologist and vice president of medical and scientific relations at the Alzheimer’s Association. “[But] we can’t necessarily say women are at greater risk for Alzheimer’s.”

For now, potential sex-based contributors of dementia may include total years of reproductive health, age of menstruation, age of menopause and total number of months spent pregnant for any individual.

“All of those may contribute or have been associated with greater life risk of dementia,” Snyder says.

But more studies and trials are needed to hone in on how things like estrogen levels, or the X chromosome itself might intersect with Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases that cause dementia.

Women Live Longer

Part of the skewed numbers toward women might be attributed to the simple fact that women on average live longer than men. And risk of dementia increases with age.

Specifically, some studies indicate that the human lifespan is on average 8 percent longer for women compared to men. In the U.S., male life expectancy is 73.5 years old, compared to 79.3 for females, a difference of roughly six years, according to 2021 CDC statistics.

Still, numerous studies have demonstrated that this age differential isn’t the only factor attributing to trends and symptoms of dementia in women.

“It is certainly part of the puzzle, but it is not the whole story,” Snyder says of lifespan.

Top Signs of Dementia

The Alzheimer’s Association has compiled a research-based list of the top 10 early signs of Alzheimer’s. This applies to early signs of dementia in women and anyone with concerns about the disease.

Here are the warning signs to watch out for from the Alzheimer’s Association:

Memory lost disrupting daily life
Challenges in planning or solving problems
Difficultly completing familiar tasks
Confusion with time or place
Trouble understanding visual images
New problems with words (speaking or writing)
Misplacing things
Decreased judgement or poor decision making
Withdrawal from work or social activities
Changes in mood or personality

Snyder adds that these symptoms may manifest differently from person to person. So it’s important to watch for changes compared to younger years and abilities in a given individual.

“It’s the idea of being aware of your brain, and your brain health,” Snyder says.

As one company executive put it, early signs in them appeared when they were unable to identify specific words they routinely used in memos. Snyder says they called their spouse to help recall words they were describing: “For them, that was an indicator that something was wrong.”

Sex and Gender Contributors in Dementia

Plenty of researchers have identified a lack of studies probing the sex- and gender-based differences in Alzheimer’s dementia and how it progresses.

The potential sex-based contributing variables, according to one 2018 study published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia, include biological or hormonal patterns as well as systemic and sociocultural factors — such as access to education and economic stability.

As an example, observational data in multiple studies have shown that women who pursue hormone therapy early in menopause, or prior to it, have a lower risk of Alzheimer’s dementia than women who initiate hormone therapy later.

Snyder also says that various studies continue to probe whether sex and gender bias have informed some of the medical testing currently in place to detect early dementia.

The Rising Cost of Dementia

One thing that is clear: solutions and improvements on the medical side are needed to help offset the growing cost of dementia in the aging population.

Just this month, the Alzheimer’s Association released new data about the cost of caring for individuals living with dementia.

That report shows the national cost is projected to reach $345 billion — which is a $24 billion increase compared to just one year prior.

weekly@StateOfJeffersonRotary.org

Exercise with a buddy. Your brain will thank you for it.

Regular social exercise by older adults may counter physical inactivity and low social participation, both of which contribute to about 40 percent of dementias worldwide, research findings suggest

By Meeri Kim

Social exercise — working out with another person — has many advantages, and new research suggests it also may extend to your brain.

Having a workout buddy has been shown to help boost your motivation, sense of adventure and the likelihood of showing up. For older adults, the potential benefits are even more pronounced. Compared with those who exercise solo, people older than 65 who exercise with others are more physically active, have a lower risk of functional disability and suffer fewer falls.

A new study of 4,358 older adults in Japan has found that participants who worked out with others at least twice a week had a lower risk of developing cognitive impairment than those who did so alone or not at all.

People with cognitive impairment — which can range from mild to severe — have trouble remembering, learning new things, concentrating or making decisions that affect their everyday life.

“Social isolation is a known risk factor in dementia and has been promoted during the coronavirus pandemic,” said study author Kenji Tsunoda, associate professor of social welfare at Yamaguchi Prefectural University. “We have been focusing on the effect that exercise has on promoting social communication.”

Over the course of four years, Tsunoda and his colleagues followed participants, ages 65 and older, living independently in Kasama, a regional city about 60 miles north of central Tokyo.

A 2017 survey asked about their fitness habits, including how often they exercise alone or with other people such as a spouse, children, grandchildren, friends or a trainer. Based on the responses, participants were split into three groups: non-exercisers, solo exercisers (exercise alone at least once a week) and social exercisers (exercise with others at least once a week).

The researchers obtained cognitive impairment data from a government database. In Japan, the condition is measured by a nationally standardized method known as the Activities of Daily Living Independence Assessment Criteria. Cognitive impairment in the study was defined as having symptoms that interfere with daily life to the point where supervision or care is needed.

At the time of the initial survey, the mean age of participants was 76.9 years, with 51.8 percent being female. A greater proportion of older adults reported exercising by themselves (31.0 percent) than with other people (24.8 percent). Nearly half responded that they do not exercise at all (44.2 percent). Throughout the four years that followed, 7.7 percent of participants developed cognitive impairment.

Older adults who exercised by themselves, however, were less likely to develop cognitive impairment — by about 22 percent — compared with those who didn’t exercise at all. But the preventive link was boosted by the addition of a social element, which showed a 34 percent risk reduction compared with no exercise.

Tsunoda and his colleagues then created a predictive tool based on their findings, called a population attributable fraction, to assess the impact of social exercise on the entire study population. If all participants worked out with others twice weekly or more, the incidence of cognitive impairment would decrease by 29.2 percent, whereas the benefit would be only 15.1 percent for exercising alone, the tool showed.

The results, published in the Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics in January, suggest that regular social exercise may act as an effective one-two punch against cognitive decline in older adults. Previous research, summarized in a 2020 report on dementia prevention by the Lancet Commission, pointed to 12 modifiable risk factors — including physical inactivity and low social participation — that account for around 40 percent of worldwide dementias.

“The finding that exercising with others is better than exercising alone supports the idea that a range of different lifestyle changes are beneficial and that these may work together,” said Andrew Sommerlad, associate professor of psychiatry at the University College London, a co-author of the Lancet report.

Exercise may help with many age-related conditions

The importance of exercise in preventing and managing age-related conditions is becoming increasingly clear. A recent consensus statement based on the available scientific evidence recommends older adults engage in physical activity to promote health, prevent diseases and treat a wide range of conditions.

“Exercise is not just for the young,” said Mikel Izquierdo, professor of health sciences at the Public University of Navarra in Spain, who was not involved in the research. “Older individuals can also reap the benefits of exercise and should be encouraged to do so.”

Exercise can help prevent chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, stroke and diabetes, while also improving longevity, mobility, mental health and quality of life.

In terms of the aging brain, regular exercise promotes improvements in cognitive function, as well as the prevention and reduction of cognitive decline. Physical activity can change the structure of the brain through increases in blood flow and volume, and impede age-related brain tissue loss.

An extensive body of research has also pointed to socialization as beneficial for the aging brain. In a 2019 study of more than 10,000 people, Sommerlad and his colleagues observed that more frequent social contact at age 60 was associated with lower dementia risk over the next 15 years. And a 2019 meta-analysis of 51 studies found that high engagement in social activity and large social networks were linked to better late-life cognitive function.

“Socializing exercises our cognitive function, providing more resilience to late-life decline — a concept known as building cognitive reserve,” Sommerlad said. “Being more socially active may also encourage healthy lifestyle behavior, and reduce stress.”

Exercise buddy 2

Exercising with others builds friendships and community

Mariza Vazquez of Lakewood, Colo., started a hiking group for other women in her age range two years ago. The Senior Women Moderately Paced Hiking Group today boasts more than 1,000 members and offers weekly hikes, along with forest bathing and mindfulness activities.

“There’s a huge benefit of like-minded women meeting each other. What draws us all together is our love of nature and hiking,” Vazquez, 62, said. “It has created some very engaging friendships.”

Member Kathy Kosch, 70, hikes and walks by herself, but being part of the hiking group pushes her to attempt more challenging trails, she said. Not only do the women cheer each other on, hiking with others also provides safety in numbers, making it less likely for people to get lost or injured.

“Being part of this group of diverse, strong women has offered me a sense of community,” said Kosch, a retired nurse based in Golden, Colo. “These ladies are an inspiration. I expand my universe with every hike.”

The World Health Organization recommends that adults 65 and older engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week, along with at least two or more days of muscle-strengthening activity. But only 16 percent of older Americans meet these guidelines.

Izquierdo and other experts believe that physical activity should be prescribed by health-care professionals in an individualized manner, like any other medications. While maintaining an exercise routine for older adults can be challenging, he suggests that group exercise or working out with a partner can help enhance consistency, motivation and enjoyment.

“No matter your age, it’s never too late to start contracting those muscles and reaping the benefits of exercise,” Izquierdo said.

Puzzle that baffled scientists for 2,500 years finally solved

By Stephen Beech via SWNS

An ancient grammatical puzzle that has baffled scientists for 2,500 years has been solved by a Cambridge University student.

Indian-born PhD scholar Rishi Rajpopat, 27, finally cracked the riddle which has defeated Sanskrit experts since the 5th Century BC - by decoding a rule taught by “the father of linguistics” Pāṇini.

The discovery makes it possible to 'derive' any Sanskrit word – to construct millions of grammatically correct words including ‘mantra’ and ‘guru’ – using Pāṇini’s revered ‘language machine’ which is widely considered to be one of the great intellectual achievements in history.

Leading Sanskrit scholars have described the discovery as ‘revolutionary’ - and it could now mean that Pāṇini’s grammar can be taught to computers for the first time.

While researching his Ph.D., published today, Dr. Rajpopat decoded a 2,500-year-old algorithm that makes it possible, for the first time, to accurately use Pāṇini’s ‘language machine.'

Pāṇini’s system - 4,000 rules detailed in his greatest work, the Aṣṭādhyāyī which is thought to have been written around 500BC – is meant to work like a machine.

Puzzle 2A

Feed in the base and suffix of a word and it should turn them into grammatically correct words and sentences through a step-by-step process.

However, until now, there has been a huge problem. Scientists say that, often, two or more of Pāṇini’s rules are simultaneously applicable at the same step - leaving scholars to agonize over which one to choose.

Solving so-called 'rule conflicts', which affect millions of Sanskrit words including certain forms of ‘mantra’ and ‘guru’, requires an algorithm.

Pāṇini, who is thought to have lived in a region in what is now northwest Pakistan and southeast Afghanistan, taught a metarule to help decide which rule should be applied in the event of ‘rule conflict’.

But for the last 2,500 years, scholars have misinterpreted the metarule meaning that they often ended up with a grammatically incorrect result.

In an attempt to fix the issue, many researchers laboriously developed hundreds of other metarules.

Ancient grammatical puzzle

But Dr. Rajpopat showed that these are not just incapable of solving the problem at hand – they all produced too many exceptions – but also completely unnecessary.

He explained that Pāṇini’s ‘language machine’ is ‘self-sufficient’.

Dr. Rajpopat, who started his Ph.D. at St John’s College, Cambridge, in 2017, said: “Pāṇini had an extraordinary mind and he built a machine unrivaled in human history.

"He didn’t expect us to add new ideas to his rules. The more we fiddle with Pāṇini's grammar, the more it eludes us.”

Traditionally, scientists have interpreted Pāṇini’s metarule as meaning: in the event of a conflict between two rules of equal strength, the rule that comes later in the grammar’s serial order wins.

Dr. Rajpopat rejects this, arguing instead that Pāṇini meant that between rules applicable to the left and right sides of a word respectively,

He said Pāṇini wanted us to choose the rule applicable to the right side. Employing this interpretation, Dr. Rajpopat found Pāṇini’s language machine produced grammatically correct words with almost no exceptions.

Six months before Dr. Rajpopat made his discovery, his supervisor at Cambridge, Sanskrit Professor Vincenzo Vergiani, gave him some prescient advice: “If the solution is complicated, you are probably wrong.”

Dr. Rajpopat said: “I had a eureka moment in Cambridge.

"After nine months of trying to crack this problem, I was almost ready to quit, I was getting nowhere.

"So I closed the books for a month and just enjoyed the summer, swimming, cycling, cooking, praying and meditating.

"Then, begrudgingly I went back to work, and, within minutes, as I turned the pages, these patterns started emerging, and it all started to make sense.

"There was a lot more work to do, but I’d found the biggest part of the puzzle.

“Over the next few weeks I was so excited, I couldn’t sleep and would spend hours in the library including in the middle of the night to check what I’d found and solve related problems. That work took another two-and-a-half years.”

Prof Vergiani said: "My student Rishi has cracked it.

"He has found an extraordinarily elegant solution to a problem that has perplexed scholars for centuries.

"This discovery will revolutionize the study of Sanskrit at a time when interest in the language is on the rise.”

Sanskrit is an ancient and classical Indo-European language from South Asia. It is the sacred language of Hinduism, but also the medium through which much of India’s greatest science, philosophy, poetry and other secular literature have been communicated for centuries.

While only spoken in India by an estimated 25,000 people today, Sanskrit has growing political significance in India and has influenced many other languages and cultures around the world.

Dr. Rajpopat, who was born in Mumbai and learned Sanskrit in high school, said: “Some of the most ancient wisdom of India has been produced in Sanskrit and we still don’t fully understand what our ancestors achieved.

"We’ve often been led to believe that we’re not important, that we haven’t brought enough to the table.

"I hope this discovery will infuse students in India with confidence, pride, and hope that they too can achieve great things.”

He said that a major implication of his discovery is that now we have the algorithm that runs Pāṇini's grammar, we could potentially teach this grammar to computers.

He added: "Computer scientists working on Natural Language Processing gave up on rule-based approaches over 50 years ago.

“So teaching computers how to combine the speaker’s intention with Pāṇini’s rule-based grammar to produce human speech would be a major milestone in the history of human interaction with machines, as well as in India's intellectual history."

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