Social Entrepreneurship and Social Transformation

This study provides a comparative analysis of seven cases of social entrepreneurship that have been widely recognized as successful. The paper suggests factors associated with successful social entrepreneurship, particularly with social entrepreneurship that leads to significant changes in the social, political and economic contexts for poor and marginalized groups. It generates hypotheses about core innovations, leadership, organization, and scaling up in successful social entrepreneurship. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications for the practice of social entrepreneurship, for further research, and for the continued development of support technologies and institutions that will encourage future social entrepreneurship.This publication is Hauser Center Working Paper No. 15. The Hauser Center Working Paper Series was launched during the summer of 2000. The Series enables the Hauser Center to share with a broad audience important works-in-progress written by Hauser Center scholars and researchers

Absence of freight transportation plans in state and county emergency operations plans

Natural disasters have the ability to disrupt structured systems in the United States, such as transportation systems and freight routes. When a natural disaster occurs, freight is forced to reroute around the effected areas. Rerouting slows recovery efforts, as well as normal transportation of goods within the United States. Therefore, natural disasters, with respect to freight routes, have widespread impacts and the possibility for acute hardship in disaster-prone areas. This thesis examines how comprehensive state and local level emergency operations plans are with respect to freight transportation rerouting following a natural disaster. Coastal cities can modify freight routes and this rerouting might affect recovery efforts and the normal flow of freight. First, seven coastal cities emergency operations plans are examined for specific elements of freight transportation planning. From there, the project determined how complete local level emergency operations plans are in terms of freight transportation and the framework needed for a freight transportation plan. The result of this research was policy recommendations to improve the resiliency of freight transportation networks surrounding coastal cities and incorporate freight transportation planning into emergency operations. The resiliency of freight routes following natural disasters is important because there can be widespread effects on the delivery of goods to the U.S. as well as recovery supplies to the effected area. If freight routes could be modeled to efficiently deliver rescue supplies and goods, while also minimizing the environmental effects, the benefits of uninterrupted service to the transportation system and society could possibly be substantial. The transportation system cannot encounter difficulties whenever a natural or manmade disaster occurs; therefore the United States needs to be better equipped to counteract interruptions in freight routes

Where are they now? Following up a Successful Primary Technology Project

Is it worthwhile giving extra time and attention to modelling with construction sets as part of the primary technology curriculum? Are there any long term effects of such a strategy? What do the pupils themselves think about it in retrospect?In this study, pupils involved in a primary rescarch project on the effective use of construction sets were rcvisited at the end of secondary schooling. Their GCSE results were examined and their progress compared with that of their peers. Their memories and opinions about their own technological progress were collected and ana lysed and several commonly held views cmerged. The insights provided by both strands of this study may be useful in structuring and managing the teaching of technology through primary and secondary schooling

The Relationship Between Prior Experiences in Mathematics and Pharmacy School Success

Objective. To assess students’ pre-pharmacy math experiences, confidence in math ability, and relationship between experiences, confidence, and grades in math-based pharmacy courses. Methods. A cross-sectional survey of first year to third year pharmacy students was conducted. Students reported type of pre-pharmacy math courses taken, when they were taken [high school (HS) vs. college] and year of HS and college graduation. Students rated their confidence in math ability using the previously validated 11-item Fogerty Math Confidence Scale (Cronbach alpha=0.92). Math grade point average (GPA), Pharmacy College Admission Test quantitative (PCAT quant) scores, and grades (calculations and kinetics) were obtained from transcripts and school records. Spearman correlation and multivariate linear regression were used to compare math experiences, confidence, and grades. Results. There were 198 students who reported taking math courses 7.1 years since HS graduation and 2.9 years since their last schooling prior to pharmacy school. Students who took math courses with more time since HS/last schooling had lower calculations and kinetics grades. Students reporting having taken more HS math courses had better calculations grades. Students with higher math GPA, and PCAT quant scores also had higher calculations and kinetics grades. Greater confidence in math ability was associated with higher calculations grades. In multivariate regressions, PCAT quant scores and years since HS independently predicted calculations grades, and PCAT quant scores independently predicted kinetics grades. Conclusion. The number of pre-pharmacy math courses and time elapsed since they were taken are important factors to consider when predicting a pharmacy student’s success in math-based pharmacy school courses

THE UNITED STATES IN THE GLOBAL SOYBEAN MARKET: WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

This study applies the concept of a dynamic dominant-firm oligopoly model to the international soybean market. It has been suggested that the international soybean market should be viewed as an oligopoly among exporting nations. Consistent with Gaskins (1971) dynamic dominant firm model, our results indicate that the current U.S. loan deficiency-payment prices and their predecessors created an environment in which smaller (fringe) exporters could prosper and expand. The reduction of U.S. market share is thus a logical outcome of an "optimally managed decline" a la Gaskins. The study finds U.S. market share to decline at a reducing rate and predicts U.S. market share eventually to stabilize, given the expanding international market for soybeans and products. Recognition of the structure of international soybean market has policy implications for the 2002 farm program as the classic dominant firm model suggests.Crop Production/Industries, International Relations/Trade,

Co-sleeping deaths in Riverside County

The focus of this study was to look at cases of co-sleeping deaths and find the similarities between them and determine if these deaths were preventable. The research site for this study was the Riverside County Child Death Review, which meets twice a month to discuss all child deaths in Riverside County, as well as Riverside County Child Protective Services. The study participants chosen for this study were from cases discussed at these meetings. The cases for this study were selected from the Riverside Child Death Review Team from the years 2003 to 2008

5HT Receptors and alpha2-Adrenoceptors: Classification, Ligand Binding, Functional Correlates and Alterations in Cerebral Isochaemia

This study investigates 5HT receptor and alpha2-adrenoceptor subtypes. The principal technique used is radioligand binding. Where possible, functional correlates for the binding sites were examined. Once characterised the 5HT binding assays were used to examine the effect of cerebral ischaemia on 5HT neuropharmacology. Finally, preliminary investigations of a possible interaction of 5HT with alpha2-adrenoceptors were undertaken. 1. Under carefully defined conditions, 5HT binding sites were identified on rat and gerbil brain membranes, using [3H]-5HT as radioligand. 5HT and 5HT binding sites were characterised by 8 compounds that showed selectivity for the two subtypes (5HT, 5CT, 8-OH-DPAT, RU24969, buspirone, spiperone, mianserin and pindolol). 5CT and RU24969 yielded triphasic concentration response curves in the rat but not the gerbil cortex, providing evidence that [3H]-5HT labels three distinct 5HT sites in these membranes. High affinity [3H]-5HT binding to an uptake site or 5HT 1D binding site, was absent in the rat cortex. However, preliminary studies indicated that a fourth, distinct [3H]-5HT binding site was present on bovine cortex. 2. More selective radioligands led to better definition of heterogeneity of 5HT binding sites. [3H]-8-OH-DPAT and [3H]-WB4101 were found to label 5HT binding sites, predominantly in the hippocampus, characterised by high affinity for 5HT, 8-OH-DPAT and buspirone. The binding of 3 [3H]-8-OH-DPAT was sensitive to GTP, suggesting the ligand may act as an agonist. [125I]-CYP (in the presence of 30uM isoprenaline) was found to label the 5HT 1B subtype showing high affinity for 5HT, cyanopindolol, and 1B RU24969. 3. The pharmacological profile of 5HT 1A sites in the rat and gerbil appeared to be similar. Unlike human or pig, a 5HT 1B site was present on gerbil brain membranes, which was similar to the rat. A 5HT binding site in the gerbil was not evident from these studies. 4. The 5HT 1A binding site in the hippocampus was significantly 1A down-regulated following chronic dosing with an antidepressant, which suggests a possible role for this subtype in the aetiology of depression. 5HT release studies suggest the autoreceptor is likely to be a 5HT subtype as showed by high affinity for 5HT and 5CT whereas the 5HT ligand mianserin and the 5HT ligand MDL 72222 were inactive. 5. In peripheral tissue, a high affinity, low capacity [3H]-5HT binding site was identified on rat parenchymal lung membranes, which showed high affinity for 5HT and 5CT. This binding site was distinct from the 5HT uptake site as it showed only 3 low affinity for imipramine and desipramine. No specific [3H]-5HT binding was found on guinea-pig or rabbit atrial membranes. 6. The kinetic and pharmacological characteristics of the binding of [3H]-ketanserin, [3H]-mianserin and [125I]-LSD to brain membranes from rat and/or gerbil were studied. All three ligands labelled sites with the characteristics of the 5HT binding site, showing high affinity for 5HT2 antagonists and low affinity for 5HT. 7. [3H]-LSD was found to label a 5HT receptor on human platelet membranes, the affinity of drugs to inhibit this binding correlated well with their ability to inhibit 5HT-induced platelet aggregation. 8. High affinity, saturable, reversible binding, which could be inhibited by 5HT 2 antagonists, was identified in homogenates of pig coronary and human umbilical arteries, labelled by [ 125I]-LSD. This binding site correlated well with the receptor mediating the response to 5HT in the isolated PCA. 9. A reliable, rapid and highly predictive method for selection of stroke-prone gerbils was developed, using a microscopic examination of the anastomosis between the anterior cerebral arteries in the circulus arteriosus. Isoelectric EEG recordings also proved useful for identifing stroke-prone animals. 10. Global unilateral ischaemia (up to 3h) and brief bilateral ischaemia with recovery was found to have pronounced effects upon the level of 5HT in two areas of the gerbil brain, frontal cortex and corpus striatum. 11. Unilateral cerebral ischaemia (3h) caused a significant ipsilateral decrease in the number of 5HT2 binding sites in the gerbil frontal cortex, labelled by [3H]-ketanserin, with no significant effect on the affinity. However, unlike 3h postmortem tissue, the remaining binding sites showed high affinity for antagonists, and therefore were still viable. 12. Bilateral ischaemia (5min) with 72h recovery also caused a significant decrease in the number of 5HT2 binding sites. Quipazine-induced head shakes, mediated via a 5HT2 receptor, were observed in the gerbil. However, no significant decrease in head shakes was seen in animals 24 or 72h following 5min bilateral ischaemia. (Abstract shortened by ProQuest.)