Fashion as a Means of Humanitarian Aid: A Resource for Prospective Entrepreneurs

The following paper is intended to provide prospective entrepreneurs, who desire to incorporate humanitarian aid into fashion-oriented startup ventures, with information regarding current business models and prominent companies. A discussion of approaches to humanitarian relief and their effectiveness will assist prospective entrepreneurs as they assess the best manner in which their individual startups may serve people in need. Three commonly utilized models of aid to be discussed include employment-based, tangible goods-based, and monetary donation-based that exist with the intentions to provide relief for causes such as food, health, clean water, education, clothing, job creation, and freedom. Through the compilation of case studies of TOMS Shoes, Krochet Kids, and Hello Somebody, the author identifies extractable lessons for prospective entrepreneurs, including concerns of product development, method of distribution, marketing, and consideration of causes to support. The objective of the paper is to develop awareness of matters to consider throughout the initial phases of preparation and execution so that prospective entrepreneurs may increase their chances for success

Chile: Cinema in Exile

Executions, disappearances, and exile are not the first words that come to mind when picturing the long, versatile landscape of Chile. Nonetheless, Chile was under the harsh control of Augusto Pinochet from 1974 until 1990 and experienced a high level of political oppression during that time. Though Chile had only a short film history before the rule of Pinochet, cinema remained relevant despite the exile and hardships experienced by several prominent Chilean filmmakers. Ironically, under the hostile dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, Chile developed a stronger national cinema, producing politically and historically motivated films made by the exiled filmmakers, who persevered through renewed struggle to create a strong sense of solidarity while opening Chilean cinema to a much wider audience

How to Make It as a Maker: Maximizing Customer Experience to Increase Brand Value in the Saturated Marketplace of Paper Goods and Gifts

The following thesis investigates the saturated conditions of the paper goods and gift industry, while addressing how the problem of competition discourages start-up brands. Targeted towards rising creative entrepreneurs with ambition to enter the marketplace, the thesis affirms opportunity for breakthrough created by the Maker Movement and identifies strategies for success through attention to customer experience. Based on the trending demand for experience, suggested strategies highlight the primary areas with opportunity for visual application, including brand, product, packaging, social media, and point of purchase. Scholarly research employs primary and secondary resources, along with case studies of successful brands in a variety of saturated industries, non-exclusive to paper goods and gifts alone. The final visual deliverables exemplify how creative entrepreneurs may increase impact in the five areas of experience, as demonstrated in the development and launch of a start-up paper goods and gift e-commerce brand. In conclusion, the thesis affirms continued opportunity, asserting that entrepreneurs who remain attentive to curating memorable customer experiences will increase brand value and potential for success in the saturated marketplace of paper goods and gifts

Muslim Immigration to Connecticut: An Analysis of Muslim Communities\u27 Role In Immigrant Incorporation

This research investigates the relationship between Muslim religious identity and immigrant incorporation outcomes in the United States. There is much existing literature discussing the outcomes of different immigrant groups to the United States, but Muslim immigrants have been largely left out of the discussion. Through interviewing Muslim immigrant residents of Connecticut, I discovered a two-fold relationship between Muslim identity and immigrant outcomes. On one hand, Muslim immigrants were able to incorporate more successfully through their Muslim religious community, such as their mosque. On the other hand, Muslim immigrants faced more difficult incorporating because of negative attitudes towards Muslim immigrants from Americans

Objectification: Work-based Worth and the Renewal of Character

Graduate Creative and Artisti

Growth factor liberation and DPSCs response following dentine conditioning

Liberation of the sequestrated bioactive molecules from dentine by the action of applied dental materials has been proposed as an important mechanism in inducing a dentinogenic response in teeth with viable pulps. Although adhesive restorations and dentine-bonding procedures are routinely practiced, clinical protocols to improve pulp protection and dentine regeneration are not currently driven by biological knowledge. This study investigated the effect of dentine (powder and slice) conditioning by etchants/conditioners relevant to adhesive restorative systems on growth factor solubilization and odontoblast-like cell differentiation of human dental pulp progenitor cells (DPSCs). The agents included ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA; 10%, pH 7.2), phosphoric acid (37%, pH <1), citric acid (10%, pH 1.5), and polyacrylic acid (25%, pH 3.9). Growth factors were detected in dentine matrix extracts drawn by EDTA, phosphoric acid, and citric acid from powdered dentine. The dentine matrix extracts were shown to be bioactive, capable of stimulating odontogenic/osteogenic differentiation as observed by gene expression and phenotypic changes in DPSCs cultured in monolayer on plastic. Polyacrylic acid failed to solubilize proteins from powdered dentine and was therefore considered ineffective in triggering a growth factor–mediated response in cells. The study went on to investigate the effect of conditioning dentine slices on growth factor liberation and DPSC behavior. Conditioning by EDTA, phosphoric acid, and citric acid exposed growth factors on dentine and triggered an upregulation in genes associated with mineralized differentiation, osteopontin, and alkaline phosphatase in DPSCs cultured on dentine. The cells demonstrated odontoblast-like appearances with elongated bodies and long extracellular processes extending on dentine surface. However, phosphoric acid–treated dentine appeared strikingly less populated with cells, suggesting a detrimental impact on cell attachment and growth when conditioning by this agent. These findings take crucial steps in informing clinical practice on dentine-conditioning protocols as far as treatment of operatively exposed dentine in teeth with vital pulps is concerned

Growth and splitting of neural sequences in songbird vocal development

Neural sequences are a fundamental feature of brain dynamics underlying diverse behaviours, but the mechanisms by which they develop during learning remain unknown. Songbirds learn vocalizations composed of syllables; in adult birds, each syllable is produced by a different sequence of action potential bursts in the premotor cortical area HVC. Here we carried out recordings of large populations of HVC neurons in singing juvenile birds throughout learning to examine the emergence of neural sequences. Early in vocal development, HVC neurons begin producing rhythmic bursts, temporally locked to a prototype syllable. Different neurons are active at different latencies relative to syllable onset to form a continuous sequence. Through development, as new syllables emerge from the prototype syllable, initially highly overlapping burst sequences become increasingly distinct. We propose a mechanistic model in which multiple neural sequences can emerge from the growth and splitting of a commo n precursor sequence.National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (Grant R01DC009183)National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Grant DGE-114747