Internationalization plan for social enterprises: A research on the internationalization of "Book a Street Artist"

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and EconomicsWhile working as an intern for the social enterprise Book a Street Artist, I was responsible for implementing an internationalization plan. Due to the lack of information about how social enterprises internationalize, a three-plus-two step structure has been developed and applied to the enterprise. This work demonstrates that to precisely scale up social impact, the actual implementation of social enterprises´ internationalization should be done in a rapid, not necessarily systematic manner. Therefore, the best way to internationalize is based on an implementation strategy which is suited to the enterprises´ actual market conditions and its business model

Effect of a pharmacist-led antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) program on outpatient fluoroquinolone prescribing in the elderly

Title: Effect of a pharmacist-led antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) program on outpatient fluoroquinolone prescribing in the elderly Authors: LaRue, Katie PharmD; Mannebach, Chelsea PharmD, BCPS, BCACP; Jiron, Bonnie, PharmD, BCACP Introduction: The Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists, and American Pharmacists Association recognize the need for outpatient AMS programs and the important role pharmacists play in appropriate prescribing. Fluoroquinolones (FQ) pose many risks, highlighted by U.S Food and Drug Administration safety warnings, including aortic dissection, hypoglycemia, mental health side effects, and tendonitis, along with the risk of Clostridium difficile infections, particularly in the elderly. Outcomes: The primary outcome is to determine the change in the number of FQ prescriptions written for patients ≥65 years of age in the primary care setting between March 2018 and 2019, and March 2019 and 2020. Secondary objectives include determining the appropriateness of fluoroquinolone prescriptions before and after education intervention, and provider attitudes towards outpatient AMS. Methods: Education on fluoroquinolone antibiotic risks, safety warnings, and guideline-directed uses was provided to prescribers in February 2020. During education, prescribers were given a report of the number of fluoroquinolones prescribed to patients ≥65 years of age during March 2018 and March 2019 with comparison to other prescribers. Data was collected for March 2020 and a similar report was given to prescribers. Approximately 15% of fluoroquinolone prescriptions were reviewed for secondary outcomes. Changes in fluoroquinolone prescriptions will be analyzed by Bayesian inference and secondary outcomes will be reported with descriptive statistics. Results: There was a decrease in the total number of fluoroquinolone prescriptions in March 2020 (n=134) compared to March 2019 (n=200) and March 2018 (n=272). After secondary review of 15% of these prescriptions, there was an increase in appropriately prescribed fluoroquinolones from 2.4% in March 2018 (n=41) to 27.8% in March 2020 (n=18). Of 118 providers surveyed before and after the educational presentation, 6.8% correctly identified all risks associated with fluoroquinolone therapy prior to the education and 84.1% correctly identified all risks associated with fluoroquinolone therapy after receiving education. After the education, an increase in providers reported being very comfortable discussing the risks and benefits of FQ therapy with their patients, from 23% prior to the education to 65% after the education. Conclusions: Provider education on risks associated with fluoroquinolone use in the elderly and individualized provider reports was associated with a decrease in total fluoroquinolones prescribed to patients ≥65 years of age in the included primary care clinics. Additionally, a higher percentage of fluoroquinolones were prescribed appropriately based on evidence-based guidelines. Ongoing AMS efforts are needed to continually improve patient safety and reduce unnecessary antimicrobial exposure.https://digitalcommons.psjhealth.org/pharmacy_PGY2/1002/thumbnail.jp

Selected characteristics of and projections for vocational agriculture in Kansas area vocational-technical schools

Call number: LD2668 .R4 1965 M28

Chemical Recycling of Polyolefinic Waste to Light Olefins by Catalytic Pyrolysis

Catalytic pyrolysis of post-industrial and post-consumer waste is studied in an auger-type reactor at pilot scale by applying two different zeolites and an amorphous silica-alumina catalyst in-situ at 400–550 °C. Contrary to thermal pyrolysis, of polyolefin-rich waste, high gaseous pyrolysis product yields of approx. 85 wt % are achieved with C$_2$–C$_4$ olefin contents of up to 67 wt %. After deactivation by coke deposition catalyst regeneration is proved feasible for maintaining the gaseous product yield and composition. Waste feedstocks with significant nitrogen and halogen heteroatom content are not suitable for in-situ catalytic pyrolysis

Control of Insulin Release by Transient Receptor Potential Melastatin 3 (TRPM3) Ion Channels

Background/Aims: The release of insulin in response to increased levels of glucose in the blood strongly depends on Ca2+ influx into pancreatic beta cells by the opening of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels. Transient Receptor Potential Melastatin 3 proteins build Ca2+ permeable, non-selective cation channels serving as pain sensors of noxious heat in the peripheral nervous system. TRPM3 channels are also strongly expressed in pancreatic beta cells that respond to the TRPM3 agonist pregnenolone sulfate with Ca2+ influx and increased insulin release. Therefore, we hypothesized that in beta cells TRPM3 channels may contribute to pregnenolone sulfate- as well as to glucose-induced insulin release. Methods: We used INS-1 cells as a beta cell model in which we analysed the occurrence of TRPM3 isoformes by immunoprecipitation and western blotting and by cloning of RT-PCR amplified cDNA fragments. We applied pharmacological as well as CRISPR/Cas9-based strategies to analyse the interplay of TRPM3 and voltage-gated Ca2+ channels in imaging experiments (FMP, Fura-2) and electrophysiological recordings. In immunoassays, we examined the contribution of TRPM3 channels to pregnenolone sulfate- and glucose-induced insulin release. To confirm our findings, we generated beta cell-specific Trpm3-deficient mice and compared their glucose clearance with the wild type in glucose tolerance tests. Results: TRPM3 channels triggered the activity of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels and both channels together contributed to insulin release after TRPM3 activation. Trpm3-deficient INS-1 cells lacked pregnenolone sulfate-induced Ca2+ signals just like the pregnenolone sulfate-induced insulin release. Both, glucose-induced Ca2+ signals and the glucose-induced insulin release were strongly reduced. Accordingly, Trpm3-deficient mice displayed an impaired decrease of the blood sugar concentration after intraperitoneal or oral administration of glucose. Conclusion: The present study suggests an important role for TRPM3 channels in the control of glucose-dependent insulin release