Design Patterns Barriers to Social Entrepreneurship: An Application of Grounded Theory

Social entrepreneurship involves social value creation activities and like many change-oriented activities does not take place in a vacuum. Rather, it develops within a complex context of political, economic, and social changes and on the local and global levels. Although, some countries have introduced laws for social supports, they are inefficient and unpractical and there are still many obstacles in the path of social entrepreneurs that need to be dealt with.Therefore, the present research seeks to answer the following question: what are the barriers to entrepreneurship in Iran? For this purpose, the qualitative research method has been employed using the Grounded Theory method. Moreover, explorative interviews were conducted with 15 key experts who had biological and practical experiences related to the research subject.The pattern derived from the current research shows that the main obstacle that hinders the development of social entrepreneurship is the attenuation of individuals’ active participation in altruistic social responsibilities which is due to contextual factors and causative relationships. However, social responsibility can be fostered in individuals by implementing a series of initiatives and strategies, as a result of which, entrepreneurial activities begin to develop. Keywords: Social Entrepreneurship, Social Capital, Grounded Theory, Barriers, Iran

Surface Modification of Biodegradable Porous Mg Bone Scaffold Using Polycaprolactone/Bioactive Glass Composite

A reduction in the degradation rate of magnesium (Mg) and its alloys is in high demand to enable these materials to be used in orthopedic applications. For this purpose, in this paper, a biocompatible polymeric layer reinforced with a bioactive ceramic made of polycaprolactone (PCL) and bioactive glass (BG) was applied on the surface of Mg scaffolds using dip-coating technique under low vacuum. The results indicated that the PCL-BG coated Mg scaffolds exhibited noticeably enhanced bioactivity compared to the uncoated scaffold. Moreover, the mechanical integrity of the Mg scaffolds was improved using the PCL-BG coating on the surface. The stable barrier property of the coatings effectively delayed the degradation activity of Mg scaffold substrates. Moreover, the coatings induced the formation of apatite layer on their surface after immersion in the SBF, which can enhance the biological bone in-growth and block the microcracks and pore channels in the coatings, thus prolonging their protective effect. Furthermore, it was shown that a three times increase in the concentration of PCL-BG noticeably improved the characteristics of scaffolds including their degradation resistance and mechanical stability. Since bioactivity, degradation resistance and mechanical integrity of a bone substitute are the key factors for repairing and healing fractured bones, we suggest that PCL-BG is a suitable coating material for surface modification of Mg scaffolds

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Entrepreneurship Training Courses in a Developing Country

Purpose- Today, entrepreneurship has become a necessity for economic development in different countries. Therefore, entrepreneurship training could be a solution in order to reach this goal. But it should be considered that for being more successful, these courses should be effective and efficient. Design/methodology/approach- In this study, a survey is conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of these courses between 265 trained individuals between in a two years period. Random sampling is done and then 113 individuals were selected to conduct the survey. Cronbach's alpha was calculated (0.967) and some hypotheses were tested. Findings- Results reveal that output effectiveness was significant, and the courses were considered to be at an acceptable level. But there were some limitations as follows: (i) lack of access to a large number of trainers, which might affect the generalization level of the findings; and (ii) finding appro-priate measures to test the mentioned hypotheses. Research Implications- The findings of this research might be used by policy makers, trainers and even tutors in the field of entrepreneurship. Originality/value- The research is among the first studies in the area of evaluating entrepreneurship training courses conducted in Iran. Research Paper Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Hosseinzadeh, M., Razavi, S. M., Hosseinzadeh, D. (2014). “Evaluating the Effectiveness of Entrepreneurship Training Courses in a Developing Country”, Journal of Entrepreneurship, Business and Economics, Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 63–73

Comparing Two Inferior Oblique Weakening Procedures: Disinsertion versus Myectomy

Purpose: To compare two methods for treating inferior oblique overaction (IOOA): disinsertion versus myectomy of the muscle. Methods: In this prospective interventional case series, patients were randomly assigned to undergo either IO myectomy or disinsertion. The changes in vertical and horizontal deviations following these two surgical procedures were evaluated. The postoperative IO function of grade 0 or +1 and the fundus extorsion of grade 0 or +1 was considered as the successful outcome. Results: Thirty-six patients (50 eyes) with a mean age of 12.67 ± 4.05 years were included. In the myectomy group, the mean preoperative hyperdeviation in adduction was 29.5 ± 9.32 prism diopter (PD), which decreased to 9.15 ± 7.86 PD after surgery (P = 0.001). In the disinsertion group, these measurements were 32.73 ± 12.42 and 12.65 ± 9.34 PD before and after the surgery, respectively (P = 0.001). The success rate of surgery based on the IOOA grading was 87.4% and 92.3% in the myectomy and disinsertion groups, respectively (P = 0.780). The successful correction rate of abnormal fundus torsion was 91.6% in the myectomy and 88.4% in the disinsertion group (P = 0.821). In comparison, 48% of the cases in the myectomy group and 50% in the disinsertion group were within the normal range of torsional position postoperatively (P = 0.786). There was no statistically significant difference in terms of changes in the horizontal or vertical deviations, V-pattern, and dissociated vertical deviation between the two groups. Conclusion: Both surgical techniques seem to be effective for treatment of inferior oblique muscle overaction

Kokcidioza koza: učinci pokusne infekcije na određene krvne pokazatelje.

The objective of this experiment was to elucidate the aspects of differential circulatory cell responses during experimental coccidiosis in goat. A total of twenty newborn kids were selected; ten of them were infected with sporulated oocysts of the most pathogenic species of Eimeria and the remainder served as control. Blood samples were taken at 0 (before inoculation), 3, 7, 14, 17, 21, 24, 28 and 35 days post infection (dpi) and some hematological and fecal related parameters were measured. According to our data, except for a significant decrease at 24 dpi, packed cell volume (PCV) and hemoglobin (Hb) concentrations evidenced no substantial changes in the infected kids compared to controls. The percentage of the circulatory neutrophils showed remarkable increases from 7 to 24 dpi. Unlike neutrophils, the level of lymphocytes represented marked decreases from 7 to 24 dpi. In addition, circulatory eosinophils evidenced no statistical changes during the infection; however monocytes revealed a significant elevation only at 17 and 24 dpi. Substantial activations of neutrophils and lymphocytes indicate that these cells have key roles in either preventing or establishing primary infections with Eimeria in goats.Cilj pokusa bio je rasvijetliti različite odgovore stanica u krvnom optjecaju tijekom pokusno uzrokovane kokcidioze u koza. U pokus je bilo uključeno 20 novoojarene jaradi od čega je 10 bilo zaraženo sporuliranim oocistama najpatogenije vrste roda Eimeria, a ostalih 10 su poslužili za kontrolu. Uzorci njihove krvi bili su uzeti 0. (prije zaražavanja), 3., 7., 14., 17., 21., 24., 28. i 35. dana nakon zaražavanja te su bili pretraženi na neke hematološke pokazatelje. Parazitološki su bili pretraženi i uzorci izmeta. Vrijednosti hematokrita i koncentracije hemoglobina nisu pokazivale bitne promjene u zaraženih u odnosu na kontrolne životinje, osim značajnog smanjenja 24. dana nakon infekcije. Postotak optjecajnih neutrofila bio je značajno povećan od 7. do 24. dana nakon infekcije. Za razliku od neutrofila, razina limfocita bila je znantno smanjena od 7. do 24. dana poslije infekcije. Povrh toga, statistički značajne promjene ustanovljene su u broju optjecajnih eozinofila dok je broj monocita bio značajno povišen 17. i 24. dana nakon infekcije. Znatna aktivacija neutrofila i limfocita upućuju na zaključak da te stanice imaju ključnu ulogu u sprječavanju primarne infekcije kokcidijama roda Eimeria u koza

Effects of processing variables and full fat soy flour on nutritional and sensory properties of spaghetti using a mixture design approach.

The influence of full-fat soy flour (FFSF) and extrusion conditions on nutritional and sensory characteristics of spaghetti was evaluated using a mixture design, in order to produce functional pasta. Addition of FFSF increases the nutritional composition significantly (P<or=0.05). Generally, the presence of FFSF showed a negative influence on the color attribute, but no effect on the firmness and surface condition of spaghetti. No significant difference was observed in the beany flavor up to 23.0 g/100 g. The temperature and screw speed of the extruder had no significant effect on nutritional and sensory attributes, but both enhanced the effect of formulation on the color and surface condition of spaghetti. Also, interaction between the screw speed and the ingredients resulted in a slight positive effect on the firmness and beany flavor attributes. Optimum nutritional value and sensory attributes of spaghetti were produced when 17.0 g/100 g FFSF was added and processed at a screw speed of 40 rpm and a temperature of 70 degrees C

Women in business and leadership: critiques and discussions

Female leaders have emerged over the last forty years and are making their mark in the business world. On the other hand, inequality in the workforce leads to salary gaps and struggles for promotions. Strides have been made, but there is more work to be done. Female managers/leaders should understand the history of inequality in all around the world. They should understand the traits of a charismatic leader as these traits could help boost their desirability within the business world. Finally, identifying a profile of a successful female leader can help demonstrate the direction in which any female manager should head

The effect of cations on gelation of cross-linked polymers

The effects of different cation concentrations and types on rheological property and stability of Guar, Xanthan, and Partially Hydrolyzed Polyacrylamide (HPAM) cross-linked gels were analyzed through experiments. Also, a new approach was developed to reduce the negative effects of cation by application of multi-walled carbon nano-tubes (MWCNTs). The presence of cations in cross-linked gel system will reduce the viscosity of gel, the higher the cation concentration is, the lower the viscosity will be. The bivalent cation has a greater viscosity reduction effect on gel than monovalent cation. The stability of cross-linked gels is worse with cations, this situation becomes more serious under higher salinity. MWCNTs were added to HPAM gel, cross-linked by (3-Aminopropyl) triethoxysilane (APTES), they surrounded cations and removed them from polymers and reduced the reaction possibility. This method enhances the viscosity and breakdown pressure of cross-linked gels, improves the stability of HPAM cross-linked gel under different operating conditions, and can be applied to related drilling projects