The Philanthropy As One Big Impact Investment: A Framework For Evaluating A Foundation’s Blended Performance

While some foundations have put their entire focus on impact investing, philanthropy still lacks the tools that enable such investments to be made with the same rigor as the best financial investments and philanthropic grants. This reveals a more fundamental problem: We do not currently manage foundations as the integrated portfolios that they are. This article proposes a framework for evaluating a foundation’s blended performance that enables both grantmaking and endowment investing to be evaluated jointly, and thus also allows a complete evaluation of how impact investments could improve — or fail to improve — overall performance. The article demonstrates the framework’s utility by using it to evaluate a set of actual impact investments in the field of the environment. Using this framework to assess foundations’ performance would not only improve fundamental performance, but also potentially unlock vast new areas of social entrepreneurship

Interns perception towards pharmacology during clinical postings at RIMS, Raichur, India

Background: Every medical graduate must have the intention to prescribe rationally. It is pharmacology which teaches rational of prescribing of drug in undergraduate medical course. Therefore, many eminent medical educationists believe that pharmacology is the most essential part of the medical curriculum. Medical graduates join as interns in their respective teaching hospital immediately after graduation. Although interns work is usually under the supervision of a senior consultant but there are occasions, when they need to make their own decision. Internship is the intermediate period between under-graduation and general practice. The dexterity of health professional relies upon prescribing practices. Clinical pharmacology and therapeutics (CPT) is a crucial discipline for interns to acquire safe and rational prescription of drugs. This study was conducted with the intention to provide some light about the knowledge of pharmacology among the interns in RIMS Hospital Raichur, Karnataka.Methods: The study was done on interns of RIMS, Raichur. It was a descriptive questionnaire-based prospective study. A structured questionnaire modified from the work of Oshikoya et al, was used in the study which included four major categories namely basic demographic information, undergraduate CPT teaching, experience of adverse drug reaction (ADR) and any deficiency in the under-graduate CPT teaching.Results: Out of these 107 participants 54 (42%) rated pharmacology knowledge is good, while another 53(40%) had average understanding. As high as 80% (85) intern population feel that undergraduate training has prepared them to prescribe safely. 45 (41%) interns have already observed cases of adverse drug reactions in their short active clinical life.Conclusions: The present study has identified that pharmacology and therapeutics course curriculum is not enough to produce safe prescribers

Challenges and pitfalls of antipsychotic prescribing in people with learning disability

No abstract available

Atf6alpha impacts cell number by influencing survival, death and proliferation

BACKGROUND: A growing body of literature suggests the cell-intrinsic activity of Atf6alpha during ER stress responses has implications for tissue cell number during growth and development, as well as in adult biology and tumorigenesis [1]. This concept is important, linking the cellular processes of secretory protein synthesis and endoplasmic reticulum stress response with functional tissue capacity and organ size. However, the field contains conflicting observations, especially notable in secretory cell types like the pancreatic beta cell. SCOPE OF REVIEW: Here we summarize current knowledge of the basic biology of Atf6alpha, along with the pleiotropic roles Atf6alpha plays in cell life and death decisions and possible explanations for conflicting observations. We include studies investigating the roles of Atf6alpha in cell survival, death and proliferation using well-controlled methodology and specific validated outcome measures, with a focus on endocrine and metabolic tissues when information was available. MAJOR CONCLUSIONS: The net outcome of Atf6alpha on cell survival and cell death depends on cell type and growth conditions, the presence and degree of ER stress, and the duration and intensity of Atf6alpha activation. It is unquestioned that Atf6alpha activity influences the cell fate decision between survival and death, although opposite directions of this outcome are reported in different contexts. Atf6alpha can also trigger cell cycle activity to expand tissue cell number through proliferation. Much work remains to be done to clarify the many gaps in understanding in this important emerging field

Evaluation of self medication practices in common illness among non health care professionals in a tertiary care hospital

Background: Many studies have investigated the prevalence of self medication practices. World health organization promotes the practice of self medication for relief of symptoms without medical consultation to reduce the burden on health care services. Majority of the individuals in developing country like India have poor knowledge about appropriate use of self mediction, but still they practice taking it without knowing the benefits and risk factors.Methods: The present study was a cross sectional study aimed to gather information about prevalence of self medication in common illness among non health care professionals in a tertiary care hospital. The sample size comprised of 215 participants. Data was collected through an open ended semi structured questionnaire. All the descriptive data was coded, entered in micro soft excel and analysed with frequencies and proportions.Results: The prevelance of self medication was found to be 96%. Near about 30% of participants got information from pharmacist regarding self medication. 27% participants followed allopathy medicine.16% participants used becosules and mucaine gel for mouth and throat ulcers.26% participants used D-cold total for cough and cold.15% participants used dolo 650mg for fever and headache.41.7% participants used ciprofloxacin for ear and eye infections.26.6% participants used gelusil for GI infection .25.7% participants used calamine lotion for skin infections and 48% participants used turmeric for other minor ailments as self medication medicines.Conclusions: As the prevalence of self medication is high among educated participants. The present study suggest the growing trend of self medication has to be prevented by applying strong policies and prohibiting the supply of medicines without a valid prescription

Assessing the impacts of climate change on marine fisheries of Karnataka and identifying regime shifts

Climate related regime shifts, namely the rapid reorganization of marine ecosystems from one relatively stable state to another, have been reported from several parts of the world, and found responsible for the fluctuations of major fisheries. Time series on ocean-atmosphere parameters together with time series on plankton and/or fish abundance has been extensively used for identifying regime shifts in the oceans from several parts of the globe

Forces involved with the extraction of casings used in rotary bored piling

Temporary casings are regularly used in the construction of rotary bored piles, to support the pile bore in potentially unstable soils and also to prevent water ingress from loose or water logged soils. The preferred method of removal of casing is by pulling with a crawler crane. However, the magnitude of force generated, particularly during the initial stage of casing extraction, is unknown. This paper describes a series of 50g centrifuge tests designed to model the casing and surrounding soil during extraction by crane. In each test different sized model casings were installed at various embedment depths into a layer of clay overlain by a well-graded sand to provide an array of data. The depth of granular overburden was varied from 60 mm to 120 mm to allow for assessment of the influence of this material on the extraction force whilst the casing sizes modelled 900 mm and 1800 mm prototypes

“Non-Resident Me”: John Bartlet and the Canadian Historical Profession

John Bartlet Brebner (1895-1957) was a significant Canadian historian, but his work has been marginalised and discredited in the historiography. A Maritime historian, he continued to study Nova Scotia after leaving the University of Toronto for Columbia University, and this and his work on early explorers and British history led to his espousal of a continental approach that emphasised Canadian-American exchange and a shared British legal and political heritage. A deep liberal, he felt under suspicion because he did not promote either of the two nationalist schools of Canadian history and because he lived in the United States; this feeling moved him to naturalise as an American in 1941 and give up Canadian history. He later regretted this action, as his experiences as a liberal American in the post-war era gave him concerns about the liberal quality of American nationalism. After Brebner's death, his reputation was tarnished by the posthumous publication of an obsolete manuscript and the concerted attack of nationalist historians who, led by Donald G. Creighton, sought to deny legitimacy to even the most nuanced use of the "continental approach."John Bartlet Brebner (1895-1957) fut un important historien canadien, mais l’historiographie a marginalisé et discrédité son oeuvre. Historien des Maritimes, il continua de s'intéresser à l'histoire de la Nouvelle-Écosse, même après qu'il eut quitté l’Université de Toronto pour l'Université de Columbia ; ses recherches sur les premiers explorateurs et sur l'histoire britannique l'amenèrent à développer une approche continentale qui mettait l'accent sur les échanges canado-américains et sur le patrimoine politique et juridique britannique commun aux deux pays. Homme profondément libéral, Brebner devint suspect aux yeux de ses collègues, parce qu'il ne soutenait aucune des deux écoles de pensée nationaliste de l'histoire du Canada et parce qu'il vivait aux États-Unis. Cette attitude le poussa à prendre la nationalité américaine en 1941 et à abandonner la recherche en histoire du Canada. Il regretta plus tard son geste, et ses expériences en tant qu'Américain libéral dans la période d'après-guerre l'incitèrent à s'interroger sur la qualité du libéralisme du nationalisme américain. Après sa mort, sa réputation fut noircie par la publication posthume d'un manuscrit dépassé et par les attaques concertées des historiens nationalistes, qui, dirigés par Donald G. Creighton, cherchaient à discréditer toute étude se servant, même un tant soit peu, de « l’approche continentale »