1522 research outputs found
Sort by
Entrepreneurship and disability: Exploring the barriers to entrepreneurship amongst the physically disabled in Ireland
Get PDFFor too long it has been assumed that entrepreneurship and disability is an oxymoron. This study seeks to explore the barriers and opportunities experienced by entrepreneurs with a physical disability in running a business in Ireland. Self-employment may offer the individual unrivalled flexibility to work around a physically disabling condition. Current vocational rehabilitation and disability pedagogy and policy neglects to consider entrepreneurship as part of the narrative. Boylan and Buchardt (2002) stress that self-employment can provide an alternative to a competitive and discriminatory labour market for people with a disability (PWD). Likewise, Arnold and Ipsen (2005) note there are few opportunities in work and that self-employment may offer flexibility to address illness for persons with a disability.
This study seeks to address a lacuna in the current research literature on the barriers encountered by entrepreneurs with a disability (EWD) in Ireland. The current study has used case studies and they describe a number of entrepreneurs with a disability (EWD) and illuminate the tremendous passion, drive and enthusiasm amongst those profiled. The case studies collectively demonstrate the success stories and deepen as well as broaden knowledge and understanding of the entrepreneurial process. The current study also profiles a number of persons with a disability (PWD) not currently engaged in entrepreneurial activity and provides insight into the barriers and impediments which prevent enterprise creation. The findings reveal that EWD demonstrate considerable resourcefulness, are relatively well educated and demonstrated prior experience and have access to networks and supportive families thus are able to operate effectively as entrepreneurs. The EWD demonstrated considerable commitment and dedication to their respective enterprises. Conversely, the PWD in the current research reveal a very marginalised and peripheral group, isolated in society. Lacking in educational attainment and prior work experience, low levels of familial expectation compound low levels of self-confidence and exacerbate a solitary marginalised life. This highlights the tremendous barriers encountered by PWD in Irish society
The influence of teaching satisfaction on student persistence
Get PDFThis paper examines the influence of satisfaction with teaching experiences on students’ intentions to persist in higher education. The research is relevant as the influence of an individual educator’s teaching practice on student persistence has at this point been undervalued (McCoy and Byrne, 2010; Demaris and Kritsonis, 2008). In addition there is literature support that teaching approaches that are satisfying and inclusive for the student body including active learning can influence student persistence (Zepke et al., 2006; Pascarella and Terenzini, 2005; Braxton et al., 2000b). A mixed-methods case study utilising a questionnaire (n=84) as well as five focus groups and twenty-eight interviews were undertaken. A moderate to strong correlation between satisfying teaching experiences and educational commitment was found (rS=.56). Qualitative data provided additional supporting evidence for the quantitative finding. Furthermore, it identified a student preference for active learning as well as indicating that its social nature is an influence on the social integration of students which in turn has been linked to student persistence (Braxton et al., 2000b; Tinto, 1993). The implications of this research are clear in outlining support for the role of teaching and active learning as an influence on student persistence. This is an important addition to the 7current body of knowledge on student persistence and a development of the research literature in an Irish context
Characterisation of dry powder inhaler formulations using atomic force microscopy
Get PDFInhalation formulations are a popular way of treating the symptoms of respiratory diseases. The active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) is delivered directly to the site of action within the deep lung using an inhalation device such as the dry powder inhaler (DPI).
The performance of the formulation and the efficiency of the treatment depend on a number of factors including the forces acting between the components. In DPI formulations these forces are dominated by interparticulate interactions. Research has shown that adhesive and cohesive forces depend on a number of particulate properties such as size, surface roughness, crystallinity, surface energetics and combinations of these. With traditional methods the impact of particulate properties on interparticulate forces could be evaluated by examining the bulk properties. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), however, enables the determination of local surface characteristics and the direct measurement of interparticulate forces using the colloidal probe technique. AFM is considered extremely useful for evaluating the surface topography of a substrate (an API or carrier particle) and even allows the identification of crystal faces, defects and polymorphs from high-resolution images. Additionally, information is given about local mechanical properties of the particles and changes in surface composition and energetics. The assessment of attractive forces between two bodies is possible by using colloidal probe AFM.
This review article summarises the application of AFM in DPI formulations while specifically focussing on the colloidal probe technique and the evaluation of interparticulate forces
Other voices : Assessing the phenomenon of the stigmatisation of former prostituted women
Get PDFResearch acknowledges that stigma affects women in prostitution and impacts on their lives, yet there is an assumption that this stigma is a personal attribute, that derives from their „profession‟. Moreover, this body of work has not given sufficient voice to the women who have had the „lived experience‟ of prostitution. As a result these voices and experiences of stigma remain underrepresented, especially stories from women who have left the sex trade. Following an examination of Goffman‟s concept of stigma, I will describe the process of the stigmatisation of the prostituted woman in Ireland. The efforts involved in managing a stigma will be examined, and provide examples that will highlight that the process of stigmatisation of prostituted women is a result of a historical legacy of women‟s oppression. Taken together this affects the individual, the structures and the people that surround her. Emphasising the essential voices of former prostituted women, this dissertation aims to explore if stigmatisation has affected their identity in their present lives and present a qualitative narrative methodological response and will story the lives of two women who have exited prostitution. By including the voices of women who had the lived experience, scientific knowledge of the researcher will be contrasted with the experienced based knowledge of the participant. This approach offers rich new perspectives on social issues that affect women in our society and ensures that research is responsive to the needs of those who most need it, as it fully considers their experiences and their voices centrally in the research process
The synthesis and characterisation of mucoadhesive polymeric systems using synthetic and natural polymers
Get PDFMucoadhesion is the binding of a material to a mucosal surface. The mucosal surface has a rate of absorption of up to four times that of the skin and, therefore, has great potential as a route of drug administration. Mucoadhesive polymeric drug delivery devices have been designed to allow for the slow and controlled release of a drug to a specific site, with fewer side effects and greater bioavailability in comparison to other methods of administration.
In this project, mucoadhesive polymers were developed by modification through thiolation. Thiolation can increase mucoadhesive properties by up to 140-fold through the formation of disulphide bonds between the polymer and the mucosal layer. Three different polymers were thiolated to create these mucoadhesive systems: the synthetic polymers polyacrylic acid (PAA) and polyallylamine (PAAm), and the natural polymer gelatin. PAA was thiolated by reaction with L-cysteine and the crosslinker EDC. A novel method of regulating the thiol content of PAA by controlling the pH of the thiolation reaction was achieved which resulted in a range of thiolated polymers with varying degrees of thiolation. Gelatin was thiolated using a novel two-step reaction process whereby gelatin was initially aminated by reaction with EDC and ethylene diamine. This aminated gelatin was then thiolated with Traut’s reagent, creating a highly thiolated gelatin product. Finally, PAAm was directly thiolated with Traut’s reagent.
Neither thiolated gelatin nor thiolated PAAm have been fully characterised for their mucoadhesive properties previous to this study. All thiolated polymers displayed improved cohesive and mucoadhesive properties in comparison to their unmodified counterparts. Thiol content altered the swelling ability, drug release profiles and thermal properties of the samples. The molecular weight of both PAA and gelatin were proven to have a marked impact on mucoadhesive properties. The potential toxicity of PAAm was lessened by thiolation. Thiolated polymers, both synthetic and natural, with varying degrees of thiolation, and differing swelling ability and drug release profiles were created, allowing for the design of a tailor-made mucoadhesive drug delivery system
Nanomedicine of anastrozole for breast cancer: Physicochemical evaluation, in vitro cytotoxicity on BT-549 and MCF-7 cell lines and preclinical study on rat model
No full textAim: Formulation and evaluation of anastrozole, an anti-cancer drug loaded in different biodegradable polymeric
nanoparticles.
Materials and methods: Different carrier systems such as poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA 50:50), poly(lacticacid)
(PLA) and poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) are used to prepare nanoparticles by simple emulsion technique.
The surfactants polyvinyl alcohol and sodium deoxycholate were studied for their use as stabilizing agents at
varying concentrations. The formulations were studied for their particle size, zeta potential, entrapment efficiency
and solid state characteristics, and also were tested for their in vitro cytotoxicity and in vivo behavior in rats.
Key findings: The entrapment ranged from 35 to 85%, depending on the drug-polymer ratio used. Particle size
ranged from 100 to 350 nm with optimal zeta potential. Accordingly, discrete spherical nanoparticles with
smooth surface were obtained as evidence from Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) study.
The solid state characteristics revealed dispersion of drug at the molecular level in the polymeric matrix of
nanoparticles. A non-Fickian transport with initial burst release followed by slow release was observed with
nanoparticles.
The remarkable decrease in cell viability at various time points was observed for PLGA nanoparticles compared to
other polymer matrices. The AUC(0 → ∞) of PLGA, PLA and PCL nanoparticles were found to be 4.77, 19.31 and
19.81 fold higher than (p b 0.05) anastrozole in solution, respectively. Also, pharmacokinetics study revealed
the long time circulation of anastrozole loaded polymeric nanoparticles.
Significance: The results suggest that developed nanoparticles could be used successfully for effective management
of breast cancer chemotherapy
Site properties have a stronger influence than fire severity on ectomycorrhizal fungi and associated N-cycling bacteria in regenerating post-beetle-killed lodgepole pine forests
Get PDFFollowing a pine beetle epidemic in British Columbia, Canada, we investigated the effect of fire severity on rhizosphere soil chemistry and ectomycorrhizal fungi (ECM) and associated denitrifying and nitrogen (N)-fixing bacteria in the root systems of regenerating lodgepole pine seedlings at two site types (wet and dry) and three fire severities (low, moderate, and high). The site type was found to have a much larger impact on all measurements than fire severity. Wet and dry sites differed significantly for almost all soil properties measured, with higher values identified from wet types, except for pH and percent sand that were greater on dry sites. Fire severity caused few changes in soil chemical status. Generally, bacterial communities differed little, whereas ECM morphotype analysis revealed ectomycorrhizal diversity was lower on dry sites, with a corresponding division in community structure between wet and dry sites. Molecular profiling of the fungal ITS region confirmed these results, with a clear difference in community structure seen between wet and dry sites. The ability of ECM fungi to colonize seedlings growing in both wet and dry soils may positively contribute to subsequent regeneration. We conclude that despite consecutive landscape disturbances (mountain pine beetle infestation followed by wildfire), the “signature” of moisture on chemistry and ECM community structure remained pronounced
Managerial capability for innovation in tourism micro firms
Get PDFManagerial capability for innovation is posited to provide firms with new and sustainable sources of competitive advantage. Micro firm innovation is argued to exist at various levels, for example product, process and marketing innovation. It is unclear how managers of micro firms perceive innovation. While considerable research has been undertaken on the nature and effectiveness of management in a micro firm context, there is limited understanding of how micro firm innovation is managed. The research question investigates the nature of managerial capability for innovation in the tourism micro firm hotel context. A critical review of literature underpins the development of a theoretical model of managerial capability for innovation in the context of the tourism micro hotel. Taking an interpretivist philosophical position, twenty in-depth interviews with owner/ managers of tourism hotel micro firms investigate the nature of managerial capability in context. Data analysis using thematic analysis results in the emergence of key themes. A synthesis of the key themes and the academic literature emerges through a theoretical base framed by resource based and dynamic capabilities literature into a contextual model of managerial capability for innovation. The theoretical contribution of the research takes the form of a model of managerial capability in the tourism hotel micro firm context which posits key dimensions of leadership, strategic thinking, operational capability and a people relationships capability. A methodological contribution based on the use of the in-depth interview method to surface managerial perceptions of managerial capability is made. The model contributes to managerial practice in offering owner/ managers and educators an interactive tool for managerial capability development for innovation. From a policy perspective the research challenges the nature of existing policy interventions in the micro hotel sector. Limitations of the study and recommendations for future research are highlighted
Effect of system load on video service metrics
Get PDFModel selection, in order to learn the mapping between the kernel metrics of a machine in a server cluster and a service quality metric on a client’s machine, has been addressed by directly applying Linear Regression (LR) to the observations. The popularity of the LR approach is due to: 1) its implementation efficiency; 2) its low computational complexity; and finally, 3) it generally captures the data relatively accurately. LR, can however, produce misleading results if the LR model does not characterize the system: this deception is due in part to its accuracy. In the client-server service modeling literature LR is applied to the server and client metrics without treating the load on the system as the cause for the excitation of the system. By contrast, in this paper, we propose a generative model for the server and client metrics and a hierarchical model to explain the mapping between them, which is cognizant of the effects of the load on the system. Evaluations using real traces support the following conclusions: The system load accounts for ≥ 50% of the energy of a high proportion of the client and server metric traces –modeling the load is crucial; the load signal is localized in the frequency domain: we can remove the load by deconvolution; There is a significant phase shift between both the kernel and the service-level metrics, which, coupled with the load, heavily biases the results obtained from out-of-the-box LR without any system identification pre-processing