372 research outputs found
The New Social Entrepreneurship. What Awaits Social Entreprenurship Ventures?
No full textThis book aims to define what Social Entrepreneurship (SE) actually is, and what it is not. The author adopts a novel approach to the SE phenomenon, considering it as a dynamic process created and managed by innovative social entrepreneurs striving to create new social values in the market and community at large.
SE has attained a wider and more enthusiastic acceptance in corporate thinking and practice than in the literature surrounding the field. This part theoretical, part practitioner-based double line of reasoning forms the basis of the book. It attempts to answer hitherto unresolved questions such as:
How can SE be defined? How can Social Entrepreneurship Ventures (SEVs) be identified? How do SEVs vary and what factors lead to their success? Does the way in which an SEV is designed matter, and are business plans important? Is an SEV reliant on traditional sources of financing?
The focus of the book then shifts to practical examples of how perspectives on SE are translated into concrete phenomena. Several case studies are used to illustrate theoretical frameworks, each tackling specific aspects of SE and making theory and practice comparisons.
Taking on the challenge of providing a clear, focused definition of SE supported by practical experiences, this book provides a critical and comprehensive framework aimed at stimulating current and future debate on the role and key features of SE research. As such, it will provide fascinating and enlightening reading for entrepreneurship academics and entrepreneurial professionals alike
An easy-to-use intraoperative digital videography, still photography, and X-ray-capture system
No full text
Il palloncino intragastrico BIB
No full textINTRODUCTION: Since 1998, we adopted in our clinical practice for obesity treatment the new intragastric balloon (BioEnterics Intragastric Balloon, BIB), it has the characteristics of an "ideal gastric balloon" (Workshop Tarpon Springs, 1987). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Since March 1998 we have placed by endoscopic approach 518 BIB in 480 patients affected by first, second and severe morbid obesity; 124 male and 356 female, mean age 41.6 years (18-72), mean weight Kg 116.9 (67-229), mean BMI 42 Kg/m2 (27.34-81.14). All our patients underwent to diet of 1000 Kcal/day and treatment with antisecretory drugs. RESULTS: The mean weight lost was Kg 14.69 and the mean reduction in BMI was 5.11 Kg/m2. Weight loss was greater in male severe obese (BMI > 40). Weight was accompanied by an improvement of the disease associated with obesity, in particular diabetes, hypertension and sleep apnoea. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The best indication for BIB were: morbidly obese patients (BMI > 40) and super-obese patients (BMI > 50) in preparation for bariatric operation; obese patients with BMI 35-40 with co-morbilities in preparation for bariatric surgery; obese patients with BMI < 30 only in a multidisciplinary approach patients with BMI 30-35 with a chronic disease otherwise unresolved
The Effectiveness of Virtual R&D Teams in SMEs: Experiences of Malaysian SMEs
No full textThe number of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), especially those involved with research and development (R&D) programs and employed virtual teams to create the greatest competitive advantage from limited labor are increasing. Global and localized virtual R&D teams are believed to have a high potential for SMEs growth. Due to the fast growing complexity of the new product, coupled with new emerging opportunities of virtual teams, a collaborative approach is believed to be the future trend. This research explores the effectiveness of virtuality in SMEs virtual R&D teams. An online questionnaire emailed to Malaysian manufacturing SMEs and 74 usable questionnaires were received, representing a 20.8 percent return rate. To avoid the bias that may result from pre-suggested answer, a series of open-ended questions asked from expertise. This study based on analyzing an open-ended question; extract four main themes among expertise recommendations on the effectiveness of virtual teams for SMEs growth and performance. These are suitable for SMEs new product design manager to realize the key advantage and importance of virtual R&D teams in the process of NPD, which lead to increase the effectiveness of the new product's procedure.Virtual teams, New product development, Survey finding, Small and medium Enterprises.
Developing the HTA core model for the online environment
No full textBackground: A framework for collaborative production and sharing of HTA information, the HTA Core Model, was originally developed within EUnetHTA in 2006-08. In this paper, we describe the further development of the Model to allow implementation and utilization of the Model online. The aim was to capture a generic HTA process that would allow effective use of the HTA Core Model and resulting HTA information while at the same time not interfering with HTA agencies' internal processes. Methods: The work was coordinated by a development team in Finland, supported by an international expert group. Two pilot testing rounds were organized among EUnetHTA agencies and two extensive core HTA projects tested the tool in a real setting. The final work was also formally validated by a group of HTA agencies. Results: The HTA Core Model Onlineavailable at http://www.corehta.infois a web site hosting a) a tool to allow electronic utilization of the HTA Core Model and b) a database of produced HTA information. While access to the HTA information is free to all, the production features are currently available to EUnetHTA member agencies only. A policy was crafted to steer the use of the Model and produced information. Conclusions: We have successfully enabled electronic use of the HTA Core Model and agreed on a policy for its utilization. The system is already being used in subsequent HTA projects within EUnetHTA Joint Action 2. Identified shortcomings and further needs will be addressed in subsequent development.The HTA Core Model Online Working Group consists of (in addition to the authors) L Akiola (THL/FINOHTA, Finland), C. De Laet (KCE, Belgium), C. Filippi (Regione del Veneto, Italy), T. Gasparetto (Regione del Veneto, Italy), W. Goettsch (CVZ, the Netherlands), R. Grilli (Regione Emilia Romagna, Italy), G. Jamtvedt (NOKC, Norway), T. Jefferson (AGENAS, Italy), M. Perrini (AGENAS, Italy), M. Rosen (SBU, Sweden), I. Saeterdal (NOKC, Norway), N. Vicari (AGENAS, Italy). The views expressed herein are the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of EUnetHTA. EUnetHTA assumes no liability for the contents or use thereof. EUnetHTA Joint Action was supported by a grant from the European Commission, Agreement number 2009 23 02. The sole responsibility of this article lies with the author(s) and neither the Commission nor EUnetHTA is responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein
Evidence for the 125 GeV Higgs boson decaying to a pair of τ leptons
No full textOpen Access. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC-BY 4.0), which permits any use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and source are credited.A search for a standard model Higgs boson decaying into a pair of τ leptons is performed using events recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC in 2011 and 2012. The dataset corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 4.9 fb−1 at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV and 19.7 fb−1 at 8 TeV. Each τ lepton decays hadronically or leptonically to an electron or a muon, leading to six different final states for the τ -lepton pair, all considered in this analysis. An excess of events is observed over the expected background contributions, with a local significance larger than 3 standard deviations for m H values between 115 and 130 GeV. The best fit of the observed H → τ τ signal cross section times branching fraction for m H = 125 GeV is 0.78 ± 0.27 times the standard model expectation. These observations constitute evidence for the 125 GeV Higgs boson decaying to a pair of τ leptons
Cultural perspectives on the meaning of corporate social responsibility in a third sector organisation
No full textHow can Corporate Social Responsibility best be understood, what is its range of application and what insights can culture provide when considering the responsibilities of a third sector organisation? This thesis addresses these questions through ethnographic enquiry conducted in a third sector organization (Groundwork Northumberland). Challenging the rigid conventions which restrict the relevance of Corporate Social Responsibility to the private sector it demonstrates both the contest and construction of meaning and frame of reference of Corporate Social Responsibility by employees in Groundwork Northumberland. All eight members of the organization have participated by engaging in semi-structured interviews (with me), keeping a research diary (individually) and participating in a focus group (with colleagues). These engagements have generated multiple accounts which demonstrate the tensions and dilemmas that mark their work, particularly in meeting expectations of stakeholders. Through these engagements the self-understandings of participants are shown to have been challenged and changed through the research process. Equally the ‘concept’ of Corporate Social Responsibility has been shown to be similarly changeable while remaining unintelligible outside a context of practice in which at least some self-understandings are shared. Martin’s framework has been considered as a means to represent the culture of the organisation. The third perspective highlighting ambiguity, paradox and contradiction seems to best represent the accounts of the research engagement with GN. The presence of tension and difference as well as a sense of disorder suggest a place for debate, discussion and plurivocality, a place in which there is indecision and the possibility of decision (Derrida). It can therefore be suggested that a responsible organization and person will be more marked by fragmentation than integration or differentiation, and that fragmentation provides conditions which Derrida discusses through the terms ‘aporia’ and ‘undecidability’. These accounts exhibit the radical undecidability of Derrida’s ethical situation in all its lived messiness. The culture of an organization which has engaged in such meaning construction is shown to be marked by the acknowledgment of the responsibility of meaning-making and is aporetic. The contribution of this thesis is to demonstrate the responsibilities inherent to an engagement with the precariousness of meaning exhibited by Corporate Social Responsibility in an organization which has chosen such engagement
Search for new physics in dijet angular distributions using proton-proton collisions at root s = 13TeV and constraints on dark matter and other models (vol 78, 789, 2018)
No full textIn this article the author name Luigi Calligaris was incorrectly written as A. Calligaris. The original article has been corrected
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