81 research outputs found
A REVIEW OF CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE WESTERN JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS: 1977-81
No full textIn this study a complete survey of all WJAE articles was conducted. The 158 titles that have appeared in the WJAE as of December 1981 are categorized by institutional category, authorship affiliation, and subject category. These results are compared to similar studies concerning the SJAE and AJAE. Our findings indicate that the WJAE has a broad range of contributors and is not dominated by any one institution, author, or group of authors. We feel that these and other interesting results are of general interest to all WJAE readers.Teaching/Communication/Extension/Profession,
Addressing Sustainability in an Entrepreneurship Ecosystem: A Case Study of a Social Incubator in Mexico
No full textabstract: Over the past few decades, businesses globally have advanced in incorporating the principles of sustainability as they strive to align economic outcomes with growing and complex social and environmental demands and opportunities. This transition is conditioned by the maturity, scale, and geographical location of a business (among other factors), with particular challenges placed on small enterprises in middle- to low-income communities. Within this context, the overarching research question of this dissertation is why and how business incubation processes may foster sustainable enterprises at the middle and base of the socioeconomic pyramid (MoP/BoP). To explore this question, in this project I used as a case study the experience of a network of social business incubators operated by Tecnologico de Monterrey, a private, non-profit, multi-campus university system in Mexico. Centering on its campus in Guadalajara and in order to understand if and how MoP/BoP businesses address sustainability, I developed a current state assessment of incubator processes, analyzing during two semesters the activities of incubated entrepreneurs and their goals, motivations, and outcomes. The general expectation at the outset of the study was that Tec's social business incubation process, in both its design and implementation, focuses on the economic viability and outcomes of incubated projects and hence does not promote entrepreneur commitment to sustainability goals and practices. The general approach of the research project involved a qualitative, in-depth ethnographic assessment of participants. Data were collected by means of the following research tools: (a) archival and documentary review, (b) participant observation, (c) surveys of participants (entrepreneurs and advisors/mentors), and (d) semi-structured interviews of participants. The overall design of the research was inspired by the transitions management approach and by the intervention research method, while qualitative results were assessed under the grounded theory approach. Results of the research are reported under three general categories: (a) analysis of entrepreneur goals, motivations, and outcomes, (b) identification of social and environmental opportunities, and (c) review of the role of social networks and broader support structures. While results confirmed the general expectation of the study, it was possible to establish (based on the interaction with the entrepreneurs and other actors) that there is both interest and commitment to identify and explore opportunities in social and environmental issues. Thus, the dissertation concludes with a proposal for potential future interventions in this social incubator, exploring a new vision and strategies for a transition to a more sustainability-oriented approach. Finally, key recommendations define the most critical elements of an agenda for transition in the social incubation process at Campus Guadalajara and provide input for other efforts.Dissertation/ThesisPh.D. Sustainability 201
Private devotion in England on the eve of the Reformation illustrated from works printed or reprinted in the period 1530-40
No full textThis is the first attempt to provide a detailed description of the different types of devotional literature (excluding all liturgical books, biblical translations, doctrinal and polemic works, saintS lives and sermons) available in print to English readers in the years immediately preceding England's break with Rome. It shows that there were far more Catholic works of devotion, many of them written or printed for the first time 1520 - 35, than has previously been recognized. It is also clear that this flourishing literature came to a sudden and decisive end in 1535, although the tradition lived on unofficially to be taken up by the English Recusants. The leading themes of this traditional literature are indicated in chapters on treatises about confession and prayer, the mass, the life and Passion of Christ, on tribulation, death and the Last Things, while more general teaching about the Christian life addressed to religious, contemplatives and lay people, and the humanist and Protestant contribution to this literature is also discussed. The treatises are doctrinally sound and on the whole advocate moderation and common-sense; they avoid many of the weaknesses of popular non-literary devotion, including the Marioleatry and excessive morbidity for which the late middle ages are often condemned. Some of the weaknesses of the Catholic tradition are suggested by comparison with the more rational and secular attitudes of Christian humanist , authors, notably Erasmus, available during the 1530s. The Protestants, whose treatises become increasingly common, despite official censorship, during the decade until they dominate its second half, carry the humanist~ reform much further, and break with the Catholic Church. Traditional devotional topics and audiences are displaced by doctrinal and biblical teaching addressed to lay people. The Bible replaces the Church's authority and there is more emphasis on the spiritual and social dimensions of religion
The changing face of the Constantia Valley a temporal study of land use change in a heritage landscape
No full textIncludes bibliographical references.The study of land use change and urban morphology requires a multi-layered approach. Case studies are needed to gain an understanding of the local factors that are driving land use change and forming urban landscapes. This study will provide a temporal perspective on land use change in the Constantia Valley, a high income suburb on the outskirts of Cape Town. It will contextualise the efforts to conserve its heritage and, furthermore, attempt to explain the factors underlying the observed changes in the urban form. This study, through the use of Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping and a series of interviews, examines how and why the urban form of the Constantia Valley has changed. Finally, based on the findings the possible future urban form of Constantia will be considered
Planetary stewardship in an urbanizing world: beyond city limits
No full textCities are rapidly increasing in importance as a major factor shaping the Earth system, and as such must take corresponding responsibility. With currently over half of the world population, cities are supported by resources originating from primarily rural regions that are often located around the world far distant from the urban loci of use. The multiple and complex environmental and social challenges the world faces require interconnected solutions and a coordinated governance approach to planetary stewardship. There is a new opportunity to conceptualize a key component of planetary stewardship as a global system of cities that develop sustainable processes and policies in concert with its non-urban areas. The potential for cities to cooperate as a system and with rural connectivity could not only increase their capacity to effect change and foster stewardship at the planetary scale but also increase their resource security
Molecular tools for bathing water assessment in Europe : balancing social science research with a rapidly developing environmental science evidence-base
No full textThe Working Group and associated workshop series were funded by the Natural Environment Research Council as part of the Delivering Healthy Water project (NE/I022191/1). LF received funding in part by the European Regional Development Fund Programme and the European Social Fund Convergence Programme for Cornwall and the Isles of ScillyThe use of molecular tools, principally qPCR, versus traditional culture-based methods for quantifying microbial parameters (e.g., Fecal Indicator Organisms) in bathing waters generates considerable ongoing debate at the science–policy interface. Advances in science have allowed the development and application of molecular biological methods for rapid (~2 h) quantification of microbial pollution in bathing and recreational waters. In contrast, culture-based methods can take between 18 and 96 h for sample processing. Thus, molecular tools offer an opportunity to provide a more meaningful statement of microbial risk to water-users by providing near-real-time information enabling potentially more informed decision-making with regard to water-based activities. However, complementary studies concerning the potential costs and benefits of adopting rapid methods as a regulatory tool are in short supply. We report on findings from an international Working Group that examined the breadth of social impacts, challenges, and research opportunities associated with the application of molecular tools to bathing water regulations.Peer reviewe
Apical and basolateral localisation of GLUT2 transporters in human lung epithelial cells
No full textGlucose concentrations of normal human airway surface liquid are approximately 12.5 times lower than blood glucose concentrations indicating that glucose uptake by epithelial cells may play a role in maintaining lung glucose homeostasis. We have therefore investigated potential glucose uptake mechanisms in non-polarised and polarised H441 human airway epithelial cells and bronchial biopsies. We detected mRNA and protein for glucose transporter type 2 (GLUT2) and glucose transporter type 4 (GLUT4) in non-polarised cells but GLUT4 was not detected in the plasma membrane. In polarised cells, GLUT2 protein was detected in both apical and basolateral membranes. Furthermore, GLUT2 protein was localised to epithelial cells of human bronchial mucosa biopsies. In non-polarised H441 cells, uptake of D: -glucose and deoxyglucose was similar. Uptake of both was inhibited by phloretin indicating that glucose uptake was via GLUT-mediated transport. Phloretin-sensitive transport remained the predominant route for glucose uptake across apical and basolateral membranes of polarised cells and was maximal at 5-10 mM glucose. We could not conclusively demonstrate sodium/glucose transporter-mediated transport in non-polarised or polarised cells. Our study provides the first evidence that glucose transport in human airway epithelial cells in vitro and in vivo utilises GLUT2 transporters. We speculate that these transporters could contribute to glucose uptake/homeostasis in the human airway
Geological setting of vertebrate microfossil localities across the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary in southwestern Saskatchewan, Canada
No full textThe Frenchman and Ravenscrag formations of southwestern Saskatchewan, Canada, record an apparently continuous sequence of nonmarine clastic sediments across the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary. Extensive exposures of these fossil-rich sediments occur in the Frenchman River Valley, near the towns of Ravenscrag, Eastend, and Shaunavon, and have been a focus of study since the 1970s. Despite this long history of investigation, a comprehensive account of the geographic and stratigraphic positions of many of the significant fossil localities has yet to be published. Given this state of affairs, the goals of this paper are to 1) document the geographic locations, stratigraphic positions, and lithologies of eleven key vertebrate microfossil localities, including several new localities that have been recently discovered and 2) provide an update on the status of these fossil localities, the majority of which have not been sampled in the last 20 years. Four fossil localities are known from the lower Paleocene Ravenscrag Formation, all of which are Puercan in age: Rav W-1 (Pu2), French Fry (Pu1), Croc Pot (?Pu2), and Pine Cree (?Pu2). With the exception of Rav W-1, which has since been lost as a consequence of quarry reclamation, all of the Ravenscrag Formation localities remain accessible and continue to be productive. Seven vertebrate microfossil localities from the upper Maastrichtian Frenchman Formation are reported here, all of which are Lancian in age: Long Fall, Fr-1, By Gar Gap, Hairpin, Wounded Knee, Wounded C, and Gryde. With the exception of Long Fall and Wounded Knee, which have been lost through reclamation or construction, all of the Frenchman Formation localities are accessible and remain productive.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author
Preprandial and postprandial concentrations of amino acids for those with the highest and lowest insulin sensitivity changes.
No full text<p>Baseline and three month amino acids concentrations are shown for both fasting (preprandial) and postprandial assessments. The five amino acids that had the largest loadings on the amino acid factor (see <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0028190#pone-0028190-t001" target="_blank">Table 1</a>) are shown. Leu/Ile = leucine/isoleucine, Phe = phenylalanine, Met = Methionine, His = Histidine, Val = Valine.</p
Older workers in Australia: A policy perspective
No full textThe paper seeks to offer an objective assessment of Australian attitudes towards ageing and age discrimination, through an examination of the literature, the laws, and the current perspectives on workforce ageing. First, the paper offers an overview of demographic ageing and its possible implications for organisations and the overall society, which is then followed by an examination of older workers' issues from legal, sociopolitical, and employment perspectives. The analysis highlights that ageing policy in Australia is increasingly influenced by an orientation towards economic rationalism, which does not adequately address the social construct of ageing and its implications for older workers.Ageing; Australia, diversity; older workers; social policy
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