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We investigate what distinguishes social entrepreneurial ecosystems (SEEs) from entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs) through appreciation of the importance of context—the multiplex of intertwined social, spatial, temporal, historical, cultural, and political influences. Community is incorporated as a key variable and hitherto overlooked dimension of the structure and influence of SEEs. We draw on extant literature and examples of a variety of SEEs to support our propositions and demonstrate why considerations of both context and community are critical to advance understanding of SEEs. We contribute to the study of SEEs by presenting a new conceptual framework and theorizing SEE as an evolving composite of interdependent actors who interact and collaborate across multiple levels to collectively generate positive externalities and drive sustainable solutions to social problems.

Peer reviewed: True, INTRODUCTION: This research investigates how community-led organisations' (CLOs') use of assets-based approaches improves health and well-being, and how that might be different in different contexts. Assets-based approaches involve 'doing with' rather than 'doing to' and bring people in communities together to achieve positive change using their own knowledge, skills and experience. Some studies have shown that such approaches can have a positive effect on health and well-being. However, research is limited, and we know little about which approaches lead to which outcomes and how different contexts might affect success. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Using a realist approach, we will work with 15 CLOs based in disadvantaged communities in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. A realist synthesis of review papers, and a policy analysis in different contexts, precedes qualitative interviews and workshops with stakeholders, to find out how CLOs' programmes work and identify existing data. We will explore participants' experiences through: a Q methodology study; participatory photography workshops; qualitative interviews and measure outcomes using a longitudinal survey, with 225 CLO participants, to assess impact for people who connect with the CLOs. An economic analysis will estimate costs and benefits to participants, for different contexts and mechanisms. A 'Lived Experience Panel' of people connected with our CLOs as participants or volunteers, will ensure the appropriateness of the research, interpretation and reporting of findings. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This project, research tools and consent processes have been approved by the Glasgow Caledonian University School of Health and Life Sciences Ethics Committee, and affirmed by Ethics Committees at Bournemouth University, Queen's University Belfast and the University of East London. Common Health Assets does not involve any National Health Service sites, staff or patients.Findings will be presented through social media, project website, blogs, policy briefings, journal articles, conferences and visually in short digital stories, and photographic exhibitions.

Research Summary: Critical scholars recognize a disjuncture between the problems identified by social entrepreneurs and the solutions they propose. Existing theory treats this as a problem to be rectified at the organizational level. In this essay, we widen attention to the macro-oriented systems change strategies of social entrepreneurs. We develop a dynamic typology showing how strategies are reassembled over time to stimulate or deflect desire for systems change. Deriving inspiration from Goffman, we theorize the ways that different types of systems change actor perform systems change via interaction with their environments. Drawing on illustrative cases on the boundaries of social entrepreneurship, we show how the collective action frameworks developed by systems change actors can be adapted and repurposed by their (systems) audiences: effectively turning rebellion into money. Managerial Summary: Social entrepreneurs often call for systems change to tackle wicked problems such as poverty or climate change. However, the strategies they propose for tackling these problems, such as lending money to poor people are considerably less radical. In this essay, we identify three types of systems change actor distinguished by the degree of systems change they call for. We trace their ideas over time to illustrate how strategies are mediated, and subsequently repurposed through interaction with the systems they seek to change. In conclusion, we call upon researchers and social entrepreneurs to widen their perspectives to incorporate more radical ideas and potentials for systems change, and for greater attention to be devoted to scrutinizing and protecting the integrity of systems change strategies.

Introduction Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression are common in service members and veterans, and the response to currently available treatments is often modest at best. Recent studies suggest potential benefit with psychedelic-assisted therapies (PATs), particularly 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine-assisted therapy for PTSD and psilocybin-assisted therapy for depression. This study examined beliefs and perceived barriers regarding PAT among service members and veterans to inform the delivery of these treatments if they are approved by the FDA. Materials and Methods Twenty-one service members and veterans (67% male, 81% White, and 43% active duty) with a history of traumatic brain injury and co-occurring cognitive and psychological symptoms completed a measure assessing baseline knowledge and views of PAT, read a brief psychoeducation regarding PAT, and then responded to questions related to their beliefs and perceived barriers to PAT. Results Before psychoeducation, participants reported a neutral view of psychedelic drugs (M = 2.76; range: 1-5), PAT (M = 3.33), and interest in PAT (M = 3.10). After psychoeducation, participants reported a significantly more positive view of psychedelic drugs (M = 3.24, P = .014) and interest in PAT (M = 3.67, P = .016). Overall, participants indicated that they would support PAT availability in medical settings if proven beneficial (M = 4.52; 5 = “agree strongly”) and they would support a loved one engaging in PAT (M = 4.29). The most frequently reported health concerns were concern of long-term effects (43%), fear of losing their mind (33%), fear of personality changes (33%), and fear of traumatic brain injury complications (24%). The most frequently endorsed barriers were time commitment, transportation, financial concerns, work, and childcare (33%-19%), with 48% reporting no barriers. Conclusions This is the first study to explore beliefs and perceived barriers regarding PAT among service members and veterans. These results indicate that military populations may be interested in PAT, particularly if psychoeducation and outreach regarding these treatments occurred. If FDA approved, it will be important to facilitate command support and address logistical barriers to ensure appropriate access within military contexts.

PEAK pseudokinases regulate cell migration, invasion and proliferation by recruiting key signaling proteins to the cytoskeleton. Despite lacking catalytic activity, alteration in their expression level is associated with several aggressive cancers. Here, we elucidate new molecular details of key PEAK signaling interactions with the adapter proteins CrkII and Grb2 and the scaffold protein 14-3-3. Our findings rationalize why the dimerization of PEAK proteins has a crucial function in signal transduction and provide biophysical and structural data to unravel binding specificity within the PEAK interactome. We identify a conserved high affinity 14-3-3 motif on PEAK3 and demonstrate its role as a molecular switch to regulate CrkII binding. Together, our studies provide a detailed structural snapshot of PEAK interaction networks and further elucidate how PEAK proteins, especially PEAK3, act as dynamic scaffolds that exploit adapter proteins to control signal transduction in cell growth/motility and cancer.

Purpose In today’s “market society” almost every aspect of the everyday lives is shaped by market forces. In this essay, the purpose of this paper is to focus on the potential role of social enterprise as one means of re-embedding the economy into society to ensure the economy works for people, rather than the other way around. Design/methodology/approach This is primarily a conceptual paper: a provocation. Findings The authors argue that to work as an embedding force, social enterprise needs to ensure both reciprocity and market exchange while acting in a way that attempts to compensate for the retreat of the state through providing public services and promoting collective decision-making and public deliberation. Originality/value Drawing upon the work of Karl Polanyi to conceptualise social enterprise as an “alternative” economic actor within a plural economic system, the authors contribute to on-going debates about social enterprise as an alternative way of organising markets and society. The authors highlight the challenges involved in achieving such a vision and suggest ways these might be overcome.

In recent years ‘social enterprises’ have become important partners in the delivery of key public services such as healthcare. However, little is known about how healthcare social enterprises contribute to public service provision in the health sector. We analyzed 172 social enterprises from four continents involved in healthcare to assess the types of interventions, processes, and roles they play responding to rapidly evolving healthcare systems. We found that they are engaged broadly in three dimensions of health service provision: improving access to health services; improving the quality of health services; and building public health capacity. We contribute to social policy theory by enhancing understanding of the micro-level interventions of social enterprises in the healthcare sector and articulating new dimensions of NPG that include co-innovation, co-lobbying, and co-integration in the context of healthcare.

Purpose As the provision of public services in many advanced welfare states has increasingly come to be marked by competition, social enterprises have actively been encouraged by governments to become involved in the delivery of public services. While the evaluation of complex public health interventions has arguably become increasingly more sophisticated, this has not been the case where social enterprise is concerned: evaluation of the actual impacts of social enterprises remains significantly underdeveloped by comparison. This study aims to support the establishment of a robust evidence base for the use of social enterprise as a policy instrument. Design/methodology/approach This paper assesses the potential of three methodological approaches common in the evaluation of complex public health interventions and applies them to the complex realm of community-led social enterprise. Findings Only through the involvement of different comparator groups, based on the research questions addressed, would it be possible to disentangle the embedded characteristics of organisations such as social enterprises. Each of the methods adopted in this research is time-consuming and resource-intensive and requires the researcher to possess advanced skills. Public officials should recognise the complexity and resource-intensive nature of such evaluation and resource it accordingly. If the aim of policymakers is to understand the added value of social enterprise organisations, an integrative research approach combining different research methods and design should be implemented to improve generalisability. Originality/value This study applies a range of favoured approaches to evaluate “complex” public health interventions include systematic reviews, realist evaluation and quasi-experimental investigation. However, such evaluation approaches have rarely been applied before in the context of social enterprise.

This paper is derived from a study of the mission statements of a sample of 100 United Kingdom social enterprises. The purpose of the research was to reveal what insight such organisational artefac...

The PEAK family of pseudokinases, which comprises PEAK1, PEAK2 and PEAK3, are newly identified scaffolds that dynamically assemble oncogenic signaling pathways known to contribute to the development of several aggressive cancers. A striking feature of this unique family of pseudokinase scaffolds is their large multi-domain structure, which allows them to achieve protein complex assemblies through their structural plasticity and functional versatility. Recent structural advances have begun to reveal the critical regulatory elements that control their function. Specifically, the dimer-dependent scaffolding activity of PEAK pseudokinases is emerging as a critical mechanism for their signaling function, in addition to their ability to hetero-associate to form higher-order regulatory networks to diversify and amplify their signaling output. Here, we present a suite of techniques that enable the efficient expression and purification of PEAK proteins for functional characterization.

Many patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) have persistent cognitive deficits, including decreased attention and working memory. This preliminary study examined fMRI data from a clinical trial implementing a 4-week virtual reality driving intervention to assess how sustained training can improve deficits related to traumatic brain injury. Previously-reported behavioral findings showed improvements in working memory and processing speed in those who received the intervention; this report explores the brain bases of these effects by comparing neural activity related to working memory (n-back task) and resting state connectivity before and after the intervention. In the baseline visit (n = 24), working memory activity was prominent in bilateral DLPFC and prefrontal cortex, anterior insula, medial superior frontal gyrus, left thalamus, bilateral supramarginal / angular gyrus, precuneus, and left posterior middle temporal gyrus. Following intervention, participants showed less global activation on the n-back task, with regions of activity only in the bilateral middle frontal cortex, posterior middle frontal gyrus, and supramarginal gyrus. Activity related to working memory load was reduced for the group that went through the intervention (n = 7) compared to the waitlist control group (n = 4). These results suggest that successful cognitive rehabilitation of working memory in TBI may be associated with increased efficiency of brain networks, evidenced by reduced activation of brain activity during cognitive processing. These results highlight the importance of examining brain activity related to cognitive rehabilitation of attention and working memory after brain injury.

The term ‘social innovation’ has come to gather all manner of meanings from policymakers and politicians across the political spectrum. But while actors may unproblematically unite around a broad perspective of social innovation as bringing about (positive) social change, we rarely see evidence of a shared vision for the kind of social change that social innovation ought to bring about. Taking inspiration from methods that recognise the utopian thinking inherent in the social innovation concept, we draw upon Erik Olin Wright’s concept of ‘real utopias’ to investigate the moral underpinnings inherent in the public statements of Ashoka, one of the most prominent social innovation actors operating in the world today. We seek to animate discussion on the moral principles that guide social innovation discourse through examining the problems that Ashoka is trying to solve through social innovation, the world they are striving to create, and the strategies they propose to realise their vision.

The pseudokinase scaffolds PEAK1 and PEAK2 are implicated in cancer cell migration and metastasis. We characterized the regulation and role of the third family member PEAK3 in cell signaling. Similar to PEAK1 and PEAK2, PEAK3 formed both homotypic and heterotypic complexes. In addition, like PEAK1, it bound to the adaptors Grb2 and CrkII. However, unlike PEAK1 and PEAK2, homodimerized PEAK3 also interacted with the ARF GTPase-activating protein ASAP1, the E3 ubiquitin ligase Cbl, and the kinase PYK2. Dimerization and subsequent phosphorylation on Tyr 24 , likely by a Src family kinase, were required for the binding of PEAK3 to Grb2 and ASAP1. Interactions with Grb2, CrkII, ASAP1, Cbl, and PYK2 exhibited contrasting dynamics upon cell stimulation with epidermal growth factor (EGF), in part due to PEAK3 dephosphorylation mediated by the phosphatase PTPN12. Overexpressing PEAK3 in mesenchymal-like MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells enhanced cell elongation in a manner dependent on PEAK3 dimerization, and manipulation of PEAK3 expression demonstrated a positive role for this scaffold in regulating cell migration. Overexpressing PEAK3 in PEAK1/2 double-knockout MCF-10A breast epithelial cells enhanced acinar growth, impaired basement membrane integrity, and promoted invasion in three-dimensional cultures, with the latter two effects dependent on the binding of PEAK3 to Grb2 and ASAP1. PEAK1 and PEAK2 quantitatively and temporally influenced PEAK3 function. These findings characterize PEAK3 as an integral, signal-diversifying member of the PEAK family with scaffolding roles that promote cell proliferation, migration, and invasion.

Nonprofits are increasingly involved in collaborative governance mechanisms, on the premise that their proximity to end users and better understanding of the local contexts can lead to better policy outcomes. Although government–nonprofit relations have been theorized and explored by several studies, few studies have examined specifically collaborative governance, instead focusing on other phases of policy development or service delivery. In this article, we present a realist evaluation of data gathered from in-depth semi-structured interviews ( N = 41) and four focus groups with stakeholders involved in collaborative governance arrangements within “Strategic Public Social Partnerships” in Scotland. Our findings indicate that collaborative governance processes involving nonprofits can potentially lead to improved services through mechanisms such as the development of trust and the establishment of new learning dynamics, and when knowledgeable leadership and mutuality drive collaborations. However, this is only true if the long-term sustainability of these processes translates into the mainstreaming of both the resulting services and their underlying collaborative principles.

In this chapter the authors will critically examine the concept of ‘social value’, and how it has come to be tied up with the commodification and financialisation of everyday life. Drawing on Polanyi’s concept of ‘fictitious commodification’, the authors will draw upon two main examples to illustrate this point. The emergence of Social Impact Bonds and social impact measurement tools such as Social Return on Investment have troubling implications, furthering what Polanyi identified as the ‘market society’. This chapter outlines what may be done to refocus attention on what it means to ‘value’ the social, and how new thinking is needed to shape an economy from the ashes of the old [Relevant SDGs: SDG3: Good Health and Wellbeing; SDG 11: Sustainable cities and communities].

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) seek to enhance the efficacy of treatments for warriors with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) secondary to their combat deployments to Iraq and/or Afghanistan. Virtual Reality Graded Exposure Therapy (VR-GET) with arousal control has shown particular promise in reducing the symptom severity of PTSD in combat veterans. In this report, we describe the outcome of VR-GET for the treatment of combat-related PTSD in two combat veterans, neither of whom had received treatment for PTSD in the initial years after their return from combat duty.

BACKGROUND In recent years, the delivery of evidence-based therapies targeting posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been the focus of the Departments of Defense in countries such as Canada, the Netherlands, and the United States. More than 66% of military members continue to experience symptoms of PTSD that significantly impact their daily functioning and quality of life after completing evidence-based treatments. Innovative, engaging, and effective treatments for PTSD are needed. Multimodal motion-assisted memory desensitization and reconsolidation (3MDR) is an exposure-based, virtual reality–supported therapy used to treat military members and veterans with treatment-resistant PTSD. Given the demonstrated efficacy of 3MDR in recently published randomized control trials, there is both an interest in and a need to adapt the intervention to other populations affected by trauma and to improve accessibility to the treatment. OBJECTIVE We aimed to further innovate, develop, and validate new and existing hardware and software components of 3MDR to enhance its mobility, accessibility, feasibility, and applicability to other populations affected by trauma, including public safety personnel (PSP), via international collaboration. METHODS This study used a modified Delphi expert consultation method and mixed methods quasi-experimental validation with the purpose of software validation among PSP (first responders, health care providers) participants (N=35). A team of international experts from the Netherlands, the United States, and Canada met on the web on a weekly basis since September 2020 to discuss the adoption of 3MDR in real-world contexts, hardware and software development, and software validation. The evolution of 3MDR hardware and software was undertaken followed by a mixed methods software validation study with triangulation of results to inform the further development of 3MDR. RESULTS This study resulted in the identification, description, and evolution of hardware and software components and the development of new 3MDR software. Within the software validation, PSP participants widely acknowledged that the newly developed 3MDR software would be applicable and feasible for PSP affected by trauma within their professions. The key themes that emerged from the thematic analysis among the PSP included the desire for occupationally tailored environments, individually tailored immersion, and the applicability of 3MDR beyond military populations. CONCLUSIONS Within the modified Delphi consultation and software validation study, support for 3MDR as an intervention was communicated. PSP participants perceived that 3MDR was relevant for populations affected by trauma beyond military members and veterans. The resulting hardware and software evolution addressed the recommendations and themes that arose from PSP participants. 3MDR is a novel, structured, exposure-based, virtual reality–supported therapy that is currently used to treat military members and veterans with PTSD. Going forward, it is necessary to innovate and adapt 3MDR, as well as other trauma interventions, to increase effectiveness, accessibility, cost-effectiveness, and efficacy among other populations affected by trauma.

Work Integration Social Enterprises (WISEs) are a response to reconfiguring social support for disadvantaged people. Here, theory and methodology from social geography were applied, to consider capability realized in/by three Australian regional city WISEs. Data were gathered using observation and interviews with supervisors and employees. Coding identified capability, then analyzed by physicality, people, narratives and practices to explore how WISEs ‘assemble’ capability. Comparing across cases highlighted elements that contribute to capability realization. Evidence generated reveals features of work and organization design that might be deployed to enhance capability realization. Social geographical approaches provide insights into how social enterprises generate value.

Purpose This paper aims to explore how social enterprises are treated in scholarly research on quasi-markets. In so doing, the paper aims to show that a number of critical knowledge gaps persist which require deeper engagement from researchers, practitioners and policymakers alike. Design/methodology/approach This study adopts a conceptual analysis of the existing literature concerning social enterprises and quasi-markets. Findings The paper finds that there are four main knowledge gaps in this area. First, there are moral dilemmas created by boundary shifts, arising from the development of quasi-markets. Second, the phenomenon of “tactical mimicry” (Day and Teasdale 2016) represents a key theoretical platform not yet fully explored. Third, the lack of clear, comparative assessments of social enterprises across quasi-markets, and other types of service providers is also apparent despite offering a significant methodological opportunity for scholars. Fourth, there is the issue of how social enterprises engage in, and resource the operational functions that will support their management of conflicting logics, especially rigorous impact measurement. Originality/value This paper uses a synthesis of key social enterprise and quasi-market studies to extend current debate in this area, which tends to be diffused and complex. By focussing on critical knowledge gaps, the paper contributes a meta-level appraisal of the key areas for future research, providing a focussed agenda for scholars to target their efforts in growing this important body of knowledge.

Background Virtual reality (VR) technology may provide an effective means to integrate cognitive and functional approaches to TBI rehabilitation. However, little is known about the effectiveness of VR rehabilitation for TBI-related cognitive deficits. In response to these clinical and research gaps, we developed Neurocognitive Driving Rehabilitation in Virtual Environments (NeuroDRIVE), an intervention designed to improve cognitive performance, driving safety, and neurobehavioral symptoms. Objective This pilot clinical trial was conducted to examine feasibility and preliminary efficacy of NeuroDRIVE for rehabilitation of chronic TBI. Methods Eleven participants who received the intervention were compared to six wait-listed participants on driving abilities, cognitive performance, and neurobehavioral symptoms. Results The NeuroDRIVE intervention was associated with significant improvements in working memory and visual search/selective attention- two cognitive skills that represented a primary focus of the intervention. By comparison, no significant changes were observed in untrained cognitive areas, neurobehavioral symptoms, or driving skills. Conclusions Results suggest that immersive virtual environments can provide a valuable and engaging means to achieve some cognitive rehabilitation goals, particularly when these goals are closely matched to the VR training exercises. However, additional research is needed to augment our understanding of rehabilitation for driving skills, cognitive performance, and neurobehavioral symptoms in chronic TBI.

The importance of the work of Karl Polanyi to social enterprise scholarship is often maintained. However, explanations as to how and why his ideas are so relevant to the field are still rel...

Despite a lack of evidence of their effectiveness there is increasing enthusiasm for Social Impact Bonds (SIBs) from diverse political perspectives across the world. This paper argues that while SI...

PurposeStates and development bodies are increasingly stimulating social enterprise activity in communities as an empowering social and economic development intervention. This type of development initiative is often facilitated by actors who are external to communities, and the role of community members is not clear. This paper aims to explore whether facilitated social enterprise benefits or disempowers communities.Design/methodology/approachThe focus is a case study of a project based in Scotland designed to stimulate the creation of social enterprises involved in community growing. The case study approach involved a mix of methods, including formal (semi-structured) interviews, participant observation and analysis of documentary evidence. Analysis of findings was undertaken using Muñoz and Steinerowski’s (2012) theory of social entrepreneurial behaviour.FindingsFindings suggest that social enterprise that originates outside communities and is facilitated by external actors is potentially disempowering, particularly when social enterprise development does not necessarily align with community needs. The paper reiterates findings in previous studies that certain roles in facilitated social enterprise require to be community-led. Projects that do attempt to facilitate social enterprise would benefit from community participation at the project planning stage.Originality/valueIf facilitated social enterprise is increasingly promoted as an empowering development intervention, this paper provides insight about how facilitated social enterprise occurs in practice and gives preliminary information about possible barriers to empowerment using this approach to development.

Bifunctional degrader molecules, known as proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs), function by recruiting a target to an E3 ligase, forming a target:PROTAC:ligase ternary complex. Despite the importance of this key intermediate species, no detailed validation of a method to directly determine binding parameters for ternary complex kinetics has been reported, and it remains to be addressed whether tuning the kinetics of PROTAC ternary complexes may be an effective strategy to improve the efficiency of targeted protein degradation. Here, we develop an SPR-based assay to quantify the stability of PROTAC-induced ternary complexes by measuring for the first time the kinetics of their formation and dissociation in vitro using purified proteins. We benchmark our assay using four PROTACs that target the bromodomains (BDs) of BET proteins Brd2, Brd3 and Brd4 to the E3 ligase VHL. We reveal marked differences in ternary complex off-rates for different PROTACs that exhibit either positive or negative cooperativity for ternary complex formation relative to binary binding. The positively cooperative degrader MZ1 forms comparatively stable and long-lived ternary complexes with either Brd4BD2 or Brd2BD2 and VHL. Equivalent complexes with Brd3BD2 are destabilised due to a single amino acid difference (Glu/Gly swap) present in the bromodomain. We observe that this difference in ternary complex dissociative half-life correlates to a greater initial rate of intracellular degradation of Brd2 and Brd4 relative to Brd3. These findings establish a novel assay to measure the kinetics of PROTAC ternary complexes and elucidate the important kinetic parameters that drive effective target degradation.