D3.4: Report on educational strategy, year 2

A new way of doing education will be important to cultivate the competences needed to deal with the challenge of sustainability in agrifood and forestry systems. Overall, the new educational approach is characterised by 1) a shift from theory to phenomenon and action as the starting point for the learning process (‘experiential learning’, ‘action learning’) and 2) a shift from knowledge to competence as the focus of the educational activities. The Nextfood project aims at contributing to these shifts by facilitating according to a master manual worked out by the project (deliverable D2.2) a transition to action learning in twelve educational cases in Africa, India and Europe. Simultaneously, research is done according to an action research protocol (deliverable D2.1) on the case transition process and on effects of action learning on students and involved stakeholders. The present report on the implementation of this educational strategy in the twelve cases focus on: (1) the case development process (main challenges and supporting forces associated with implementation of the Nextfood approach) (2) the students’ experiences and learning outcomes (their development of key competences and transition to an experiential learning mode) (3) benefits of involving non-university stakeholders (their learning outcomes and contributions) The cases have collected data on the development and implementation of the intended educational activities. In a separate section of the case development reports (deliverable D2.6), the cases have been asked to report on how these data were collected, the analysis process, what the data indicate and whether there were any significant factors influencing the validity and reliability of the findings. These data form the basis for the findings reported in this document. Data on the process of implementing action learning showed that a major challenge is to build an understanding of the need for interdisciplinary, systems-oriented, selfdirected, group and peer action learning having as primary focus the training of key competences needed for sustainable development. To a varying degree this has been experienced in several cases with academic institutions, teachers, students and offcampus stakeholders involved in the education. This indicates a need for a shift in culture and mindset at several levels to remove the formal and practical obstacles identified and to create a favourable environment and motivation for a different kind of learning and assessment strategy. Although the reported challenges outnumbered the supporting forces, the latter included interest and support for systems-oriented action learning among institutions at various levels of governments and educational institutions and among individual stakeholders and commercial actors. Several scientific reports also strongly support the implementation of this approach. Data from the students’ self-assessment and information extracted from their reflection documents suggested a variable effect of action learning on the students’ selfdevelopment of key competences. Possible causal relationships have not been explored so far, but it seems likely that the extent to which the action-learning approach has been implemented in a case, plays an important role. So do probably also factors such as pre-knowledge about and motivation for action learning among teachers, students and other stakeholders involved. When it comes to students’ transition in mindset and mode of learning, there was indication that reflection was valued as a competence on which development of all the others depend, and several students praised the effect improved reflection competence had on their lives outside university. In several cases, students that came into the course with expectations to gain certain pieces of knowledge or technical skills, gradually focused less on those aspects and more on developing the core competences. Further, several cases reported increasing enthusiasm about action learning among students, but also examples of students that had the same questions after the course as they had before. The causal factors for this variability are probably similar to those mentioned above regarding competence development but were not investigated. Information about involving non-university stakeholders strongly suggests that they consider their interaction with students as useful learning opportunities enabling them to see their situation in different perspectives, that students were perceived as partners with important knowledge, and that the process of experience sharing worked in both directions. Similarly, their contributions are highly valued by course facilitators and students

Radiation-Induced Changes of microRNA Expression Profiles in Radiosensitive and Radioresistant Leukemia Cell Lines with Different Levels of Chromosome Abnormalities

In our study, we estimate an effect from chromosome aberrations and genome mutations on changes in microRNA expression profiles in cancer cell lines demonstrating different radiosensitivity. Here, cell viability and microRNA spectrum have been estimated 1, 4, and 24 h after irradiation. MiSeq high-throughput sequencing system (Illumina, San Diego, CA, USA) is employed to perform microRNA spectrum estimation. In the K562 cell line, the number of expressed microRNAs in chromosomes demonstrates a more pronounced variation. An analysis of microRNA effects on signaling pathway activity demonstrates differences in post-transcriptional regulation of the expression of genes included into 40 signaling pathways. In the K562 cell line, microRNA dynamics analyzed for their dependence on chromosome localization show a wider scattering of microRNA expression values for a pair of chromosomes compared to the HL-60 cell line. An analysis of microRNAs expression in the K562 and HL-60 cell lines after irradiation has shown that chromosome abnormalities can affect microRNA expression changes. A study of radiation-induced changes of microRNA expression profiles in the K562 and HL-60 cell lines has revealed a dependence of microRNA expression changes on the number of chromosome aberrations and genome mutations

Evaluation of Changes in Some Functional Properties of Human Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Induced by Low Doses of Ionizing Radiation

Each person is inevitably exposed to low doses of ionizing radiation (LDIR) throughout their life. The research results of LDIR effects are ambiguous and an accurate assessment of the risks associated with the influence of LDIR is an important task. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are the regenerative reserve of an adult organism; because of this, they are a promising model for studying the effects of LDIR. The qualitative and quantitative changes in their characteristics can also be considered promising criteria for assessing the risks of LDIR exposure. The MSCs from human connective gingiva tissue (hG-MSCs) were irradiated at doses of 50, 100, 250, and 1000 mGy by the X-ray unit RUST-M1 (Russia). The cells were cultured continuously for 64 days after irradiation. During the study, we evaluated the secretory profile of hG-MSCs (IL-10, IDO, IL-6, IL-8, VEGF-A) using an ELISA test, the immunophenotype (CD45, CD34, CD90, CD105, CD73, HLA-DR, CD44) using flow cytometry, and the proliferative activity using the xCelligence RTCA cell analyzer at the chosen time points. The results of study have indicated the development of stimulating effects in the early stages of cultivation after irradiation using low doses of X-ray radiation. On the contrary, the effects of the low doses were comparable with the effects of medium doses of X-ray radiation in the long-term periods of cultivation after irradiation and have indicated the inhibition of the functional activity of MSCs

Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Mesenchymal Stem Cells of the Placenta and Their Conditioned Medium in Local Radiation Injuries

International audienceBackground: The search for an effective therapy for local radiation injuries (LRI) is urgent; one option is mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) derived from the placenta and their conditioned medium for the regenerative processes of the skin. Methods: We used 80 animals, randomly assigned to four groups: control (C) animals that did not receive therapy; control with the introduction of culture medium concentrate (CM); introduction of MSCs (PL); introduction of CMPL. LRI modeling was performed on an X-ray machine at a dose of 110 Gy. Histological and immunohistochemical tests were performed. Results: On the 112th day, the area of the open wound surface in the CMPL group was 6.7 times less than in the control group. Complete healing of the open wound surface of the skin in the CM group was observed in 40%, in CMPL 60%, in the PL group 20%, and in the C group there were no animals with a prolonged wound defect. A decrease in inflammatory processes was observed in the CMPL group. Conclusions: the use of a concentrate of conditioned MSCs (CMPL group) in severe LRI in laboratory animals accelerates the transition of the wound process to the stage of regeneration and epithelization

Effect of Radiation Therapy on Composition of Lymphocyte Populations in Patients with Primary Breast Cancer

Background: Radiation therapy (RT) is an important step in the treatment of primary breast cancer as it is one of the leading contributors to cancer incidence among women. Most patients with this disease acquire radiation-induced lymphopenia in the early post-radiation period; however, little is known about the effect of RT on the composition of lymphocyte populations in such patients. This study was aimed at investigating the effect of adjuvant remote RT—performed in the classical mode for patients with primary breast cancer—on the main components of cell-mediated immunity (major lymphocyte populations), including those in patients receiving chemotherapy. Methods: Between 2020 and 2022, 96 patients with stage I–III breast cancer were included in this study. All patients in the final stage of complex treatment received RT via a 3D conformal technique (3DCRT). The clinical target volume of this RT included the breast or chest wall and locoregional lymphatics. Flow cytometry was used to assess the levels and phenotypes of circulating lymphocytes before and after RT (no more than 7 days before and after RT). The evaluation of the impact of polychemotherapy (PCT) was conducted to determine whether it was a risk factor for the onset of radio-induced lymphopenia (RIL) in the context of RT. Results: When assessing the immune status in the general group of patients (n = 96), before the start of adjuvant external beam radiotherapy (EBRT), the average number of lymphocytes was 1.68 ± 0.064 × 109/L; after the course of adjuvant EBRT, it decreased to 1.01 ± 0.044 × 109/L (p t-test, p < 0.05). Conclusion: The adaptive immune system in breast cancer patients changed in the early post-radiation period. The absolute levels of B-, T- and natural killer cells significantly reduced after RT regardless of whether the patients previously underwent chemotherapy courses. RT for patients with primary breast cancer should be considered in clinical management because it significantly alters lymphocyte levels and should be considered when assessing antitumor immunity, as significant changes in T-cell immunity have been observed. In addition, the identified changes are critical if specific targeted therapy or immunotherapy is needed