Evaluation der Richtlinie zur "Förderung von Forschung und Lehre im Bereich der Sozialpolitik": Abschlussbericht

Im Jahr 2016 hat das BMAS das Fördernetzwerk Interdisziplinäre Sozialpolitikforschung (FIS) ins Leben gerufen. Damit verfolgt das Ministerium das Ziel, die unabhängige Sozialpolitikforschung zu stärken. Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftler sollen sich im Feld der Sozialpolitikforschung etablieren können, Hochschulen im Bereich der Sozialpolitik- und Sozialrechtsforschung Strukturen ausbauen bzw. neu bilden können. Der Bericht stellt die Ergebnisse der Evaluation vor und liefert wichtige Impulse für die Weiterentwicklung des FIS

Severe infections of Panton-Valentine leukocidin positive Staphylococcus aureus in children

Infections caused by Panton-Valentine leukocidin-positive Staphylococcus aureus (PVL-SA) mostly present as recurrent skin abscesses and furunculosis. However, life-threatening infections (eg, necrotizing pneumonia, necrotizing fasciitis, and osteomyelitis) caused by PVL-SA have also been reported.We assessed the clinical phenotype, frequency, clinical implications (surgery, length of treatment in hospitals/intensive care units, and antibiotic treatments), and potential preventability of severe PVL-SA infections in children.Total, 75 children treated for PVL-SA infections in our in- and outpatient units from 2012 to 2017 were included in this retrospective study.Ten out of 75 children contracted severe infections (PVL-methicillin resistant S aureus n = 4) including necrotizing pneumonia (n = 4), necrotizing fasciitis (n = 2), pyomyositis (n = 2; including 1 patient who also had pneumonia), mastoiditis with cerebellitis (n = 1), preorbital cellulitis (n = 1), and recurrent deep furunculosis in an immunosuppressed patient (n = 1). Specific complications of PVL-SA infections were venous thrombosis (n = 2), sepsis (n = 5), respiratory failure (n = 5), and acute respiratory distress syndrome (n = 3). The median duration of hospital stay was 14 days (range 5-52 days). In 6 out of 10 patients a history suggestive for PVL-SA colonization in the patient or close family members before hospital admission was identified.PVL-SA causes severe to life-threatening infections requiring lengthy treatments in hospital in a substantial percentage of symptomatic PVL-SA colonized children. More than 50% of severe infections might be prevented by prompt testing for PVL-SA in individuals with a history of abscesses or furunculosis, followed by decolonization measures

Open-Source Technology for Real-Time Continuous Glucose Monitoring in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: Case Study in a Neonate With Transient Congenital Hyperinsulinism

Background: Use of real-time continuous glucose monitoring (rtCGM) systems has been shown to be a low-pain, safe, and effective method of preventing hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia in people with diabetes of various age groups. Evidence on rtCGM use in infants and in patients with conditions other than diabetes remains limited. Objective: This case study describes the off-label use of rtCGM and the use of an open-source app for glucose monitoring in a newborn with prolonged hypoglycemia secondary to transient congenital hyperinsulinism during the perinatal period. Methods: The Dexcom G6 rtCGM system (Dexcom, Inc) was introduced at 39 hours of age. Capillary blood glucose checks were performed regularly. In order to benefit from customizable alert settings and detect hypoglycemic episodes, the open-source rtCGM app xDrip+ was introduced at 9 days of age. Results: Time in range (45-180 mg/dL) for interstitial glucose remained consistently above 90%, whereas time in hypoglycemia (<45 mg/dL) decreased. Mean glucose was maintained above 70 mg/dL at 72 hours of life and thereafter. Daily sensor glucose profiles showed cyclic fluctuations that were less pronounced over time. Conclusions: While off-label use of medication is both common practice and a necessity in newborn infants, there are few examples of off-label uses of medical devices, rtCGM being a notable exception. Real-time information allowed us to better understand glycemic patterns and to improve the quality of glycemic control accordingly. Severe hypoglycemia was prevented, and measurement of serum levels of insulin and further lab diagnostics were performed much faster, while the patient's individual burden caused by invasive procedures was reduced. Greater customizability of threshold and alert settings would be beneficial for user groups with glycemic instability other than people with diabetes, and for hospitalized newborn infants in particular. Further research in the field of personal and off-label rtCGM use, efficacy studies evaluating the accuracy of low glucose readings, and studies on the differences between algorithms in translating raw sensor data, as well as customization of commercially available rtCGM systems, is needed

The dilemma of societal alignment in responsible research and innovation

Resumen del trabajo presentado en la XVI Triple Helix Conference, celebrada en Manchester (Inglaterra) del 05 al 08 de septiembre de 2018.Around four decades ago, David Collingridge put forward a dilemma that has been widely adoptedamongst the technology assessment (TA), and later, responsible research and innovation (RRI) communities. The so-called Collingridge dilemma has permeated discussions on the governance of science, technology and innovation, enclosing an enormous challenge: that of anticipating their potential consequences and controlling emerging technologies. In this paper, we outline and reflect on some of the key challenges that influence the development and uptake of more inclusive and responsible forms of science, technology and innovation. Our analysis draws on a large body of empirical and theoretical research done by the different authors to reflect on challenges emerging from the complex and diverse organisational characteristics of universities, the enactment of responsibility in the private sector, the emergence of bottom-up, grassroots innovation and the hidden dimensions of sustainability, equity and transdisciplinarity. Taking these together, we paraphrase Collingridge¿s famous dilemma of social control of technology to introduce a complementary dilemma which might be useful in the study of RRI, that of `societal alignment¿ in science, technology and innovation. The dilemma of social alignment differs from that of control in at least five dimensions: a) the epistemic communities involved, b) governance mechanisms, c) `nature¿ of the problem, d) backward or forward looking focus and e) scale and scope of sociotechnical systems. By starting to unpack this concept, we outline an agenda that remains scattered and overlooked among some communities in the field of the governance of research and innovation

Introducing the dilemma of societal alignment for inclusive and responsible research and innovation

© 2018 The Author(s).In this discussion paper, we outline and reflect on some of the key challenges that influence the development and uptake of more inclusive and responsible forms of research and innovation. Taking these challenges together, we invoke Collingridge’s famous dilemma of social control of technology to introduce a complementary dilemma that of ‘societal alignment’ in the governance of science, technology and innovation. Considerations of social alignment are scattered and overlooked among some communities in the field of science, technology and innovation policy. By starting to unpack this dilemma, we outline an agenda for further consideration of social alignment in the study of responsible research and innovation.Ribeiro and Shapira acknowledge support from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council [grant number BB/M017702/1] (Manchester Synthetic Biology Research Centre for Fine and Speciality Chemicals). Jarmai acknowledges support from Horizon 2020 Framework Programme project ‘COMPASS – Evidence and opportunities for responsible innovation in SMEs’ [grant agreement number 710543]. Bürer and Lindner acknowledge support from project ‘MoRRI – Monitoring the evolution and benefits of RRI was funded by the European Commission’ [grant number RTD-B6-PP-00964-2013] for funding part of the research

New HoRRIzon: D5.5 Actions and Activities to Realize RRI in Diversity of Approaches

This Deliverable tells about the journey of the Social Labs from their very beginning, in which we struggled to first get an understanding of the particular Funding Line of H2020 and tried to “diagnose” its uptake of RRI, continuing with the identification of our stakeholders and our attempt to incentivize them to participate in the Social Labs. In this Deliverable, we explain which methods we used in our Social Lab Workshops to raise and discuss the question of responsibility in research and innovation and to generate ideas for Pilot Actions, which experiences we made with these group methods and, most importantly, which Pilot Actions the Social Lab participants created, developed, changed and implemented in order to realize their ambitions of RRI and a responsible research and innovation system

The practice and perceptions of RRI—A gender perspective

Little is known to date about the practice and perceptions of RRI among researchers in Europe as well as the integration of the gender dimension into everyday RRI practices. This lack was addressed by two large-scale surveys that were launched in the course of the EU-funded MoRRI project (Monitoring the evolution and benefits of RRI, Contract number RTD-B6-PP-00964-2013, Duration 09/2013–03/2018). The analysis shows that the institutional environment positively influences the degree of RRI activities and the general attitudes towards more responsible research and innovation: researchers working in an institutional environment that systematically supports the practice of RRI are more active in RRI practices than researchers who do not rely on such structures. For the gender equality dimension, this means that institutions with a gender equality plan (GEP) in place are more inclined to support female researchers than institutions without such institutional incentives. Furthermore, researchers with experiences in EU-funded projects are more likely to be engaged in RRI activities. Even if female researchers have a stronger inclination to engage with society than their male counterparts, gender competence proves to be the relevant distinguishing criterion. Gender competent researchers are more often involved in other RRI activities