Learning for an unpredictable future : what competences for educators

In 2011 the UNECE produced a document, "Learning for the future"aiming to identify a framework of core competences for ESD educators. In 2015, the Erasmus plus project "A Rounder Sense of Purpose" started a reflection on the UNECE document aiming to transform that document in an effective tool to be used for building, assessing, awarding the competences educators need, in formal and informal education, in order to face a rapidly changing world. While the UNECE document, and the RSP project, are addressed to ESD educators, the authors of this communication propose to apply the RSP competences model to all educators, across different levels and disciplines. Preliminary results from experimenting the model across different cultural and educational contexts will be presented during the Conference

Search strings for the study of putative occupational determinants of disease

Objective To identify efficient PubMed search strategies to retrieve articles regarding putative occupational determinants of conditions not generally considered to be work related. Methods Based on MeSH definitions and expert knowledge, we selected as candidate search terms the four MeSH terms describing 'occupational disease', 'occupational exposure', 'occupational health' and 'occupational medicine' (DEHM) alongside 22 other promising terms. We first explored overlaps between the candidate terms in PubMed. Using random samples of abstracts retrieved by each term, we estimated the proportions of articles containing potentially pertinent information regarding occupational aetiology in order to formulate two search strategies (one more 'specific', one more 'sensitive'). We applied these strategies to retrieve information on the possible occupational aetiology of meningioma, pancreatitis and atrial fibrillation. Results Only 20.3% of abstracts were retrieved by more than one DEHM term. The more 'specific' search string was based on the combination of terms that yielded the highest proportion (40%) of potentially pertinent abstracts. The more 'sensitive' string was based on the use of broader search fields and additional coverage provided by other search terms under study. Using the specific string, the numbers of abstracts needed to read to find one potentially pertinent article were 1.2 for meningioma, 1.9 for pancreatitis and 1.8 for atrial fibrillation. Using the sensitive strategy, the numbers needed to read were 4.4 for meningioma, 8.9 for pancreatitis and 10.5 for atrial fibrillation. Conclusions The proposed strings could help health care professionals explore putative occupational aetiology for diseases that are not generally thought to be work relate

Behavioral, neuromorphological, and neurobiochemical effects induced by omega-3 fatty acids following basal forebrain cholinergic depletion in aged mice

Background: In recent years, mechanistic, epidemiologic, and interventional studies have indicated beneficial effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) against brain aging and age-related cognitive decline, with the most consistent effects against Alzheimer’s disease (AD) confined especially in the early or prodromal stages of the pathology. In the present study, we investigated the action of n-3 PUFA supplementation on behavioral performances and hippocampal neurogenesis, volume, and astrogliosis in aged mice subjected to a selective depletion of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons. Such a lesion represents a valuable model to mimic one of the most reliable hallmarks of early AD neuropathology. Methods: Aged mice first underwent mu-p75-saporin immunotoxin intraventricular lesions to obtain a massive cholinergic depletion and then were orally supplemented with n-3 PUFA or olive oil (as isocaloric control) for 8 weeks. Four weeks after the beginning of the dietary supplementation, anxiety levels as well as mnesic, social, and depressive-like behaviors were evaluated. Subsequently, hippocampal morphological and biochemical analyses and n-3 PUFA brain quantification were carried out. Results: The n-3 PUFA treatment regulated the anxiety alterations and reverted the novelty recognition memory impairment induced by the cholinergic depletion in aged mice. Moreover, n-3 PUFA preserved hippocampal volume, enhanced neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus, and reduced astrogliosis in the hippocampus. Brain levels of n-3 PUFA were positively related to mnesic abilities. Conclusions: The demonstration that n-3 PUFA are able to counteract behavioral deficits and hippocampal neurodegeneration in cholinergically depleted aged mice promotes their use as a low-cost, safe nutraceutical tool to improve life quality at old age, even in the presence of first stages of AD

West Nile virus transmission. results from the integrated surveillance system in Italy, 2008 to 2015

IIn Italy a national Plan for the surveillance of imported and autochthonous human vector-borne diseases (chikungunya, dengue, Zika virus disease and West Nile virus (WNV) disease) that integrates human and veterinary (animals and vectors) surveillance, is issued and revised annually according with the observed epidemiological changes. Here we describe results of the WNV integrated veterinary and human surveillance systems in Italy from 2008 to 2015. A real time data exchange protocol is in place between the surveillance systems to rapidly identify occurrence of human and animal cases and to define and update the map of affected areas i.e. provinces during the vector activity period from June to October. WNV continues to cause severe illnesses in Italy during every transmission season, albeit cases are sporadic and the epidemiology varies by virus lineage and geographic area. The integration of surveillance activities and a multidisciplinary approach made it possible and have been fundamental in supporting implementation of and/or strengthening preventive measures aimed at reducing the risk of transmission of WNV trough blood, tissues and organ donation and to implementing further measures for vector control

Devising a Competence-Based Training Program for Educators of Sustainable Development: Lessons Learned

Over recent decades, education policy has been preoccupied with economic growth while paying insufficient heed to global sustainability challenges. International initiatives to promote education for sustainable development (ESD) have been hampered by a lack of clarity on how to implement this form of education. To address this concern, a Rounder Sense of Purpose (RSP) began as a three-year EU-funded project that set out to develop a practical accreditation model for educators working on ESD. Expert and user opinion was sought through several rounds of structured consultation with over 500 people, chiefly using a Delphi approach, to develop and validate the model. The resulting framework comprises 12 competences, each with three learning outcomes and several underpinning components. This is supported by a range of activities largely reflecting a constructivist pedagogy. A range of assessment techniques have also been piloted within the project although this remains an area for further enquiry. Ultimately, it was decided not to design a single qualification template because defining the award to such a level of detail would make it more difficult to apply across multiple jurisdictions. Partners also felt that such an approach would atomize learning in a way that runs counter to the holistic principles of sustainability. RSP provided a rich learning experience for those involved and has already demonstrated its potential to extend its impact well beyond the original participants

An Italian Multicenter Perspective Harmonization Trial for the Assessment of MET Exon 14 Skipping Mutations in Standard Reference Samples

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. International societies have promoted the molecular analysis of MET proto-oncogene, receptor tyrosine kinase (MET) exon 14 skipping for the clinical stratification of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Different technical approaches are available to detect MET exon 14 skipping in routine practice. Here, the technical performance and reproducibility of testing strategies for MET exon 14 skipping carried out in various centers were evaluated. In this retrospective study, each institution received a set (n = 10) of a customized artificial formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) cell line (Custom METex14 skipping FFPE block) that harbored the MET exon 14 skipping mutation (Seracare Life Sciences, Milford, MA, USA), which was previously validated by the Predictive Molecular Pathology Laboratory at the University of Naples Federico II. Each participating institution managed the reference slides according to their internal routine workflow. MET exon 14 skipping was successfully detected by all participating institutions. Molecular analysis highlighted a median Cq cut off of 29.3 (ranging from 27.1 to 30.7) and 2514 (ranging from 160 to 7526) read counts for real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and NGS-based analyses, respectively. Artificial reference slides were a valid tool to harmonize technical workflows in the evaluation of MET exon 14 skipping molecular alterations in routine practice

A case report of vibration-induced hand comorbidities in a postwoman

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Prolonged exposure to hand-transmitted vibration is associated with an increased occurrence of symptoms and signs of disorders in the vascular, neurological and osteoarticular systems of the upper limbs. However, the available epidemiological evidence is derived from studies on high vibration levels caused by vibratory tools, whereas little is known about possible upper limb disorders caused by chronic exposure to low vibration levels emitted by fixed sources.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>We present the case of a postwoman who delivered mail for 15 years using a low-powered motorcycle. The woman was in good health until 2002, when she was diagnosed with bilateral Raynaud's phenomenon. In March 2003 a bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome was electromyographically diagnosed; surgical treatment was ineffective. Further examinations in 2005 highlighted the presence of chronic tendonitis (right middle finger flexor).</p> <p>Risk assessment</p> <p>From 1987, for 15 years, our patient rode her motorcycle for 4 h/day, carrying a load of 20-30 kg. For about a quarter of the time she drove over country roads. Using the information collected about the tasks carried out every day by the postwoman and some measurements performed on both handles of the motorcycle, as well as on both iron parts of the handlebars, we reconstructed the woman's previous exposure to hand-arm vibration. 8-hour energy-equivalent frequency weighted acceleration was about 2.4 m/s². The lifetime dose was 1.5 × 10⁹(m²/s⁴)hd.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The particular set of comorbidities presented by our patient suggests a common pathophysiological basis for all the diseases. Considering the level of exposure to vibrations and the lack of specific knowledge on the effects of vibration in women, we hypothesize an association between the work exposure and the onset of the diseases.</p

Natural powers: from the bio-economy to the eco-economy and sustainable place-making

The current intensification of efforts to develop post-carbon solutions to the global food/energy security problems is developing a highly contested policy/technology/production/consumption arena. The paper examines how current attempts to resolve these new productivist priorities are embedded in combinations of sustainability, security, sovereignty and resource governance concerns. These concerns are coming together with the new contested framings of the bio-economy and the eco-economy. The framings hold different implications for social and spatial development. The paper argues that it is important to apply and connect a critical ‘post normal’ sustainability science approach to developing the place-making properties of the eco-economy model, as well as examining the implications of the wider and more dominant bio-economic framing. The analysis shows that to achieve synergies between sustainability, security, sovereignty and effective resource governance, a more place-based eco-economic model needs to be progressed

Re-reading sustainability through the Triple Helix Model in the frame of a Systems Perspective

The urgent priority for our planet is to understand and activate a transition towards sustainability, intended as a complete transition of our worldview, our customs, institutions, behaviours. The core question we ask herein is: ‘Why is it that so much knowledge and publicity about sustainability at so many levels has led to so little action?’. In attempting to provide an answer, we analyze the barriers and challenges that prevent an effective transition towards sustainability, outlining paths for the change needed in the interfacing mechanisms between “Science” and “Policy”, and between “Science” and “Society”. We assume a different perspective on sustainability, intended as an open-ended process of social learning, in which a new balance is continually being sought between multiple social, economic and environmental challenges and goals. Accordingly, the chapter describes the achievement of sustainability as harmonic interactions derived from the integrated action of different agents, represented by the dimensions of the triple helix, conceptualised by Etzkowitz and revised by the authors. The analytical framework used for describing the dynamic interactions among Science, Policy and Society, represented by the blades of the re-interpreted triple helix, and for providing avenues for the required change, is based on the general scheme Necessities-Possibilities-Effectiveness, derived from modal logic

Progress in sustainability science: lessons learnt from current methodologies for sustainability assessment: Part 1

Background, aim and scope Sustainability Science (SS) is considered an emerging discipline, applicative and solution-oriented whose aim is to handle environmental, social and economic issues in light of cultural, historic and institutional perspectives. The challenges of the discipline are not only related to better identifying the problems affecting sustainability but to the actual transition towards solutions adopting an integrated, comprehensive and participatory approach. This requires the definition of a common scientific paradigm in which integration and interaction among sectorial disciplines is of paramount relevance. In this context, Life Cycle Thinking (LCT) and, in particular, Life cycle-based methodologies and Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA) may play a crucial role. The paper illustrates the main challenges posed to Sustainability Assessment methodologies and related methods in terms of ontology, epistemology and methodology of SS. The aims of the analysis are twofold: i) to define the main features of methodologies for sustainability assessment; ii) to present key aspects for the development of robust and comprehensive sustainability assessment. The analysis is based on the review of the main challenges posed to sustainability assessment methodologies and methods by sustainability science. Methodology The current debate on SS addressing ontological, epistemological and methodological aspects has been reviewed, leading to the proposal of a conceptual framework for SS. In addition, a meta-review of recent studies on sustainability assessment methodologies and methods, including those life cycle- based, supports the discussion on the main challenges for a comprehensive and robust approach to sustainability assessment. Starting from the results of the meta-review, we identified specific features of Sustainable Development-oriented methods: firstly, highlighting key issues towards robust methods for SS and, secondly, capitalizing on the findings of each review’s paper. For each issue a recommendation towards a robust sustainability assessment method is given. Existing limitations of sectorial academic inquiries and proposal for better integration and mainstreaming of SS are the key points under discussion. Discussion In the reviewed papers, LCT and its basic principles are acknowledged as relevant for sustainability assessment. Nevertheless, LCT is not considered as a reference approach in which other methods could also find a place. This aspect has to be further explored, addressing the lack of multidisciplinary exchange and putting the mainstreaming of LCT as a priority on the agenda of both life cycle assessment (LCA) and sustainability assessment experts. Crucial issues for further developing sustainability assessment methodologies and methods have been identified and can be summarized as follows: holistic and system wide approaches, shift from multi towards trans-disciplinarity; multi-scale (temporal and geographical) perspectives; better involvement and participation of stakeholders. Those are also the main challenges posed to LCSA in terms of progress of ontology, epistemology and methodology in line with the progress of SS. The life cycle-based methodologies should be broadened from comparing alternatives and avoiding negative impacts, to also proactively enhancing positive impacts, and towards the achievement of sustainability goals.JRC.H.8-Sustainability Assessmen