A case based discussion on the role of Design Competences in Social Innovation.

Thus far, many contributions in the field of design have described design’s role in the life cycle of a successful Social Innovation (SI). Design, in fact, has been proposed by many authors to be the most suitable approach to developing SI initiatives from their start-up to release. In particular, some authors have proposed Design Thinking as the best methodology for the development of new SIs; while others, promote Participatory Design as the best method to support SIs, heralding its process of collaboration, networking and coproduction. Nevertheless, many research results have demonstrated that the need to find a balance between social and economic objectives is one of the main barriers to SI. This paper discusses these general results as they have been elaborated in the context of the SIMPACT European project and focuses on the value of design competences to better design SI products, services and brands, which is explored through the discussion of two well established cases of SI in Europe

Operativni sustav za prognoziranje hipoksije u sjevernom Jadranu

The northern Adriatic Sea (NA), the northernmost region of the Mediterranean Sea, is affected by strong anthropogenic pressure (e.g., tourism, fisheries, maritime traffic, discharge from agriculture and industry), superimposed to a large river runoff. The consequent pressure exerted on the NA ecosystem either triggers or worsens massive mucilage insurgence, harmful algal blooms, eutrophication and even anoxic/hypoxic events. This work focuses on the anoxic/hypoxic events. During the summer-autumn period, the NA is often exposed to these events, which can be categorised as either coastal (relatively frequent south of the Po River delta during the summer) and offshore (rare, affecting wider areas). In order to improve our knowledge about these processes and to meet the needs of local governments and decision makers, an operational system for monitoring and forecasting anoxic and hypoxic events has been set up in the framework of the EU LIFE "EMMA" project. The system is composed of a meteo-oceanographic buoy; a numerical prediction system based on the Regional Ocean Modelling System (ROMS), including a Fasham-type module for biogeochemical fluxes; and periodic oceanographic surveys. Every day since June 2007, the system provides 3-hourly forecasts of marine currents, thermohaline and biogeochemical fields for the incoming three days. The system has demonstrated its ability to produce accurate temperature forecasts and relatively good salinity and dissolved oxygen forecasts. The Root Mean Square Error of the dissolved oxygen forecast was largely due to the mean bias. The system is currently being improved to include a better representation of benthic layer biogeochemical processes and several adjustments of the model. While developing model improvements, dissolved oxygen forecasts were improved with the removal of the 10-day mean bias.Sjeverni Jadran (NA), najsjeverniji dio Sredozemnog mora, pod utjecajem je jakog antropogenog djelovanja (poput turizma, ribarenja, morskog prometa, istjecanje onečišćujućih tvari u poljoprivredi i industriji) te dodatno, velikog dotoka rijeka. Posljedično, djelovanje na NA ekosustav potiče ili pojačava uzdizanje sluzavih nakupina, štetno cvjetanje algi, eutrofikaciju pa čak i događaje anoksije/hipoksije. Ovaj se rad fokusira na anoksiju/hipoksiju. Tijekom ljetno-jesenskog razdoblja, NA je često izložen ovim doga|ajima, koji se mogu kategorizirati kao obalni (relativno učestali južno od delte rijeke Po ljeti) ili udaljeni od obale (rijetki, zahvaćajući šira područja). Kako bi poboljšali poznavanje tih procesa te zbog potreba lokalne uprave, uspostavljen je operativni sustav za praćenje i prognoziranje anoksije i hipoksije u okviru EU LIFE "EMMA" projekta. Sustav se sastoji od meteorološko-oceanografske plutače; sustava za numeričku prognozu, koji se temelji na regionalnom oceanografskom modelu (ROMS), uključujući modul Fasham-tipa za biogeokemijske tokove; i periodičnim oceanografskim istraživanjima. Svakog dana, počev od lipnja 2007, sustav omogućava 3-satne prognoze morskih struja te termohalina i biogeokemijska polja za sljedeća tri dana. Sustav se pokazao sposobnim za davanje točnih prognoza temperature i relativno dobrih prognoza saliniteta i otopljenog kisika. Korijen srednje kvadratne pogreške prognoziranog otopljenog kisika postojao je uglavnom zbog srednje pristranosti (biasa). Sustav je trenutno poboljšan tako da uključuje bolji prikaz biogeokemijskih procesa u području sloja bentosa i nekoliko prilagodba modela. Tijekom poboljšavanja modela, uklanjanjem 10-dnevne srednje pristranosti (biasa) poboljšane su prognoze otopljenog kisika

INTRAHEPATIC CHOLANGIOCARCINOMA DEVELOPMENT IN A PATIENT WITH A NOVEL BAP1 GERMLINE MUTATION AND LOW EXPOSURE TO ASBESTOS

BRCA1 associated protein-1 (BAP1) germline mutations define a novel hereditary cancer syndrome, namely BAP1 tumor predisposition syndrome (BAP1-TPDS), characterized by an increased susceptibility to develop different cancer types, including mesothelioma, uveal and cutaneous melanoma, renal cell carcinoma, and basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma. Currently, the role of BAP1 germline mutations in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) pathogenesis is less known. Here we report the first clinical case of a female patient who developed an iCCA when she was 47-years-old and was found to carry a novel germline mutation at a splicing site of exon 4 in BAP1 gene (NM_004656.4: c.255_255+6del). An accurate anamnesis revealed the absence of risk factors linked to iCCA development, except for a low occupational exposure to asbestos. In tumor tissue, BAP1 sequencing, multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification and immunoistochemistry showed the loss of heterozygosity and lack of nuclear expression, suggesting that BAP1 wild-type allele and functional protein were lost in cancer cells, in line with the classical two-hit model of tumor suppressor genes. Further studies are needed to confirm whether iCCA may be included into BAP1-TPDS cancer phenotypes and whether minimal asbestos exposure may facilitate the development of this malignancy in individuals carrying BAP1 germline mutations

Relazione fra turbolenza atmosferica e qualit\ue0 dell\u2019aria in due street canyon nella citt\ue0 metropolitana di Bologna

Il presente studio si inserisce all\u2019interno del progetto Horizon H2020 iSCAPE (Improving the Smart Control of Air Pollution in Europe) che si propone di acquisire conoscenze sulle interazioni tra clima urbano e inquinamento atmosferico in alcune citt\ue0 europee. La citt\ue0 metropolitana di Bologna \ue8 stata selezionata come citt\ue0 pilota in quanto sita all\u2019interno della Pianura Padana, ben noto hot- spot in termini di qualit\ue0 dell\u2019aria. In aggiunta, essa \ue8 caratterizzata da aree densamente edificate e trafficate, come i canyon urbani, dove \ue8 interessante caratterizzare la qualit\ue0 dell'aria, la dinamica atmosferica e la turbolenza. A tal fine sono state effettuate due campagne di monitoraggio intensivo (estate 2017 e inverno 2018) in due differenti street-canyon (via Marconi e via Laura Bassi) situati all\u2019interno della citt\ue0, caratterizzati dalla stessa orientazione geografica e simile volume di traffico, ma da diversa struttura geometrica e presenza di alberazione (presente solamente in via Laura Bassi). Per le misurazioni sono stati utilizzati due laboratori mobili di Arpae Emilia-Romagna per la rilevazione di PM10, PM2.5, NOx, CO, O3, BTEX. In aggiunta, sono stati installati anemometri sonici e termoigrometri a diversi livelli all'interno e al di sopra dei canyons (Laura Bassi/Marconi: 3/4m \u2013 9/8m \u2013 15/25m) per la caratterizzazione della turbolenza atmosferica. L\u2019analisi dei dati osservati sar\ue0 integrata con l\u2019uso di modelli numerici: ADMS Urban per valutare la distribuzione degli inquinanti a scala cittadina; modelli CFD per ricostruire la circolazione all\u2019interno dei canyon urbani. Inoltre nel corso delle campagne sono state effettuate misure termometriche degli edifici per valutare la dinamica dell\u2019isola di calore urbano. Fin dalla campagna estiva \ue8 apparso evidente l\u2019effetto di amplificazione dello street canyon sulle concentrazioni di inquinanti, in particolare gli NOx, noti precursori di aerosol, presentano concentrazioni medie orarie doppie rispetto al resto della citt\ue0 e medie al minuto che raggiungono valori prossimi al fondoscala strumentale. In questo contesto, le concentrazioni vengono analizzate in funzione della turbolenza atmosferica e delle forzanti termiche interne al canyon, in quanto uniche responsabili, in assenza di condizioni sinottiche, del trasporto degli inquinanti

Evaluative conversations: Translating between diverse stakeholders in regional RRI projects

Since the summer of 2020, researchers from ten projects pertaining to the Horizon2020 Science with and for Society (SwafS) call have been meeting virtually as the SwafS14 Monitoring and Evaluation ecosystem. Topics of discussion were the trials and tribulations of their regional Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) projects as well as their strategies for monitoring and evaluation. In this paper we make a first attempt at presenting these issues as problems of translation between different kinds of stakeholders. After an exploration of the diversity of stakeholders and the process of translation in regional RRI, we suggest evaluative conversations as a way of improving regional RRI. We intend to develop this idea in the future and that these conversations will facilitate more responsible and engaged monitoring and evaluation and contribute to better R&I policies

Co-creation for Responsible Research and Innovation. Experimenting with Design Methods and Tools

This open access book summarizes research being pursued within the SISCODE (Society in Innovation and Science through CO-DEsign) project, funded by the EU under the H2020 programme, the goal of which is to set up an analytical, reflective and learning framework to explore the transformations in initiatives and policies emerging from the interaction between citizens and stakeholders. The book provides a critical analysis of the co-design processes activated in 10 co-creation labs addressing societal challenges across Europe. Each lab as a case study of real-life experimentation is described through its journey, starting from the purpose on the ground of the experimentation and the challenge addressed. Specific attention is then drawn on the role of policies and policy maker engagement. Finally, the experimentation is enquired in terms of its output, transformations triggered within the organization and the overall ecosystem, and its outcomes, opening the reasoning towards the lessons learnt and reflections that the entire co-creation journey brought

SIMPACT Project. Deliverable 4.1. Part II. Existing Forms of SI. Dynamics & Features influencing SI Processes and Business Models

Considering the specificity of the SI process and the complexity of SI Business Models, as emerged from the analysis presented and discussed in Part I of this deliverable (Rizzo, Komatsu & Deserti, 2015), Part II of the deliverable undertakes a multi-disciplinary study to advance the understanding of the different factors influencing its peculiar na-ture. The literature review will contribute from one side to build a theoretically sound and comprehensive deepening of the numerous factors that underlie the actual eco-nomic structure of social innovations, and, from the other, will enhance differences or similarities with other forms of innovation