“A soup of different inspirations”: co-produced research and recognising impact as a process, not an outcome.

Co-produced research involves external partners from start to finish, builds lasting relationships and is actively involved in generating impact. Yet co-production sits uncomfortably with how impact is currently understood. Rachel Pain and Ruth Raynor explore how the process of co-production has the potential to make research and its outcomes richer as collaborators pool diverse ideas, expertise and skills. Impact becomes the driving (and uniting) force behind research, rather than a separate after-product

The next REF should place greater value on the ‘impact-in-process’ generated by co-produced research.

Impact has in the past two REF cycles established itself as an integral criteria of research assessment in the UK. However, the kinds of impacts that are valued and the ways in which the ‘reach’ and ‘significance’ of impact are interpreted by institutions can conversely de-value certain kinds of transformative research. Taking this into account, Sonja Marzi and Rachel Pain argue for the importance of impact-in-process and the role research itself can play in producing meaningful changes in people’s lives

Mapping Alternative Impact: Alternative approaches to impact from co-produced research

No abstract available

Mesenchymal Stem Cells in the Pathogenesis and Therapy of Autoimmune and Autoinflammatory Diseases

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) modulate immune responses and maintain self-tolerance. Their trophic activities and regenerative properties make them potential immunosuppressants for treating autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases. MSCs are drawn to sites of injury and inflammation where they can both reduce inflammation and contribute to tissue regeneration. An increased understanding of the role of MSCs in the development and progression of autoimmune disorders has revealed that MSCs are passive targets in the inflammatory process, becoming impaired by it and exhibiting loss of immunomodulatory activity. MSCs have been considered as potential novel cell therapies for severe autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases, which at present have only disease modifying rather than curative treatment options. MSCs are emerging as potential therapies for severe autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases. Clinical application of MSCs in rare cases of severe disease in which other existing treatment modalities have failed, have demonstrated potential use in treating multiple diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, myocardial infarction, liver cirrhosis, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, and COVID-19 pneumonia. This review explores the biological mechanisms behind the role of MSCs in autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases. It also covers their immunomodulatory capabilities, potential therapeutic applications, and the challenges and risks associated with MSC therapy.</jats:p

Blending human and artificial intelligence to support autistic children’s social communication skills

This paper examines the educational efficacy of a learning environment in which children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC) engage in social interactions with an artificially intelligent (AI) virtual agent and where a human practitioner acts in support of the interactions. A multi-site intervention study in schools across the UK was conducted with 29 children with ASC and learning difficulties, aged 4-14 years old. For reasons related to data completeness and amount of exposure to the AI environment, data for 15 children was included in the analysis. The analysis revealed a significant increase in the proportion of social responses made by ASC children to human practitioners. The number of initiations made to human practitioners and to the virtual agent by the ASC children also increased numerically over the course of the sessions. However, due to large individual differences within the ASC group, this did not reach significance. Although no evidence of transfer to the real-world post-test was shown, anecdotal evidence of classroom transfer was reported. The work presented in this paper offers an important contribution to the growing body of research in the context of AI technology design and use for autism intervention in real school contexts. Specifically, the work highlights key methodological challenges and opportunities in this area by leveraging interdisciplinary insights in a way that (i) bridges between educational interventions and intelligent technology design practices, (ii) considers the design of technology as well as the design of its use (context and procedures) on par with one another, and (iii) includes design contributions from different stakeholders, including children with and without ASC diagnosis, educational practitioners and researchers