Quadruple Helix Stakeholders and Social Innovation in the Energy Transition

Social innovation (SI) aims at improving people’s life when technological or business innovations are not sufficient. However, the classic Triple Helix (TH) theory does not explicitly deal with SI, and relegates civil society to a passive role. This paper aims to analyze if SI requires an evolution of the TH framework. The methodology is a multi-case study based on SI projects and initiatives in the energy sector. The main findings are that citizens are involved in SI though to various extents: there are SI projects carried out “for” citizens, “with” citizens, and to a much lesser extent; “by” citizens. SI in the energy sector rely also on the commitment of the local government and the presence of social enterprises. Therefore, we suggest that a Quadruple Helix (QH) approach may be necessary for energy-related SI

Activation of the calcium-sensing receptor before renal ischemia/reperfusion exacerbates kidney injury

peer reviewedActivation of the calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) by ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) favours apoptosis in cardiomyocytes, hepatocytes and neurons. Its role in renal I/R is unknown. We investigated the impact of pharmacological preactivation of the CaSR on kidney structure and function in a murine model of bilateral renal 30-min ischemia and 48-hour reperfusion, and in a 6-year cohort of kidney transplant recipients (KTR). C57BL/6J mice were administered daily with CaSR agonist, R-568, or with vehicle for 48 hours. Evaluation of serum urea and creatinine levels, renal histology and urine metabolome by nuclear magnetic resonance showed that R-568 was not nephrotoxic per se. Following I/R, serum urea and creatinine levels increased higher in R-568-treated animals than in controls. Jablonski’s score was significantly greater in R-568-treated kidneys, which showed a higher rate of cell proliferation and apoptosis in comparison to controls. Next, we retrospectively identified 36 patients (10.7% of our cohort) who were treated by CaSR agonist, cinacalcet, at the time of kidney transplantation (KTx). After matching these to 61 KTR upon type of donor, cold ischemic time, residual diuresis, and donor age, we observed that delayed graft function, i.e. need for dialysis in the first week after KTx, occurred in 42 and 23% of cinacalcet-treated and control groups, respectively (p≤0.05). These data suggest that pharmacological preactivation of the CaSR before renal I/R exacerbates kidney injury