The Technological Risk and Uncertainty in Governance and Economic Development

The concept of 'knowledge-based economy', described in the Lisbon agenda for 2010, is too often referred to the application of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) as the main driver of economic growth and competitiveness at global level. According to a broader definition of economic development, social, economic and other kind of changes have to be considered. The simple use of indicators regarding ICT and high-tech sectors, does not take into account the complex interrelations of innovation and technology with the economic structure (globalisation) and the behaviour of operators. Traditional growth models are not able anymore to cope with such radical changes. ICTs cannot be considered as traditional sectors as they are hidden across almost all the sectors of the economy. An analysis of economic stability should be carried out, in relation to the major changes generated by technology and innovation. (ECONOMIC ASPECT) Moreover, while ICTs have been the source for a greater growth and a change of economic relations (improved Governance), on the other hand they have created a greater number of risks, uncertainties and costs unknown in the past. For instance, the risk related to ICT-based infrastructures of industries and institutions (e.g. energy sector). The presence of information inside the web constitutes a risk for capturing reserved information. Existing studies are being carried out on this issue at European level, in particular on the determination of the actors, which should be charged to pay for those costs and on the amount of expenditure to front such risks. (RISK GOVERNANCE ASPECT) This work contributes for the foundation of methodologies of assessment of risks and uncertainties of the knowledge-economy and the consequent shift to e-Governance policies for public and private Institutions. It constitutes as well the theoretical background on which the experience of qualitative appraisal of economic indicators has been based (NESIS project).JRC.G.4-Maritime affair

Governance for Sustainable Systems: The Development of a Participatory Framework

Despite an increasing recognition of the need for an integrative approach to sustainable development, there remains a tendency for this to be anthropocentric. Attempts to govern sustainability are invariably focused on the pre-eminence of the human perspective and social systems in the pursuit of human goals. This often means either excluding or attempting to control the external environment rather than understanding and responding to it. This thesis explores more holistic approaches to governance that are based upon the need for an improved understanding about the interconnections between social, economic and ecological systems. It examines current literature on governance for sustainable development and systems thinking as applied to it, with specific reference to Socio-Technical Systems (STS), social learning about systems’ interrelations and the nature of public goods. On the basis of this analysis, a systemic conception of governance for sustainability is developed and translated into a provisional framework that can aid participatory social learning relating to sustainable development. Three initial Socio-Technical Systems (STS) case studies are drawn upon to populate the empty framework (the European Critical Electricity Infrastructure (ECEI), the Finnish security system and the transition of energy systems towards a post carbon society); these are then analysed thematically to derive common governance for sustainability criteria. The final modified framework is then applied to an in depth, and on-going, case study of food systems’ security and sustainability and a final discussion considers how this governance framework (GAME) might contribute to future holistic decision making for more sustainable Socio-Technical Systems. The multi-method GAME supports the generation of future scenarios and core sustainability criteria by multiple stakeholders; reflecting needs, capabilities and limits that can maintain systems’ equilibrium. It also implies a more normative governance for sustainability and a commitment to improved evidence-based decision-making that reflects systems’ complexity and contributes to bridging the gaps between science, policy and society. The GAME is currently being extended to incorporate the user-friendly geospatial representations of impacts

Reconfiguring Household Management in Times of Discontinuity as an Open System: The Case of Agro-food Chains

The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. The Publisher's final version can be found by following the DOI link.This article is based upon a heterodox approach to economics that rejects the oversimplification made by closed economic models and the mainstream concept of ‘externality.’ This approach re-imagines economics as a holistic evaluation of resources versus human needs, which requires judgement based on understanding of the complexity generated by the dynamic relations between different systems. One re-imagining of the economic model is as a holistic and systemic evaluation of agri-food systems’ sustainability that was performed through the multi-dimensional Governance Assessment Matrix Exercise (GAME). This is based on the five capitals model of sustainability, and the translation of qualitative evaluations into quantitative scores. This is based on the triangulation of big data from a variety of sources. To represent quantitative interactions, this article proposes a provisional translation of GAME’s qualitative evaluation into a quantitative form through the identification of measurement units that can reflect the different capital dimensions. For instance, a post-normal, ecological accounting method, Emergy is proposed to evaluate the natural capital. The revised GAME re-imagines economics not as the ‘dismal science,’ but as one that has potential leverage for positive, adaptive and sustainable ecosystemic analyses and global ‘household’ management. This article proposes an explicit recognition of economics nested within the social spheres of human and social capital which are in turn nested within the ecological capital upon which all life rests and is truly the bottom line. In this article, the authors make reference to an on-line retailer of local food and drink to illustrate the methods for evaluation of the five capitals model

Water Potential Gradients between Old and Developing Leaves in Lithops (Aizoaceae).

Lithops plants consist of a pair of opposite succulent leaves inserted on a short stem. The apical meristem produces a new pair of leaves within the old one every growing season, recycling water from the old leaves. Since there are no data on water relations between the two pairs of leaves, we measured leaf water potential at different stages of development with a pressure chamber. Osmotic potential of cell sap was measured with a cryoscopic osmometer and turgor pressure was calculated indirectly. Leaf water potentials were never very low even though plants were not irrigated. In old leaves water potential ranged between -0.5 and -0.28 MPa. In young leaves water potential increased with size from -1.05 to -0.5 MPa and was always lower than in the corresponding old leaves. The water potential gradient between old and new leaves was steeper in the early stages of development (0.6 MPa) and gradually decreased (0.15 MPa) when young leaves had almost completed their expansion. Our data show that in Lithops water movement from old to young leaves occurs according to a water potential gradient. The maintenance of this gradient may be ascribed to differences in turgor pressure, due to the more elastic and plastic walls of cells of young leaves. The possibility to perform a complete life cycle without external water supply is an extreme adaptation to the arid environment where Lithops grows

Anti-tumor activity of the methanolic extracts of Salvia menthifolia

In the present research we investigated the anti-proliferative activity of Salvia menthifolia Ten. (formerly Salvia menthaefolia), Lamiaceae, on a glioblastoma cell line, since up to date poor therapeutic results have been reported for treatment of malignant glioblastoma. Methanol extracts from different anatomical parts of S. menthifolia were tested on DBTRG-05MG cell line by MTT assay. The most active primary stems extract was also evaluated for apoptosis induction. Results confirmed the anti-tumor property of all the organs and demonstrated that the primary stems extract induced apoptosis after 4 h with the highest values of DNA fragmentation after 6 to 24 h. Some extracts were also HPLC analyzed for polyphenols, althought activities could be due also to other constituents and to synergistic interactions. Rosmarinic acid, caffeic acid, luteolin-7-O-glucosyde and quercitrin were found in all the extracts. The good performance revealed for S. menthifolia towards this extremely aggressive human glioblastoma cell line confirms that the genus Salvia is a natural source of anti-tumor agents though there are great differences among the various species

Is in vitro micrografting a possible valid alternative to traditional micropropagation in Cactaceae? Pelecyphora aselliformis as a case study

Several taxa of Cactaceae are endangered by overcollection for commercial purposes, and most of the family is included in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES). Micropropagation may play a key role to keep the pressure off wild populations and contribute to ex situ conservation of endangered taxa. One of the limits of micropropagation is the species-specific requirement of plant regulators for each taxon and sometimes even for different genotypes. With the micrografting technique the rootstock directly provides the scion with the necessary hormonal requirements. In this paper we present data on in vitro grafting of Pelecyphora aselliformis Ehrenberg, an Appendix I CITES listed species critically endangered and sought after by the horticultural trade, on micropropagated Opuntia ficus-indica Miller. Apical and sub-apical scions of P. aselliformis were used to perform micrografting with a successful rate of 97 and 81 % respectively. Survival rate after ex vivo transfer was 85 %. We hypothesize that this method could be applied to other endangered, slow growing taxa of Cactaceae thus contributing to the conservation of this endangered family.Several taxa of Cactaceae are endangered by overcollection for commercial purposes, and most of the family is included in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES). Micropropagation may play a key role to keep the pressure off wild populations and contribute to ex situ conservation of endangered taxa. One of the limits of micropropagation is the species-specific requirement of plant regulators for each taxon and sometimes even for different genotypes. With the micrografting technique the rootstock directly provides the scion with the necessary hormonal requirements. In this paper we present data on in vitro grafting of Pelecyphora aselliformis Ehrenberg, an Appendix I CITES listed species critically endangered and sought after by the horticultural trade, on micropropagated Opuntia ficus-indica Miller. Apical and sub-apical scions of P. aselliformis were used to perform micrografting with a successful rate of 97 and 81 % respectively. Survival rate after ex vivo transfer was 85 %. We hypothesize that this method could be applied to other endangered, slow growing taxa of Cactaceae thus contributing to the conservation of this endangered family