Knowledge centers as an innovative knowledge transfer mechanism : lesson learned from the program implemented in Lesser Poland

The aim of the paper is to present the lessons learnt from the "SPIN" regional public project. The project was implemented in the region of Lesser Poland. The objective of the project was to increase the intensity of knowledge transfer from universities to enterprises. The goal was achieved by establishing four Centres for Knowledge Transfer at major universities. Each of them was dedicated to a specific domain of knowledge - regional smart specialization - biotechnology, translational medicine, smart grids and energy-saving buildings. The paper discusses the implementation and effects of the project. The most important conclusions stemming from the project concern the fact that the context of the implementation needs to be taken into account during the project as well as the importance of leadership. More attention should also be devoted to the motivation and skills of those involved in the implementation

Identification of differentiating metabolic pathways between infant gut microbiome populations reveals depletion of function-level adaptation to human milk in the finnish population

ABSTRACT A variety of autoimmune and allergy events are becoming increasingly common, especially in Western countries. Some pieces of research link such conditions with the composition of microbiota during infancy. In this period, the predominant form of nutrition for gut microbiota is oligosaccharides from human milk (HMO). A number of gut-colonizing strains, such as Bifidobacterium and Bacteroides, are able to utilize HMO, but only some Bifidobacterium strains have evolved to digest the specific composition of human oligosaccharides. Differences in the proportions of the two genera that are able to utilize HMO have already been associated with the frequency of allergies and autoimmune diseases in the Finnish and the Russian populations. Our results show that differences in terms of the taxonomic annotation do not explain the reason for the differences in the Bifidobacterium/Bacteroides ratio between the Finnish and the Russian populations. In this paper, we present the results of function-level analysis. Unlike the typical workflow for gene abundance analysis, BiomeScout technology explains the differences in the Bifidobacterium/Bacteroides ratio. Our research shows the differences in the abundances of the two enzymes that are crucial for the utilization of short type 1 oligosaccharides. IMPORTANCE Knowing the limitations of taxonomy-based research, there is an emerging need for the development of higher-resolution techniques. The significance of this research is demonstrated by the novel method used for the analysis of function-level metagenomes. BiomeScout—the presented technology—utilizes proprietary algorithms for the detection of differences between functionalities present in metagenomic samples

Methodological guide for implementation and evaluation of open e-textbook programs

In order to draw evidence-based conclusions about publicly funded programmes and interventions, there is an interest in impact assessment. This Methodological Guide is meant to provide assistance on conducting evaluations of public initiatives focused on the provision of open digital textbooks. Such textbooks are in a digital format and made available publicly online. When funded through public funds, it becomes important to understand the possible costs and savings. Therefore, the Guide focuses on exploring the costs and savings associated with such initiatives, and on the other hand, estimating their impact on learning outcomes (e.g. exemplified as academic achievements). The Guide aims to be generic drawing on experiences gained from an independent evaluation of a Polish public program that produced open digital textbooks. Therefore, the methodology presented in this Guide can also be used to analyse programs focused on other types of digital content in education. The long-term aim of the Guide is to promote the proper evaluation of such initiatives in the future.JRC.B.4-Human Capital and Employmen

Informal Institutions from the Point of View of Cognitive Psychology and the Decision-making Science

Autor podejmuje rozważania teoretyczne nad wpływem instytucji − szczególnie instytucji nieformalnych − na zachowanie człowieka. Korzystając głównie z dorobku takich myślicieli, jak Douglass North i Daniel Kahneman, wskazuje na analogie występujące między rozumieniem instytucji nieformalnych a psychologicznym ujęciem decyzyjności człowieka. W myśl tego ujęcia, człowiek w ograniczonym zakresie kieruje się tym, co rozumiemy jako racjonalny sposób podejmowania decyzji, kiedy to dochodzi do świadomego zrozumienia celów, kryteriów decyzyjnych oraz oceny możliwych opcji działania przez ich pryzmat. W większości przypadków człowiek działa, kierując się intuicją, która jest źródłem gotowych rozwiązań (czy nawyków), uruchamianych poprzez pamięć o podobnych problemach decyzyjnych rozwiązanych w przeszłości. Tym samym − jak argumentuje autor − w dyskusji nad instytucjonalnym kontekstem polityk publicznych nastawionych na stymulowanie rozwoju, nacisk powinien zostać położony nie na sformalizowane nakazy tworzące środowisko instytucji formalnych. Większy potencjał wywierania wpływu mają wysublimowane polityki, które identyfikują nieformalne instytucje właściwe dla odpowiednich zachowań i próbują wywierać wpływ właśnie na nie.Informal Institutions from the Point of View of Cognitive Psychology and the Decision-making Science This article consists in theoretical considerations on the influence institutions − especially informal institutions − have on human behaviour. Indebted to the works of such thinkers as Douglass North and Daniel Khaneman, the author points to analogies between the understanding of the nature of informal institutions and the more psychological take on human decision-making. This latter philosophy claims that as humans we are very much limited in the quantity of real-life situations in which we can actually use a rational mode of decision-making (or what we consider to be a rational mode of decision-making). The mode implies clear understanding of goals, decision criteria, and the evaluation of possible options with them in sight. Much more often we act on so-called intuition, i.e. a set of ready-to-be-used solutions (or habits) triggered by memory of similar decision problems solved in the past. The author argues that, in a discussions of the institutional context of public policies aimed at the stimulation of development, the focus should not be on formal rules which create the body of formal institutions. A much bigger potential of change is to be discovered in sophisticated policies which identify informal institutions adequate for a given behaviour and try to influence exactly them

Social dimension of innovation

Celem artykułu jest zwrócenie uwagi na społeczny charakter innowacji i innowacyjności. Wskazano na cztery aspekty "wypłukiwania" społecznego sensu innowacji dostrzegalne w politykach i dyskursie publicznym: 1) koncentrację na innowacjach technologicznych, 2) zwracanie uwagi na transfer wiedzy skodyfikowanej, 3) akcentowanie roli podażowej strony innowacji oraz 4) brak wystarczającego uznania innowacyjnego potencjału nauk społecznych. W opozycji do tych uproszczeń przedstawiono argumenty podkreślające: 1) rolę konsekwencji innowacji technologicznych oraz ideę innowacji społecznej ("social innovation"), 2) znaczenie niesformalizowanych i warunkowanych kulturowo mechanizmów powstawania wiedzy i innowacji, 3) rolę strony popytowej w powstawaniu innowacji oraz 4) przykłady innowacji oparte na wiedzy z zakresu nauk społecznych. Zdaniem autorów, dostrzeżenie tych społecznych wymiarów innowacji jest warunkiem skuteczności polityk nastawionych na ich wspieranie.This article deals with the issue of what we call social aspects of innovation. We depart from asserting that dominating stance in designing public policy aimed at innovation promotion in Poland omits its social aspects. This - we state - is a threat to its effectiveness and efficiency. In the article we bring forward and explain four maladies of innovation public policy as we see them. Firstly we talk about the technological bias - most of the policies are aimed in promoting high-tech and are channeled through engineers omitting social aspects and social expertise. Secondly, we explain the focus innovation policies have on promoting highly formalized and institutionalized sources of knowledge not taking elements like tacit knowledge and social skills into consideration. Thirdly, we explain the preference the policies have on promoting top-down or push type innovation at the cost of forming the adequate demand which would then later drive the supply of innovation. Lastly we touch upon the utter dismissal of social sciences as being an important source of knowledge on innovation diffusion; but also the source of innovation itself