A reflection on monitoring and evaluation of peer-to-peer learning in on-farm and virtual demonstration events

On-farm demonstration events are used as a peer-to-peer learning approach (Cooreman et al., 2018) to reach agricultural objectives such as technology adoption, farm practice change, capacity enhancement and shifting to sustainable farming systems (Ingram et al., 2018). In H2020 project NEFERTITI, a network of demonstration hubs is set up to facilitate knowledge exchange between agricultural actors, boost innovation uptake and improve peer-to-peer learning with the goal to contribute to a more competitive, sustainable and climate-smart agriculture in Europe. Thematic demonstration networks are set up around 10 innovation areas, each consisting of 4 or 5 regional demonstration hubs, totalling 45 hubs in 17 European countries

Communities of practice for knowledge co-creation on sustainable dairy farming : features for value creation for farmers

Communities of Practice (CoPs) are a promising concept for transdisciplinary knowledge co-creation in sustainable agricultural development, but empirical evidence from the farmers' viewpoint is scarce. This paper contributes to empirical insights on the knowledge creation in CoPs as valued by farmers. Using concepts from CoP theory (domain, community, and practice) and the value creation framework (VCF) developed by Wenger et al. (Promoting and assessing value creation in communities and networks: a conceptual framework. Netherlands Ruud de Moor Center Rapport 18:60, 2011), we examined two cases issuing from a European project on sustainable dairy farming. Results indicate regional differences between the two cases and relate CoP features to value creation cycles (immediate, potential, applied, realized and reframing value). They show how specific features regarding domain, community, and practice development can enhance knowledge creation on sustainable agricultural development. Domain development should be considered consciously taking into account the project duration. The community should include actors with specific competencies, such as farmers with an open attitude, researchers with (practical) domain expertise, and advisors with skills as translators between researchers and farmers. The practice development, or the actual knowledge creation, should unify two equally important types of interaction that contribute differently to value creation in CoPs: individual farmer-researcher-advisor interactions and farmer group-advisor interactions. Our research provides both valuable information for designing and managing knowledge co-creation initiatives and anchors further research on competencies and activities required to foster the two types of interactions for knowledge creation

Effects of curcumin on ion channels and pumps: A review

Curcumin, an orange‐yellow lipophilic polyphenolic molecule, is the active component of Curcuma longa, which is extensively used as a spice in most of the Asian countries. This natural compound is able to interact with a large number of molecular structures like proteins, enzymes, lipids, DNA, RNA, transporter molecules, and ion channels. It has been reported to possess several biological effects such as antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory, wound healing, antimicrobial, anticancer, antiangiogenic, antimutagenic, and antiplatelet aggregation properties. These beneficial effects of curcumin are because of its extraordinary chemical interactions such as extensive hydrogen and covalent bonding, metal chelation, and so on. Therefore, the aim of this review was to outline the evidence in which curcumin could affect different types of ion channels and ion channel‐related diseases, and also to elucidate basic molecular mechanisms behind it