Evaluation of social innovation in marginalised rural areas: potential, challenges and a methodological proposal based on Italian case studies.

Social innovation is an emerging topic, identified in the EU Strategy 2020 as one of the crucial, intangible factors required to promote smart, inclusive and sustainable growth. It provides society with a renovated role by considering it \u2013 in a time of major public budgetary constraints - an effective way of responding to social challenges through the mobilisation of people\u2019s creativity, the promotion of an innovative and learning society and the creation of the social dynamics behind technological innovations (BEPA, 2011: 7). Although it initially focused on addressing social disadvantage and exclusion in a wide range of contexts, urban more often than rural, an unambiguous definition of social innovation has not been agreed on yet (Moulaert et al. 2005; MacCallum et al. 2009). Likewise, so far only a few scholars have proposed how to interpret the concept in the rural arena (e.g. Neumeier, 2012; Bosworth et al. 2016; Bock et al. 2016). A recent proposed definition of social innovation in relation to rural areas with specific limitations in terms of geographical location and/or socio-economic conditions, comes from a 4-year research project named SIMRA (Social Innovation in Marginalised Rural Areas) and funded under the EU Horizon2020 Programme. Such proposed definition by Polman et al. (2017) states that social innovation is \u201cthe reconfiguring of social practices, in response to societal challenges, which seeks to enhance outcomes on societal well-being and necessarily includes the engagement of civil society actors\u201d. To date, a catalogue of more than 50 examples of social innovation that have been identified according to this definition, in the sectors of agriculture, forestry and rural development in marginalised rural areas in EU and extra-EU Mediterranean countries (Bryce et al. 2017), has been compiled and published online. The catalogue is neither fix nor comprehensive, rather it provides an initial overview on how large the variety of social innovation cases already implemented can be. On the one hand, social innovation is probably more widespread than reported by scientific literature and perceived by practitioners today. This may be because the concept refers de facto to a wide range of initiatives dealing with different societal challenges: from the new social uses of agricultural and forestry activities (e.g., social horticulture or social farming, nursery services in forests, forest therapy), to the creation of new networks based on public-private partnerships for the production, transformation and commercialisation of new agricultural products and services, to the involvement of migrants and refugees in the management of peri-urban green areas, to several others. On the other hand, our knowledge and understanding of social innovation and related socio-economic dynamics remains very limited. It has been already stated that a commonly accepted definition and theoretical conceptualisation are under construction. Besides, specific policy instruments are still lacking, and a method to comprehensively evaluate social innovation in terms of its effectiveness, efficiency, relevance and impacts on society, economy, environment and institutions is also not available yet. According to the SIMRA project proposal, key elements of social innovation to be evaluated are: the \u201ctrigger\u201d; the \u201cperceived context\u201d; the \u201cagency/actors\u201d acting for change; the \u201creconfiguring\u201d process of social practices (included networks, governance arrangements and attitudes); the \u201creconfigured\u201d new situation that brings about a social innovation project; the \u201cactivities\u201d, \u201coutputs\u201d and \u201coutcomes/impacts\u201d of the social innovation project; the feedback loops interpreted as \u201clearning processes\u201d. Information on these complex and multifaceted aspects can be collected at the local level by means of semi-structured and structured interviews and participatory-based events (focus groups). Both quantitative and qualitative approaches and instruments are hence combined, and this is applicable for data collection as well as for the analysis of results and reporting of findings. Accordingly, the data can then be analysed and interpreted through indicators and other advanced instruments like the Social Network Analysis. Our proposed SIMRA evaluation method is currently being tested in 10 different case studies in various EU and extra-EU Mediterranean countries. Preliminary results in terms of calculated indicators for social innovation elements are expected by January 2019. Given the current stage of the study within SIMRA, this contribution intends to stimulate the scientific discourse and the debate between the world of science and that of the stakeholders. It does this by providing ideas and opportunity for discussion, alongside possible practical solutions for an evaluation approach and a specific evaluation framework for the capturing of the multifaceted aspects of social innovation. The latter two will be explained by directly applying them to a few/three selected Italian examples that most probably will be chosen among \u201cCooperativa Cadore\u201d, with its SIMBIorti project (Belluno); the national network \u201cMontagnaterapia\u201d, with its activities with disabled people; \u201cCooperativa di Comunit\ue0 Briganti del Cerreto\u201d (Reggio Emilia), with its multiple services to slow and rural tourism; \u201cRural Hub\u201d (Frosinone), with its activity of migrants\u2019 inclusion. Despite the various methodological challenges and the high diversification and complexity of the topics to be evaluated (social innovation\u2019s process, project and impacts), we believe that our scheme paves the way for building an innovative set of methods that considers \u201csocial factors\u201d important role in EU\u2019s future \u2018Rural Development Programs\u2019 and \u2018Agricultural research and Innovation Agenda\u2019

SIparte: soft coaching and a rural hackathon to support socio-entrepreneurial innovative businesses in rural areas

This paper presents the results of the Siparte Innovation Action implemented in Valbelluna to tackle the challenges of local youth unemployment and growing outmigration rates. The innovation action has created new local networks, supported sustainable business ideas related to social innovation among local young people, and financially supported the initial start-up phase of one selected initiative

Social innovation and its impacts in disadvantaged rural areas: a new evaluation framework

An agreed and well-consolidated evaluation framework for the assessment of social innovation (SI) and its impacts has not been developed yet, despite tentative made by scholars (e.g., Nicholls et al. 2015). The EU funded H2020 project SIMRA \u2013 Social Innovation in Marginalised Rural Areas (www.simra-h2020.eu) \u2013 aims to conceptualize an evaluation framework for SI initiatives in disadvantaged rural areas of Europe and non-EU Mediterranean countries. Within SIMRA, SI is defined as \u201cthe reconfiguring of social practices, in response to societal challenges, which seeks to enhance outcomes on societal well-being and necessarily includes the engagement of civil society actors\u201d (Polman et al., 2017). The evaluation framework has been co-constructed with project partners and a panel of international stakeholders in the fields of agriculture, forestry and rural development (Nijnik et al. 2019). It is structured into dimensions and sub-dimensions. It follows the phases of a SI initiative, from the trigger that generates the idea, to the reconfiguring process, and to its impacts. Eight tools for data collection have been developed, tested in pilot cases, and applied in 11 case studies. Empirical results allowed to set 166 indicators: 73 indicators describe the SI dimensions; 63 indicators analyse the process, the project and the whole SI initiative by following relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, impact and sustainability evaluation criteria (OECD, 1991 and 2010); 30 indicators focus on the key aspects of the SI SIMRA definition. Social Network Analysis helps in visualizing the increasing collaborative network of actors involved in the SI process, from core group composed by innovators and followers, to the reconfigured network with new project partners. The approach integrates qualitative-pure methods (e.g., focus group) with quantitative ones. The proposed evaluation framework would like to contribute to current debates, both within the scientific and practitioners\u2019 communities, on evidence-based policy and self-evaluation by rural development agencies

Assessment of immunostimulatory responses to the antimiR-22 oligonucleotide compound RES-010 in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells

microRNA-22 (miR-22) is a key regulator of lipid and energy homeostasis and represents a promising therapeutic target for NAFLD and obesity. We have previously identified a locked nucleic acid (LNA)-modified antisense oligonucleotide compound complementary to miR-22, designated as RES-010 that mediated robust inhibition of miR-22 function in cultured cells and in vivo. In this study we investigated the immune potential of RES-010 in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). We treated fresh human peripheral blood mononuclear cells isolated from six healthy volunteers with different concentrations of the RES-010 compound and assessed its proinflammatory effects by quantifying IL-1β, IL-6, IFN-γ, TNF-α, IFN-α2a, IFN-β, IL-10, and IL-17A in the supernatants collected 24 h of treatment with RES-010. The T-cell activation markers, CD69, HLA-DR, and CD25 were evaluated by flow cytometry after 24 and 144 h of treatment, respectively, whereas cell viability was assessed after 24 h of treatment with RES-010. Our results show that RES-010 compound does not induce any significant immunostimulatory responses in human PBMCs in vitro compared to controls, implying that the proinflammatory potential of RES-010 is low.</p

Factors influencing return to work of cancer survivors: a population-based study in Italy

Little is known about return to work (RTW) of cancer survivors (CSs) in Central and Southern Europe. This study investigates the RTW rate of Italian CSs, describes their sick leave (SL) pattern, and explores factors affecting their RTW process. Methods A population-based cross-sectional survey involving CSs registered at the Cancer Registry of Reggio Emilia Province (Italy) was launched in July 2016. Eligibility was restricted to individuals with first diagnosis of cancer in 2012 (stages I–III), aged 20–59, and employed at the time of diagnosis. Results Of the 266 individuals interviewed, 140 (52.6%) were reintegrated without difficulty, 113 (42.5%) returned to work with some difficulty, and 13 did not RTW (4.9%). The majority of CSs (56%) took SL for some periods during treatment. Age &gt; 50 years and higher income seemed to facilitate RTW (RR = 0.65, 95% CI 0.49–0.88 and RR = 0.72, 95% CI 0.54–0.97, respectively), while being divorced acted as a barrier compared to being married (RR = 1.45, 95% CI 1.04–2.01). Individuals uncertain about the type of company they were working for reported greater difficulty in RTW (RR = 1.68, 95% CI 1.03–2.72). Individuals who had undergone chemotherapy and those perceiving physical limitations had a higher risk of difficulty in the RTW process (RR = 1.79, 95% CI 1.42–2.24 and RR = 1.59, 95% CI 1.25–2.02, respectively). Conclusions Most CSs did RTW, with 2/3 combining work and treatment. However, almost half reported difficulty in RTW process. Factors affecting this process should be addressed throughout context-specific social and healthcare pathways aimed at preventing difficulties and potential job loss in this population

Comparative Study of SPA Mud from "Bacino Idrominerario Omogeneo dei Colli Euganei (B.I.O.C.E.)-Italy" and Industrially Optimized Mud for Skin Applications

The term "Salus per aquam (SPA) therapies" refers to therapeutic pathways that includes mud therapy. The therapeutic efficacy of a peloid depends on its chemical and mineralogical composition, as well as its technological properties. Considering the increasing use of clay-based products, it becomes essential to characterize peloids from a qualitative and quantitative point of view. Therefore, this research project aimed to develop a protocol that allows characterization of the chemical-physical composition of sludges collected from different areas of the Homogeneous Euganean Hills Hydromineral Basin (B.I.O.C.E.). The study established a comparative study both between different matrices and between the same matrices at different maturation times, including also a comparison with an industrialized product, that can be used at home, which maintains the characteristics of a natural mud. This research was developed studying the pH, grain size distribution, and chemical and mineralogical composition. Peloids are characterized by a neutral/basic pH and are divided into two categories from a granulometric point of view: The chemical composition allowed observation of numerous correlations between oxides present in the samples and to quantify the presence of heavy metals. Mineralogical analysis made it possible to identify and compare the composition of each sample, also according to the maturation time. Thanks to the methods adopted, important correlations were achieved

SIparte: Orientamento, Formazione e un Hackathon Rurale e supporto di idee Imprenditoriali Innovative in Aree Montane

La Valbelluna, in Provincia di Belluno (Veneto), \ue8 un\u2019area prevalentemente montana caratterizzata da un importante patrimonio naturale e culturale, ospitante siti Unesco e parchi nazionali. L\u2019area, bench\ue9 abitata da una societ\ue0 civile altamente impegnata, negli ultimi decenni ha visto un calo delle opportunit\ue0 lavorative per i giovani accompagnato da scarse possibilit\ue0 di formazione specifica nei settori dell\u2019agricoltura, del turismo, degli aspetti culturali e dell\u2019inclusione sociale ed un progressivo spopolamento (GAL Prealpi e Dolomiti, Programma di Sviluppo Locale, 2016). Con la crisi del 2008, il divario nei livelli di disoccupazione tra giovani ed altre fasce d\u2019et\ue0 \ue8 andato ampliandosi. In questo contesto, si inserisce un percorso di innovazione sociale volto a incrementare le opportunit\ue0 di giovani imprenditori, sostenendo indirettamente la resilienza della popolazione locale e uno sviluppo territoriale sostenibile, attento alle dinamiche ambientali, culturali e socio-economiche. Attraverso il progetto EU Horizon 2020 \u201cSocial Innovation in Marginalised Rural Areas\u201d (SIMRA), il cui obiettivo si esplica nello studio di azioni di innovazione sociale in aree rurali marginalizzate dei paesi europei e del Mediterraneo, si \ue8 attuata un\u2019azione innovativa nella collaborazione tra l\u2019Universit\ue0 di Padova, lo spin-off Etifor ed il Gruppo di Azione Locale (GAL) Prealpi e Dolomiti. L\u2019azione \ue8 stata sviluppata in risposta ad esigenze percepite sul territorio, per contrastare lo spopolamento giovanile ed il crescente impoverimento del tessuto culturale, economico e sociale. Si \ue8 puntato a stimolare la creazione di nuovi network e a supportare lo sviluppo di idee imprenditoriali giovanili legate all\u2019innovazione sociale, attraverso un percorso formativo ad-hoc, basato su tecniche di approccio partecipativo. In una prima serie di incontri hanno partecipato 30 giovani del territorio con varie idee che spaziavano dal settore culturale-ricreativo, a quello agricolo e forestale fino allo sviluppo rurale. Con un hackathon rurale di 36 ore che ha visto 6 gruppi (per un totale di 24 giovani imprenditori) cimentarsi nell\u2019affinare e presentare la loro idea imprenditoriale con l\u2019aiuto di professionisti ricercatori provenienti da vari ambienti, si \ue8 chiusa la prima fase. L\u2019idea vincente \ue8 stata premiata supportandone la fase di start-up. Il team vincente ha infatti iniziato ad approfondire la propria idea in una serie di incontri faccia a faccia. Attualmente si stanno raccogliendo i risultati iniziali, e la conferenza sar\ue0 l\u2019occasione per una prima presentazione pubblica

Dual-responsive magnetic nanodroplets for controlled oxygen release via ultrasound and magnetic stimulation

Magnetic oxygen-loaded nanodroplets (MOLNDs) are a promising class of nanomaterials dually sensitive to ultrasound and magnetic fields, which can be employed as nanovectors for drug delivery applications, particularly in the field of hypoxic tissue treatment. Previous investigations were primarily focused on the application of these hybrid systems for hyperthermia treatment, exploiting magnetic nanoparticles for heat generation and nanodroplets as carriers and ultrasound contrast agents for treatment progress monitoring. This work places its emphasis on the prospect of obtaining an oxygen delivery system that can be activated by both ultrasound and magnetic fields. To achieve this goal, Fe3O4 nanoparticles were employed to decorate and induce the magnetic vaporization of OLNDs, allowing oxygen release. We present an optimized method for preparing MOLNDs by decorating nanodroplets made of diverse fluorocarbon cores and polymeric coatings. Furthermore, we performed a series of characterizations for better understanding how magnetic decoration can influence the physicochemical properties of OLNDs. Our comprehensive analysis demonstrates the efficacy of magnetic stimulation in promoting oxygen release compared to conventional ultrasound-based methods. We emphasize the critical role of selecting the appropriate fluorocarbon core and polymeric coating to optimize the decoration process and enhance the oxygen release performance of MOLNDs

Long-term organoid culture of a small intestinal neuroendocrine tumor

Gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs) are rare and highly heterogeneous neoplasms whose incidence has markedly increased over the last decades. A grading system based on the tumor cells’ proliferation index predicts high-risk for G3 NETs. However, low-to-intermediate grade (G1/G2) NETs have an unpredictable clinical course that varies from indolent to highly malignant. Cultures of human cancer cells enable to perform functional perturbation analyses that are instrumental to enhance our understanding of cancer biology. To date, no tractable and reliable long-term culture of G1/G2 NET has been reported to permit disease modeling and pharmacological screens. Here, we report of the first long-term culture of a G2 metastatic small intestinal NET that preserves the main genetic drivers of the tumor and retains expression patterns of the endocrine cell lineage. Replicating the tissue, this long-term culture showed a low proliferation index, and yet it could be propagated continuously without dramatic changes in the karyotype. The model was readily available for pharmacological screens using targeted agents and as expected, showed low tumorigenic capacity in vivo. Overall, this is the first long-term culture of NETs to faithfully recapitulate many aspects of the original neuroendocrine tumor

The impact of chest CT body composition parameters on clinical outcomes in COVID-19 patients

We assessed the impact of chest CT body composition parameters on outcomes and disease severity at hospital presentation of COVID-19 patients, focusing also on the possible mediation of body composition in the relationship between age and death in these patients. Chest CT scans performed at hospital presentation by consecutive COVID-19 patients (02/27/2020-03/13/2020) were retrospectively reviewed to obtain pectoralis muscle density and total, visceral, and intermuscular adipose tissue areas (TAT, VAT, IMAT) at the level of T7-T8 vertebrae. Primary outcomes were: hospitalization, mechanical ventilation (MV) and/or death, death alone. Secondary outcomes were: C-reactive protein (CRP), oxygen saturation (SO2), CT disease extension at hospital presentation. The mediation of body composition in the effect of age on death was explored. Of the 318 patients included in the study (median age 65.7 years, females 37.7%), 205 (64.5%) were hospitalized, 68 (21.4%) needed MV, and 58 (18.2%) died. Increased muscle density was a protective factor while increased TAT, VAT, and IMAT were risk factors for hospitalization and MV/death. All these parameters except TAT had borderline effects on death alone. All parameters were associated with SO2 and extension of lung parenchymal involvement at CT; VAT was associated with CRP. Approximately 3% of the effect of age on death was mediated by decreased muscle density. In conclusion, low muscle quality and ectopic fat accumulation were associated with COVID-19 outcomes, VAT was associated with baseline inflammation. Low muscle quality partly mediated the effect of age on mortality.We assessed the impact of chest CT body composition parameters on outcomes and disease severity at hospital presentation of COVID-19 patients, focusing also on the possible mediation of body composition in the relationship between age and death in these patients. Chest CT scans performed at hospital presentation by consecutive COVID-19 patients (02/ 27/2020-03/13/2020) were retrospectively reviewed to obtain pectoralis muscle density and total, visceral, and intermuscular adipose tissue areas (TAT, VAT, IMAT) at the level of T7-T8 vertebrae. Primary outcomes were: hospitalization, mechanical ventilation (MV) and/or death, death alone. Secondary outcomes were: C-reactive protein (CRP), oxygen saturation (SO2), CT disease extension at hospital presentation. The mediation of body composition in the effect of age on death was explored. Of the 318 patients included in the study (median age 65.7 years, females 37.7%), 205 (64.5%) were hospitalized, 68 (21.4%) needed MV, and 58 (18.2%) died. Increased muscle density was a protective factor while increased TAT, VAT, and IMAT were risk factors for hospitalization and MV/death. All these parameters except TAT had borderline effects on death alone. All parameters were associated with SO2 and extension of lung parenchymal involvement at CT; VAT was associated with CRP. Approximately 3% of the effect of age on death was mediated by decreased muscle density. In conclusion, low muscle quality and ectopic fat accumulation were associated with COVID-19 outcomes, VAT was associated with baseline inflammation. Low muscle quality partly mediated the effect of age on mortality