Intergenerational Education for Social Inclusion and Solidarity: The Case Study of the EU Funded Project "Connecting Generations"

This paper reflects on lessons learned from a validated model of international collaboration based on research and practice. During the European Year for Active Ageing, a partnership of seven organizations from the European Union plus Turkey implemented the Lifelong Learning Programme partnership “Connecting Generations‘ which involved universities, non-governmental organizations, third age Universities and municipalities in collaboration with local communities. Reckoning that Europe has dramatically changed in its demographic composition and is facing brand new challenges regarding intergenerational and intercultural solidarity, each partner formulated and tested innovative and creative practices that could enhance better collaboration and mutual understanding between youth and senior citizens, toward a more inclusive Europe for all. Several innovative local practices have experimented, attentively systematized and peer-valuated among the partners. On the basis of a shared theoretical framework coherent with EU and Europe and Training 2020 Strategy, an action-research approach was adopted throughout the project in order to understand common features that have been replicated and scaled up since today

Chapter A Student Voice Approach in Work-Related Learning. From Lesson-Learned in Secondary School to Suggestions for Higher Education

This paper presents a research on work-related learning through School-work Alternance in Secondary Education that involved researchers of University of Florence, ten secondary Schools, public and private entities in the Province of Arezzo and La Spezia. From the analysis of three case studies, it elicits criteria for an educational model that integrates work-related learning with student voice perspectiv

Gestione dei processi partecipativi e dei processi decisionali inclusivi per l’SDG16 e l'educazione alla pace

 Strengthening participatory institutions through representative decision-making processes at all levels is one of the prerequisites for achieving peaceful societies, as implied by Agenda 2030 SDG16. The definition of participatory settings and community activation constitute education for peace and respect for the other. The paper aims to present the theoretical approaches and practical applications that the University of Florence spin-off, MoCa Future Designers, has used in four years of managing participatory processes involving different stakeholders.  Il rafforzamento delle istituzioni partecipative attraverso processi decisionali rappresentativi a tutti i livelli è uno dei prerequisiti per il raggiungimento di società pacifiche, come previsto dall'Obiettivo di Sviluppo Sostenibile (SDG) 16 dell’Agenda 2030. La definizione di contesti partecipativi e l'attivazione delle comunità costituiscono un'educazione alla pace e al rispetto dell'altro. Il documento intende presentare gli approcci teorici e le applicazioni pratiche che lo spin-off dell'Università di Firenze, MoCa Future Designers, ha utilizzato in quattro anni di gestione di processi partecipativi coinvolgendo diversi stakeholder territoriali.

Group V Secreted Phospholipase A2 Induces the Release of Proangiogenic and Antiangiogenic Factors by Human Neutrophils

Secreted phospholipases A2 (sPLA2s) are extracellular enzymes that catalyze the release of free fatty acids and lysophospholipids from membrane phospholipids and also bind to different receptors (e.g., PLA2R1 or integrins). To date, 12 mammalian sPLA2s have been identified, which play a critical role in pathophysiological processes including inflammation and cancer. sPLA2s activate immune cells such as human neutrophils (PMNs) by enzymatic activity- or receptor-mediated mechanisms. In addition, human PMNs synthesize and store human group V (hGV) and human group X (hGX) sPLA2s in their granules, but only the former is released upon cellular activation. We investigated the effects of sPLA2s on the release of proangiogenic and antiangiogenic factors by PMNs. We found that exogenous hGV and hGX sPLA2s induce the release of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A, angiopoietin 1 (Ang1), and CXCL8/IL-8. Only hGV induces the secretion of the antiangiogenic isoform of VEGF-A, namely, VEGF-A165b. While the release of VEGF-A, Ang1, and CXCL8/IL-8 was likely mediated by hGV enzymatic activity and/or binding to PLA2R1 and heparan sulfate proteoglycans, the release of VEGF-A165b requires the interaction with αVβ3 and α4β1 integrins. We also provide evidence that endogenous hGV released by N-formyl-met-leu-phe (fMLF)-activated PMNs is involved in the release of angiogenic factors. The translational relevance of these data is supported by our findings that hGV expression is increased in human samples of lung cancer which are infiltrated by PMNs. Overall, our results suggest that the hGV-neutrophil axis may play a relevant role in the modulation of cancer-related inflammation and angiogenesis

REMix: The university as an advocate for responsible education about migration in Europe: Inclusive societies: A textbook for interdisciplinary migration studies

With the support of the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Unio