Designing a product service system in a social framework: methodological and ethical considerations

Macroscopic social and economic changes in the last few years are forcing business companies and public institutions to redefine their approach to social intervention, focusing on local and highly individualised solutions. This change is also calling for a new design approach. The challenge for designers is not only to be able to provide local and highly individualised solutions, but also to propose strategies to transfer and reproduce the solutions, or part of them, into different local contexts, thus creating economy of scope. This would be possible by using forms of codification and modularisation of the most relevant components in local solutions. The code refers to the organisational knowledge included in local components and the way each component interacts with the others. Like software systems, local product-service systems can be built upon a source code. This paper will illustrate how this process was developed in a concrete case. Through this case the authors analyse the possibility to build something similar to a source code for initiatives based on social interaction and investigate the process of construction of such a code Furthermore, the author discuss differences and analogies between design intervention in a social context and in the normal business context. The question of codification suggests a methodological approach for supporting transferability both in the problem space (dealing with complexity) and in the solution space (dealing with contingency). The analysis of differences and similarities between business- and socially-oriented processes suggests a new role for designers and new opportunities for innovation. Keywords: Product Service Systems, Methodology, Design and Morality, Codification, Transferability</p

Notch signalling in zebrafish heart and fin regeneration

Tesis doctoral inédita leída en la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Facultad de Ciencias, Departamento de Biología Molecular. Fecha de lectura: 18-12-2015Esta tesis tiene embargado el acceso al texto completo hasta el 18-06-2017Juliane Münch holds a PhD fellowship linked to grant FP7-ITN 215761 (NotchIT

International Zusammenarbeiten – ein virtuelles Lernvideoprojekt zur Förderung interkultureller und digitaler Kompetenzen

Im Sommersemester 2020 startete an der Georg-August-Universität Göttingen das digital gestützte Projekt „Mehrsprachige Lernvideos in internationalen Teams gestalten“. Das innovative Lernszenario sollte – unabhängig von einem Auslandsaufenthalt – Internationalisierungsprozesse und den Partneraustausch mit brasilianischen Universitäten und dem Goethe-Institut in São Paulo stärken. Das Ziel des Praktikums war eine mehrdimensionale Förderung der angehenden DaZ/DaF-Lehrkräfte. Entlang der Zielbeschreibungen des Projektes wurden Aspekte der internationalen Zusammenarbeit sowie die notwendige Vorbereitung von Studierenden auf kulturelle Vielfalt im digitalen Bildungsalltag des 21. Jahrhunderts in den Blick genommen

Notch and Bmp signaling pathways act coordinately during the formation of the proepicardium.

The epicardium is the outer mesothelial layer of the heart. It encloses the myocardium and plays key roles in heart development and regeneration. It derives from the proepicardium (PE), cell clusters that appear in the dorsal pericardium (DP) close to the atrioventricular canal and the venous pole of the heart, and are released into the pericardial cavity. PE cells are advected around the beating heart until they attach to the myocardium. Bmp and Notch signaling influence PE formation, but it is unclear how both signaling pathways interact during this process in the zebrafish. Here, we show that the developing PE is influenced by Notch signaling derived from the endothelium. Overexpression of the intracellular receptor of notch in the endothelium enhances bmp expression, increases the number of pSmad1/5 positive cells in the DP and PE, and enhances PE formation. On the contrary, pharmacological inhibition of Notch1 impairs PE formation. bmp2b overexpression can rescue loss of PE formation in the presence of a Notch1 inhibitor, but Notch gain-of-function could not recover PE formation in the absence of Bmp signaling. Endothelial Notch signaling activates bmp expression in the heart tube, which in turn induces PE cluster formation from the DP layer.Nadia Mercader was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through grant BFU2014-56970-P (Plan Estatal de Investigación Científica y Técnica y de Innovación 2013-2016. Programa Estatal de I+D+i Orientada a los Retos de la Sociedad Retos Investigación: Proyectos I+D +i 2016, del Ministerio de Economía competitividad e Industria), and cofunding by Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER). Nadia Mercader is also supported by the European Industrial Doctorate Program EID 722427. Nadia Mercader and Julien Vermot are supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation grant ANR-SNF 310030L_182575. This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 708312 (MP) and from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme: GA Nº682938. Laura Andrés-Delgado was funded (2014-16) through the postdoctoral fellowship Ayudas Postdoctorales 2013. José Luis de la Pompa was supported by grants SAF2016-78370-R, CB16/11/00399 (CIBER CV) and RD16/0011/0021 (TERCEL) from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. The CNIC is supported by the Ministry of Science and Innovation and the Pro CNIC Foundation, and is a Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence (SEV-2015-0505).S

Acceptability, Swallowability, Palatability, and Safety of Multiple Film-Coated Mini-Tablets in Children Aged ≥2–<7 Years: Results of an Open-Label Randomised Study

This single-centre, open-label, randomised, parallel-group study assessed the acceptability, swallowability, palatability, and safety of film-coated, 3 mm diameter mini-tablets in children aged ≥2–<7 years. In total, 300 participants were randomised (2:2:1:1) to receive a single oral administration of 16 (group A) or 32 (group B) mini-tablets with soft food or 16 (group C) or 32 (group D) mini-tablets with water. Children in each group were stratified by age group (2–<3 years; 3–<4 years; 4–<5 years; 5–<6 years; and 6–<7 years). Groups C and D were pooled for statistical analyses. The rates of acceptability (swallowed ≥80% of the mini-tablets with or without chewing), swallowability (swallowed all mini-tablets without chewing or any leftover), and palatability (positive/neutral responses) were ≥80.0%, ≥42.0%, and ≥82.0%, respectively, across the study groups. No marked differences were observed between groups or across age groups. No adverse events or issues of clinical relevance with deglutition were reported. Mini-tablets taken with soft food or water provide a suitable method for administering medicines to children aged ≥2–<7 years. This study was registered in the German Clinical Trial Register (No. DRKS00024617)

Dosage Forms Suitability in Pediatrics: Acceptability of Analgesics and Antipyretics in a German Hospital

Although medicine acceptability is likely to have a significant impact on the patient’s adherence in pediatrics and therefore on therapy success, there is still little data even for common therapeutic areas. For analgesics/antipyretics, healthcare professionals face a wide variety of products and need knowledge to select the best adapted product for each patient. We investigated acceptability of those products most used at the University Children’s Hospital Düsseldorf, Germany. Based on 180 real-life observer reports of medicine intake, we used the acceptability reference framework to score acceptability of six distinct medicines. Both ibuprofen and paracetamol tablets, mainly used in adolescents, were positively accepted. This was not the case for the solution for injection of metamizole sodium. Regarding syrups, mainly used in children under 6 years of age, ibuprofen flavored with strawberry and provided with an oral syringe was positively accepted, while paracetamol flavored with orange and provided with a measuring cup was not. Suppository appeared to be an alternative to oral liquids in infants and toddlers with palatability and administration issues. Differences appeared to be driven by dosage forms and formulations. These findings improve knowledge on acceptability drivers and might help formulating and prescribing better medicines for children

Evaluating the Acceptability, Swallowability, and Palatability of Film-Coated Mini-Tablet Formulation in Young Children: Results from an Open-Label, Single-Dose, Cross-Over Study

Mini-tablets are advantageous over liquid formulations in overcoming challenges related to stability, taste, and dosage. This open-label, single-dose, cross-over study investigated the acceptability and safety of drug-free, film-coated mini-tablets in children aged 1 month–6 years (stratified: 4–6 years, 2–<4 years, 1–<2 years, 6–<12 months, and 1–<6 months), and their preference for swallowing either a high quantity of 2.0 mm or a low quantity of 2.5 mm diameter mini-tablets. The primary endpoint was acceptability derived from swallowability. The secondary endpoints were investigator-observed palatability, acceptability as a composite endpoint derived from both swallowability and palatability, and safety. Of 320 children randomized, 319 completed the study. Across all tablet sizes, quantities and age groups, acceptability rates based on swallowability were high (at least 87%). Palatability was rated as “pleasant/neutral” in 96.6% of children. The acceptability rates as per the composite endpoint were at least 77% and 86% for the 2.0 mm and 2.5 mm film-coated mini-tablets, respectively. No adverse events or deaths were reported. Recruitment in the 1–<6-months group was stopped early due to coughing—evaluated as “choked on” in three children. Both 2.0 mm and 2.5 mm film-coated mini-tablets are suitable formulations for young children

Die psychische Belastung von Kindern, Jugendlichen und ihren Familien während der COVID-19-Pandemie und der Zusammenhang mit emotionalen und Verhaltensauffälligkeiten

Hintergrund und Ziel: Die im Rahmen der COVID-19-Pandemie erlassenen Maßnahmen zum Infektionsschutz führten zu tiefgreifenden Einschränkungen und Veränderungen im sozialen, (vor-)schulischen, familiären und Freizeitbereich. Die vorliegende Studie untersucht das Ausmaß an psychischer Belastung von Kindern, Jugendlichen und ihren Familien während der COVID-19- Pandemie. Mögliche Einflussfaktoren sollen identifiziert werden. Material und Methoden: Die Untersuchungen erfolgten zwischen Herbst 2020 und Frühjahr 2021 in einer klinischen Inanspruchnahmestichprobe (n= 280 Patient:innen zwischen 4-17 Jahren) und einer Feldstichprobe (n= 1958 Kinder und Jugendliche zwischen 4-19 Jahren, über Schulen und vorschulische Einrichtungen rekrutiert). Dabei wurden Urteile der Eltern sowie Selbsturteile der Kinder und Jugendlichen mittels Fragebögen erfasst. Ergebnisse: Die psychische Belastung der Kinder und Jugendlichen im Zusammenhang mit der Pandemie wird über beide Beurteilungsperspektiven und Stichproben hinweg als leicht bis moderat erhöht eingeschätzt. Rund 60-70 % der Eltern- und Selbsturteile beschreiben eine Zunahme dieser Belastung, während Entlastungen von bis zu 12 % sowohl im Eltern- als auch im Selbsturteil angegeben werden. Beim Vergleich der beiden Stichproben zeigt sich eine leicht höhere Belastung der Kinder und Jugendlichen nur im Selbsturteil der Klinikstichprobe. Die untersuchten soziodemografischen Faktoren haben keinen Einfluss auf die Belastung. Allerdings zeigen sich in beiden Stichproben leichte bis moderate Zusammenhänge zwischen der subjektiv erlebten Verschlechterung der familiären und sozialen Situation und einem erhöhten Belastungserleben. Diskussion. Während einer Pandemie sollten gezielte Interventionen für belastete Subgruppen angeboten werden. Universelle Interventionen sind nicht indiziert