Design Ltd.: Renovated Myths for the Development of Socially Embedded Technologies

This paper argues that traditional and mainstream mythologies, which have been continually told within the Information Technology domain among designers and advocators of conceptual modelling since the 1960s in different fields of computing sciences, could now be renovated or substituted in the mould of more recent discourses about performativity, complexity and end-user creativity that have been constructed across different fields in the meanwhile. In the paper, it is submitted that these discourses could motivate IT professionals in undertaking alternative approaches toward the co-construction of socio-technical systems, i.e., social settings where humans cooperate to reach common goals by means of mediating computational tools. The authors advocate further discussion about and consolidation of some concepts in design research, design practice and more generally Information Technology (IT) development, like those of: task-artifact entanglement, universatility (sic) of End-User Development (EUD) environments, bricolant/bricoleur end-user, logic of bricolage, maieuta-designers (sic), and laissez-faire method to socio-technical construction. Points backing these and similar concepts are made to promote further discussion on the need to rethink the main assumptions underlying IT design and development some fifty years later the coming of age of software and modern IT in the organizational domain.Comment: This is the peer-unreviewed of a manuscript that is to appear in D. Randall, K. Schmidt, & V. Wulf (Eds.), Designing Socially Embedded Technologies: A European Challenge (2013, forthcoming) with the title "Building Socially Embedded Technologies: Implications on Design" within an EUSSET editorial initiative (www.eusset.eu/

Identification of non-canonical NF-κB signaling as a critical mediator of Smac mimetic-stimulated migration and invasion of glioblastoma cells

As inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) proteins can regulate additional signaling pathways beyond apoptosis, we investigated the effect of the second mitochondrial activator of caspases (Smac) mimetic BV6, which antagonizes IAP proteins, on non-apoptotic functions in glioblastoma (GBM). Here, we identify non-canonical nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling and a tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα)/TNF receptor 1 (TNFR1) autocrine/paracrine loop as critical mediators of BV6-stimulated migration and invasion of GBM cells. In addition to GBM cell lines, BV6 triggers cell elongation, migration and invasion in primary, patient-derived GBM cells at non-toxic concentrations, which do not affect cell viability or proliferation, and also increases infiltrative tumor growth in vivo underscoring the relevance of these findings. Molecular studies reveal that BV6 causes rapid degradation of cellular IAP proteins, accumulation of NIK, processing of p100 to p52, translocation of p52 into the nucleus, increased NF-κB DNA binding and enhanced NF-κB transcriptional activity. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay supershift shows that the NF-κB DNA-binding subunits consist of p50, p52 and RelB further confirming the activation of the non-canonical NF-κB pathway. BV6-stimulated NF-κB activation leads to elevated mRNA levels of TNFα and additional NF-κB target genes involved in migration (i.e., interleukin 8, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1, CXC chemokine receptor 4) and invasion (i.e., matrix metalloproteinase-9). Importantly, inhibition of NF-κB by overexpression of dominant-negative IκBα superrepressor prevents the BV6-stimulated cell elongation, migration and invasion. Similarly, specific inhibition of non-canonical NF-κB signaling by RNA interference-mediated silencing of NIK suppresses the BV6-induced cell elongation, migration and invasion as well as upregulation of NF-κB target genes. Intriguingly, pharmacological or genetic inhibition of the BV6-stimulated TNFα autocrine/paracrine loop by the TNFα-blocking antibody Enbrel or by knockdown of TNFR1 abrogates BV6-induced cell elongation, migration and invasion. By demonstrating that the Smac mimetic BV6 at non-toxic concentrations promotes migration and invasion of GBM cells via non-canonical NF-κB signaling, our findings have important implications for the use of Smac mimetics as cancer therapeutics

Ferric carboxymaltose for patients with heart failure and iron deficiency in Italy: cost-effectiveness and budget impact.

Aim: To evaluate the cost–effectiveness of intravenous ferric carboxymaltose (FCM) versus placebo for the management of iron deficiency in patients with chronic heart failure in the Italian healthcare system and to estimate its impact on the national healthcare budget. Materials & methods: A Markov model was developed to project costs and health outcomes over 1 year, based on data from literature. Healthcare resources consumption was derived from an e-survey administered to clinicians. Costs were obtained from official tariffs. Results: Treatment with FCM represents a dominant strategy compared with placebo, leading to national budget annual savings of 20–97 million Euros, according to different increasing utilization rates. Conclusion: FCM is a cost-saving option for the treatment of chronic heart failure patients with iron deficiency in Italy

The capability-based view of r&d and manufacturing interface in dynamic environments

Actual technological development does not occur solely when new technological products become available. It just effectively occurs by the application of value-adding processes. These processes can only occur after manufacturing processes become viable. Therefore, companies must remain agile during product development, manufacturing, and supply and value-adding processes. The needs of the extended company must be considered. This paper presents a theoretical discussion of the utilization of CBV literature as the basis for the configuration of the extended company. The qualitative, multidisciplinary, and theoretical research conducted for this paper was based on the inductive method. Manufacturing Management, Research and Development, Business Model, and Capability-Based View knowledge domains were evaluated to discover their potential contributions to design approach elements. The Capability-Based View is proposed as an approach that can be employed in the planning process for new enterprises. It can also be included in performance measurement processes. This approach enables monitoring and decision making during the evolution of Business Models by the use of organizational capabilities as the change-tolerant, performance measurement monitoring unit. This work contributes to the current literature by presenting an analysis of several knowledge domains based on the design approach. It also provides a discussion of methods of unification and suggests further research that should be conducted to enable the design of an adequate Business Model for dynamic environments

Oral history and ethics : a comparative gaze on Brazil, Canada, and Italy

O artigo apresenta um diálogo entre as experiências brasileiras, canadenses e italianas quanto aos desafios colocados por avaliações éticas “externas” (feitas por comitês de ética e órgãos correlatos) e “internas” (resultante dos debates dos/as próprios/as pesquisadores/as) à história oral. Pretende demonstrar as diferentes maneiras de lidar com as imposições estranhas à área, revelar as estratégias de ação colocadas em prática e destacar questões centrais para o trabalho responsável com história oral. O espírito que anima a escrita é o de repensar as próprias experiências e de aprender com as alheias.This article presents a dialogue between the experiences of Brazil, Canada, and Italy in addressing the challenges posed by ethical evaluations, both “external” (by ethics committees and related bodies) and “internal” (in debates among researchers themselves), of oral history. It attempts to demonstrate the different ways impositions from outside the area have been handled, the action strategies adopted, and issues central to responsible work in the sphere of oral history. It is written with the spirit of rethinking one’s own experiences and learning from those of others

O anticomunismo nas encruzilhadas do autoritarismo e da democracia : a conjuntura 1945-1947

O texto reconstitui parte dos embates políticos que marcaram a conjuntura do final do Estado Novo e início do governo de Eurico Gaspar Dutra, tomando como foco a cidade de Porto Alegre. Concentra-se na análise de três processos que se desenvolveram entre 1945-1947: a) as mobilizações que marcaram a primeira metade do ano de 1945 e a forma como se referiam à necessidade de manutenção da ordem e de construção da unidade nacional; b) o grande número de greves ocorridas em 1945 e 1946, em torno das quais foram captados argumentos anticomunistas; c) as medidas repressivas adotadas no início do governo Dutra. Procura-se mostrar a importância do anticomunismo na transição entre um clima de abertura que marcou o ano de 1945 e, outro, de retomada da repressão aos comunistas e às manifestações populares em geral (1946 e 1947).The text reconstitutes part of the political conflicts that marked the conjuncture of the end of the Estado Novo and beginning of the government of Eurico Gaspar Dutra, focusing the city of Porto Alegre. It is concentrated in the analysis of three processes that were developed between 1945-1947: a) the mobilizations that marked the first half of the year of 1945 and the relations between them and the necessity of maintenance of the order and construction of the national unit; b) the great number of strikes in 1945 and 1946, around which anti-communist arguments had been caught; c) the adopted repressive measures at the beginning of the Dutra government. It looks to show the importance of the anticommunism in the transition between an opening climate that marked the year of 1945 e, another one, of retaken of the repression to the Communists and the popular manifestations in general (1946 and 1947)

"Riesgos", "daños" y "beneficios" de la participación en un proyecto de historia oral sobre el Covid-19

Tendo como base empírica um conjunto de entrevistas de história oral do projeto Documentando a experiência da covid-19 no Rio Grande do Sul, este texto apresenta e questiona as noções de “riscos”, “danos” e “benefícios” associadas à participação em pesquisas e tributárias da bioética e da avaliação institucional de projetos da área da Saúde. Ao mesmo tempo, e a partir da literatura da história oral, demonstra como elas podem ser úteis na prática cotidiana da pesquisa. As reflexões desenvolvidas na pesquisa História Oral e História Pública: diálogos, desafios e possibilidades – um olhar comparativo entre Brasil, Itália e Canadá e o envolvimento em Grupos de Trabalho sobre ética na Associação Brasileira de História Oral (ABHO) e no Fórum das Ciências Humanas,Sociais, Sociais Aplicadas, Linguística, Letras e Artes (FCHSSALLA) contribuem para o desenvolvimento do tema. O texto está organizado em quatro partes: na primeira, é feita a apresentação de normas institucionais de avaliação da ética, no que se refere a “riscos”, “danos” e “benefícios” associados à participação em “pesquisas com seres humanos”; na segunda, é explorada a literatura sobre ética, o trabalho colaborativo easboas práticas na história oral; nas duas últimas, é desenvolvido um diálogo com um conjunto de entrevistas concedidas por estudantes de graduação da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) com perfil de baixa renda. Nesse momento, são localizadas nas fontes orais as noções mencionadas e os cuidados adotados pela equipe de pesquisa.Empirically based on a set of oral history interviews in the project Documenting the COVID-19 experience in Rio Grande do Sul, thistext presents and questions the notions of “risks”, “harm” and “benefits” associated with participation in research and tributaries of bioethics and institutional evaluation of projects in the Health area. At the same time, and based on oral history literature, it demonstrates how they can be useful in everyday research practice. The reflections developed in the research project “Oral History and Public History: dialogues, challenges and possibilities – a comparative look between Brazil, Italy and Canada” and the involvement in Working Groups on ethics in the Brazilian Association of Oral History (ABHO) and in the Human, Social, Applied Social Sciences, Linguistics, Language and Arts Forum (FCHSSALLA) contribute to the development of the theme. The text is organized in four parts: in the first, institutional norms for evaluating ethics are presented, with regard to “risks”, “harm” and “benefits” associated with participation in “research with human beings”; in the second, the literature on ethics, collaborative work and good practices in oral history is explored; in the last twoparts, a dialogue is developed with a set of interviews given bythe Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) undergraduate students with a low-income profile. At that moment, the aforementioned notions and the precautions adopted by the research team are located in the oral sources.Tendo como base empírica un conjunto de entrevistas de historia oral del proyecto Documentando la experiencia del Covid-19 en Rio Grande do Sul, este texto presenta y cuestiona las nociones de “riesgos”, “daño” y “beneficios” asociadas a la participación en investigaciones y afluentes de la bioética y de la evaluación institucional de proyectos del área de la Salud. Al mismo tiempo, y a partir de la literatura de historia oral, demuestra cómo pueden ser útiles en la práctica cotidiana de la investigación. Las reflexiones desarrolladas en la investigación Historia Oral e Historia Pública:diálogos, desafíos y posibilidades –una mirada comparativa entre Brasil, Italia y Canadáy el desarrollo en Grupos de Trabajo sobre ética en la Asociación Brasileña de Historia Oral (ABHO) y en el Fórum de Ciencias Humanas, Sociales, Sociales Aplicadas, Lingüística, Letras y Artes (FCHSSALLA), contribuyen al desarrollo del tema. El texto está organizado en cuatro partes: en la primera, se hace una presentación de las normas institucionales de evaluación de la ética, en lo que respecta a los “riesgos”, “daños” y “beneficios” asociados a la participación en “investigación con seres humanos”; en la segunda, es explorada la literatura sobre ética, el trabajo colaborativo y las buenas prácticas en historia oral; en las dos últimas, es desarrollado un diálogo con un conjunto de entrevistas concedidas por estudiantes de grado de la Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) con perfil de bajos recursos. En ese momento, son localizadas en las fuentes orales las nociones antes mencionadas y los cuidados adoptados por el equipo de investigación

A anistia entre a memória e o esquecimento

This article discusses the different conceptions of amnesty which marked the engagement of militants who have fought for such ideal from 1975. The leading roles played by the lawyer Therezinha Zerbine, by the writer Mila Cauduro and by General Peri Bevilacqua can be taken as representations which associated amnesty with national reconciliation, with the “pacification of the Brazilian family”, and with the generous act of the authorities. Such representations coexisted, and disputed the scenario, from 1978, with the ones built by the Brazilian Amnesty Committees spread in the country, which began to defend “a wider, more general and unrestricted amnesty”, proposing the radical dismantling of dictatorship. The analysis of the book Liberdade para os brasileiros, by Roberto Ribeiro Martins, leads us to this conception. Comparing these two different ways of signifying amnesty, it is possible to notice situations in which amnesty is associated to the oblivion of the past and others which take the fight for amnesty as a valuable opportunity to bring the past back. In this scenario, the article will analyze the coexistence and the dispute between the conceptions of amnesty/oblivion and amnesty/ memory, showing how the amnesty case is linked to more general polemics – and still actual ones – regarding the way in which the Brazilian society dealt/deals with the wounds left by dictatorship. Key words: amnesty, memory, oblivion, dictatorship.Este artigo discute as diferentes concepções de anistia que marcaram a atuação de militantes que empunhavam esta bandeira a partir de 1975. Na atuação de protagonistas como a advogada Therezinha Zerbine, a escritora Mila Cauduro e o general Peri Bevilacqua, podem ser captadas representações que associavam a anistia à reconciliação nacional, à pacificação da família brasileira, e, ainda, ao ato generoso das autoridades. Essas representações conviveram e disputaram espaço, a partir de 1978, com aquelas construídas pelos Comitês Brasileiros de Anistia espalhados pelo país, que passaram a defender uma anistia ampla, geral e irrestrita, propondo o desmonte radical da Ditadura. A análise do livro Liberdade para os brasileiros, de Roberto Ribeiro Martins, aproxima-se dessa concepção. Na comparação entre essas diferentes formas de dar significado à anistia, é possível perceber situações nas quais ela é associada ao esquecimento do passado; e outras, que tomam a luta pela anistia como oportunidade valiosa para trazer tal passado à tona. Nesse quadro, o artigo analisa a convivência e a disputa entre as concepções de anistia/esquecimento e as de anistia/memória. Mostra, também, como o caso da anistia se liga às polêmicas mais gerais – e ainda atuais – relacionadas ao modo como a sociedade brasileira lidou e lida com as marcas e as feridas deixadas pela Ditadura. Palavras-chave: anistia, memória, esquecimento, Ditadura