Gobernabilidad de los Sistemas de Innovación en Bolivia: Lecciones para las Políticas de Innovación Agrícola

Ser capaz de responder y reaccionar ante las demandas de los productores no implica necesariamente que se generen las mejores soluciones técnicas. Generar innovaciones adecuadas requiere de la participación de muchos: líderes y otros productores, proveedores de conocimientos y tecnologías, así como también compradores, vendedores de insumos, agencias de financiamiento, servicios de asesoría y otros. También se requiere del análisis e identificación de las oportunidades tecnológicas y de mercado. Los diseñadores de políticas deberían promover un análisis profundo de las demandas de los productores a nivel local a través de organismos descentralizados que ayuden simultáneamente a orientar tales demandas hacia donde se encuentran las mejores oportunidades tecnológicas y de mercado. Esto requiere de mejores capacidades analíticas y de planificación, así como de una comunicación intensiva con los productores y con los agentes que disponen de tecnologías nuevas y prometedoras." from Authors' AbstractInnovation systems, Innovation networks, Innovation Policy, Governance,

Évaluation au coeur du renforcement organisationnel : expériences d'organisations de recherche et développement du monde entier

Co-publié avec Service international pour la recherche agricole nationale et Centre technique de coopération agricole et ruraleVersion anglaise disponible dans la Bibliothèque numérique du CRDI : Evaluating capacity development : experiences from research and development organizations around the worl

Motor abnormalities are associated with poor social and functional outcomes in schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND Up to 50% of patients with schizophrenia are suffering from motor abnormalities, which may contribute to decreased quality of life, impaired work capacity, and a reduced life expectancy by 10-20 years. However, the effect of motor abnormalities on social and global functioning, as well as, functional capacity is not clear. We hypothesized, that the presence of motor abnormalities is associated with poorer functional outcomes in patients with schizophrenia. METHODS We collected data on 5 different motor abnormalities in 156 patients suffering from schizophrenia spectrum disorders: parkinsonism, catatonia, dyskinesia, neurological soft signs and psychomotor slowing (PS). Additionally, we used three different scales to evaluate the functional outcomes in these patients: the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) and the Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale (SOFAS) which use clinicians' judgment; and one using a performance-based measure of functional capacity, the brief version of the UCSD Performance-based Skills Assessment (UPSA-B). RESULTS Our analysis demonstrated that patients with catatonia (all F > 4.5; p  4.9; p < 0.027) scored lower on GAF and SOFAS compared to patients without catatonia and parkinsonism. In contrast, no significant difference on functional outcomes between patients with dyskinesia versus without dyskinesia exist in our study. Furthermore, there are statistically significant negative correlations for parkinsonism and PS with GAF, SOFAS and UPSA-B (all tau are at least -0.152, p-value <0.036). We also found significant negative correlations between catatonia and both GAF & SOFAS (all tau are at least -0.203, p-value<0.001) and between NES and SOFAS (tau = -0.137, p-value = 0.033). CONCLUSION Here, we showed that four of the most common motor abnormalities observed in schizophrenia were associated with at least one of the patients' functional outcomes. The stronger the motor impairment was the worse the global and social functioning. Future studies need to test, whether amelioration of motor abnormalities is linked to improved community functioning

Neural Correlates of Formal Thought Disorder Dimensions in Psychosis.

BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS Formal thought disorder (FTD) is a core symptom of psychosis, but its neural correlates remain poorly understood. This study tested whether four FTD dimensions differ in their association with brain perfusion and brain structure. STUDY DESIGN This cross-sectional study investigated 110 patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders using 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The Thought and Language Disorder scale (TALD) was utilized, which comprises four subscales: Objective Positive (OP), Objective Negative (ON), Subjective Positive (SP), and Subjective Negative (SN). Resting-state cerebral blood flow (rsCBF), cortical thickness (CortTh), gray matter volume (GMV), and diffusion MRI tractography were tested for associations with TALD subscales controlling for age, medication, total intracranial volume, and for variance of the 3 other TALD subscales. STUDY RESULTS Following Bonferroni correction, the FTD dimensions presented distinct neural correlates. OP scores were associated with increased rsCBF and increased GMV in the right cerebellum lingual gyrus. Higher SP scores were linked to increased GMV in bilateral prefrontal cortex. In contrast, ON was associated with increased GMV in the right premotor cortex. At more liberal statistical thresholds, higher SP was associated with increased CortTh in the right inferior frontal gyrus, whereas SN scores were linked to decreased GMV in the right prefrontal lobe, the left inferior temporal gyrus, and the left supplementary motor area. Unadjusted analyses mostly corroborated these findings. CONCLUSION These findings stress the heterogeneity in FTD, suggesting distinct neural patterns for specific FTD experiences. In sum, FTD in psychosis may require distinct treatment strategies and further mechanistic investigations on single-item levels

Innovation Systems Governance in Bolivia Lessons for Agricultural Innovation Policies

agricultural research centers that receive principal funding from governments, private foundations, and international and regional organizations, most of which are members of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research. FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTORS AND PARTNERS IFPRI’s research, capacity strengthening, and communications work is made possible by its financial contributors and partners. IFPRI gratefully acknowledges generous unrestricted funding from Australia

Gobernabilidad de los Sistemas de Innovación en Bolivia: Lecciones para las Políticas de Innovación Agrícola

Los enfoques tradicionales sobre diseño de políticas de innovación y su gobernabilidad se enfocan a menudo de manera exclusiva en la provisión central de servicios, regulaciones, medidas fiscales y subsidios. Este informe, sin embargo, considera que la gobernabilidad y el diseño de políticas sobre sistemas de innovación también guardan relación con las estructuras y procedimientos que los tomadores de decisiones establecen para brindar incentivos a los agentes innovadores y para mejorar la interacción y colaboración entre ellos, permitiendo de esta forma la innovación. Se entiende por innovación cualquier cosa nueva que los productores aplican en los procesos productivos y sociales en que participan. Con base en los conceptos de “institucionalismo centrado en los agentes” y de sistemas de innovación, cabe entender la gobernabilidad como referida a la integración de los múltiples actores, sí y no gubernamentales, en diferentes constelaciones de actores según sus roles, mandatos y visiones estratégicas. Cualquier esfuerzo por gobernar un sistema compuesto por tales actores debe tomar en cuenta las limitaciones que cualquier ente de diseño de políticas enfrenta al dictar cómo deben comportarse e interactuar los agentes. La gobernabilidad en los sistemas de innovación se trata menos de llevar a cabo la investigación o de administrar los servicios de extensión, y más de guiar a los diversos actores involucrados en los complejos procesos de innovación mediante normas e incentivos que promuevan la creación, aplicación y difusión de conocimientos y tecnologías. Este reporte presenta los resultados de un estudio que analizó en qué medida el Sistema Boliviano de Tecnología Agropecuaria, SIBTA, como parte del sistema de innovación agrícola del país, ha cumplido con un set de principios de gobernabilidad entre los que se incluye la participación de los actores en la toma de decisiones –especialmente los pequeños productores–, la transparencia y apertura, la sensibilidad a las demandas y rendición de cuentas, la coherencia y la orientación hacia el consenso, así como la visión estratégica, comparándole a su vez con los estándares de la gobernabilidad de los sistemas de innovación en otros cinco países en desarrollo. Los datos en Bolivia fueron colectados mediante una consulta con expertos y a través de entrevistas con un amplio rango de actores clave de diversas organizaciones involucradas en la innovación agrícola dentro del sistema. Los hallazgos empíricos del estudio sugieren lo siguiente: • Los programas de investigación y transferencia de tecnología tales como SIBTA son apenas una parte de un sistema de innovación. Hay también otras funciones complementarias importantes que el gobierno debe cumplir a fin de promover la innovación. Los gobiernos, en lugar de apuntar hacia la ejecución de las actividades de investigación y extensión deberían enfocarse más bien en la planificación general a nivel macro y en conjuntar las diversas funciones, de forma que apoyen a los agentes de la innovación. Para ello necesitan involucrarse en procesos de planificación y análisis de políticas, en establecer plataformas de consulta, en dar apoyo a la conformación de redes de innovación, y en establecer mecanismos de financiamiento específicos. • El establecimiento de agencias descentralizadas semi autónomas que administran fondos y diseñan proyectos de innovación no conduce automáticamente a una participación suficiente de las organizaciones de productores locales y de los proveedores de tecnología. Una mayor participación requerirá de normas especiales e incentivos para colaborar, así como de esfuerzos especiales de todos los involucrados y de una descentralización ulterior a nivel regional. • Un liderazgo débil y un compromiso limitado —más que el escenario estructural descentralizado o la delegación de demasiado poder— han limitado el que los gobiernos asuman un rol más activo en la gobernabilidad de los sistemas innovación. La descentralización, sin embargo, no debería ser obstáculo para una visión estratégica nacional, debiendo por ello establecerse los mecanismos para discutir y armonizar las prioridades de los niveles nacional y local. • Ser capaz de responder y reaccionar ante las demandas de los productores no implica necesariamente que se generen las mejores soluciones técnicas. Generar innovaciones adecuadas requiere de la participación de muchos: líderes y otros productores, proveedores de conocimientos y tecnologías, así como también compradores, vendedores de insumos, agencias de financiamiento, servicios de vii asesoría y otros. También se requiere del análisis e identificación de las oportunidades tecnológicas y de mercado. Los diseñadores de políticas deberían promover un análisis profundo de las demandas de los productores a nivel local a través de organismos descentralizados que ayuden simultáneamente a orientar tales demandas hacia donde se encuentran las mejores oportunidades tecnológicas y de mercado. Esto requiere de mejores capacidades analíticas y de planificación, así como de una comunicación intensiva con los productores y con los agentes que disponen de tecnologías nuevas y prometedoras

Innovation Systems Governance in Bolivia: Lessons for Agricultural Innovation Policies

Traditional approaches to innovation systems policymaking and governance often focus exclusively on the central provision of services, regulations, fiscal measures, and subsidies. This study, however, considers that innovation systems policymaking and governance also has to do with the structures and procedures decision makers set up to provide incentives for innovating agents and the interaction and collaboration among them, thus enabling innovation. Based on the concepts of agent-centered institutionalism and innovation systems, governance can be understood to refer to integrating multiple government and non-government actors in different actor constellations depending on roles, mandates, and strategic visions. Any effort to govern the system composed of those agents needs to take into account the limitations that any policymaking body has in dictating how agents behave and interact. In consequence governance in innovation systems has less to do with executing research and administering extension services and more to do with guiding diverse actors involved in complex innovation processes through the rules and incentives that foster the creation, application, and diffusion of knowledge and technologies. The report presents results from a study that analyzed to what extent the Bolivian Agricultural Technology System (SIBTA), as part of the country’s agricultural innovation system, has complied with a set of governance principles—including participation of stakeholders (especially small farmers) in decision making, transparency and openness, responsiveness and accountability, consensus orientation and coherence, and strategic vision—and compares those principles with benchmarks of innovation systems governance in five other developing countries. Data in Bolivia were collected by means of an expert consultation and interviews with a wide range of key actors and stakeholders from various organizations involved in agricultural innovation in the system. The empirical findings of the study suggest the following: • A research and technology transfer program such as SIBTA constitutes only part of an innovation system and there are other important complementary functions with which the government has to comply to foster innovation. Rather than aiming to carry out research and extension, governments should focus on overall planning on the macro level and bringing the above functions together so they reach the innovating agents. To do this they need to involve themselves in planning and policy analysis, the setting of consultation platforms, supporting the building of innovation networks, and setting up specific funding mechanisms. • Setting up decentralized semiautonomous agencies that administer funds and design innovation projects does not automatically lead to sufficient participation of local producer organizations and technology providers. More participation requires special rules and incentives to collaborate and the special efforts of all involved, and eventually further decentralization on the regional level. • Weak leadership and limited commitment, rather than a decentralized structure or the delegation of too much power, have prevented governments from taking a more active role in governing their innovation systems. Decentralization, however, should not stand in the way of a national strategic vision, and mechanisms need to be put in place to discuss and harmonize national- and local-level priorities. • Simply being responsive to the demands of farmers does not necessarily imply that one is generating the best technical solutions. Generating adequate innovations requires the participation of many: leading and other producers, knowledge and technology providers, buyers, input sellers, funding agencies, advisory services, and others. It also requires analysis and identification of technological and market opportunities. Policymakers should foster in-depth analysis of farmers’ demands on the local level through decentralized organizations, which simultaneously help to orient these demands to where technological and market opportunities lie. This requires improved analytical and planning capacities as well as intensive communication with the farmers and agents who benefit from new and promising technologies

RPE CBNRM

Copublished with the International Service for National Agricultural Research and the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural CooperationFrench version available in IDRC Digital Library: Évaluation au coeur du renforcement organisationnel : expériences d'organisations de recherche et développement du monde entie

Differential intracellular trafficking of extracellular vesicles in microglia and astrocytes

International audienceExtracellular vesicles (EVs) have emerged as key players in cell-to-cell communication in both physiological and pathological processes in the Central Nervous System. Thus far, the intracellular pathways involved in uptake and trafficking of EVs within different cell types of the brain are poorly understood. In our study, the endocytic processes and subcellular sorting of EVs were investigated in primary glial cells, particularly linked with the EV-associated α-synuclein (α-syn) transmission. Mouse microglia and astrocytic primary cultures were incubated with DiI-stained mouse brain-derived EVs. The internalization and trafficking pathways were analyzed in cells treated with pharmacological reagents that block the major endocytic pathways. Brain-derived EVs were internalized by both glial cell types; however, uptake was more efficient in microglia than in astrocytes. Colocalization of EVs with early and late endocytic markers (Rab5, Lamp1) indicated that EVs are sorted to endo-lysosomes for subsequent processing. Blocking actin-dependent phagocytosis and/or macropinocytosis with Cytochalasin D or EIPA inhibited EV entry into glial cells, whereas treatment with inhibitors that strip cholesterol off the plasma membrane, induced uptake, however differentially altered endosomal sorting. EV-associated fibrillar α-Syn was efficiently internalized and detected in Rab5- and Lamp1-positive compartments within microglia. Our study strongly suggests that EVs enter glial cells through phagocytosis and/or macropinocytosis and are sorted to endo-lysosomes for subsequent processing. Further, brain-derived EVs serve as scavengers and mediate cell-to-glia transfer of pathological α-Syn which is also targeted to the endolysosomal pathway, suggesting a beneficial role in microglia-mediated clearance of toxic protein aggregates, present in numerous neurodegenerative diseases