“What Was That Word? It’s Part of Ensuring Its Future Existence” Exploring Engagement Collectives at the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre

This paper provides an empirical analysis of an initiative to establish a Community of Practice on citizen engagement at the European Commission’s (EC) Joint Research Centre (JRC). This initiative is one of the more recent attempts to institutionally stabilize citizen engagement in policy-making processes within the EC; such attempts are visible, for instance, in the political agenda of Ursula von der Leyen, whose sixth priority is a “new push for European democracy.” Drawing on science and technology studies literature, this paper directs attention to models of participation and democracy visible in particular engagement activities and to the overarching rationales for engagement. We explore the sociomaterial engagement collectives that emerge in the practices and accounts of actors involved in establishing this CoP and show how these engagement collectives at the supra-national research service JRC are co-constitutive with the wider institutional settings and cultural–political configurations of the EC.publishedVersio

Post-normal institutional identities : quality assurance, reflexivity and ethos of care

Unidad de excelencia María de Maeztu MdM-2015-0552This paper suggests adopting a 'post-normal science' (PNS) style and practice in scientific advice, and motivate the urgency of this methodological stance with the increasing complexity, and polarisation affecting the use of science-based evidence for policy. We reflect on challenges and opportunities faced by a 'boundary organisation' that interfaces between science and policy, taking as example the European Commission's Directorate General Joint Research Centre, whose mission is stated as that to be the "in-house science service". We suggest that such an institution can be exemplary as to what could be changed to improve the quality of evidence feeding into the policy processes in the European Union. This paper suggests how an in-house culture of reflexivity and humility could trigger changes in the existing styles and methods of scientific governance; at the JRC, taken as example, this would mean opening up to the existing plurality of norms and styles of scientific inquiry, and adopting more participatory approaches of knowledge production, assessment and governance. We submit that the institutional changes advocated here are desirable and urgent in order to confront the ongoing erosion of trust in 'evidence based policy', anticipating controversies before they become evident in the institutional setting in which institutions operate

Perspectives on contentions about climate change adaptation in the Canary Islands. A case study for Tenerife - Study

This technical report describes a case study on policy for adaptation to climate change delivered to DG-CLIMA. It is aimed at exploring climate change adaptation scenarios as well as concrete actions to increase climatic resilience in a small European island: Tenerife, Canary Islands (Spain), the largest and most populated of the seven islands of the Canaries. The effects of climatic and non-climatic hazards on local population health and ecosystems are reviewed, such as heatwaves, air pollution and the atmospheric dust which comes from the Saharan dessert. The potential combination or overlapping effects of these hazards are also explored. According to the literature reviewed, heatwaves, air pollution, and Saharan dust events have been producing negative effects on the population, in terms of both morbidity and mortality, as well as the environment, such as forest fires related impacts. In terms of health impacts, elderly and people with chronic diseases are those more vulnerable to the previous hazards. As a consequence of both population ageing and the expected increasing extreme weather events, vulnerability is believed to worsen. There are currently a certain number of policies at both the Canary Islands scale and at Tenerife scale that, either directly or indirectly, might deal with the multiple hazards analysed here. However, most of these policies have neither been specifically developed to increase the resilience against heatwaves, Saharan dust events, and air pollution, nor to deal with their potential interactions. Therefore, their possible capability need to be explored along with other potential adaptation options. In order to do so, a participatory integrated assessment is proposed based on three steps: a first one intended to define the issue under analysis and frame the problematique of adaptation to climate change in Tenerife by means of in-depth interviews and a questionnaire; a second step envisioned to explore scenarios to increase the island resilience as well as concrete actions to reduce the vulnerability to heatwaves, Saharan dust intrusion, and air pollution, by means of focus group sessions; and a last step projected to build the scenarios for resilience (this third phase will be carried out in a later stage). For this purpose, different participatory techniques have been applied, such as questionnaires, in-depth interviews and focus group sessions, involving local key stakeholders as well as citizens and lay people. One of the findings of the analysis is that there is a lack of institutions in charge of climate change policy issues. According to most of the participants, the Islands need an institutional structure in charge of mainstreaming climate change policy into private and public institutions. A second finding indicates that an integrated climate change risk management plan is also needed as well as the investment in high-resolution regional climatic models. The following part of this study will be devoted to build scenarios for Tenerife. As it emerged from the present study, local citizens are not only concerned about adaptation to climate change, but also about how to be more resilient against external shocks, including extreme weather events as a consequence of climate change. Thus, those scenarios, still to be built, will propose paths that Tenerife may walk through from current times to 2040 in order to increase its resilience. These scenarios would concentrate on energy, agriculture, and food dependency, as well as other driving forces that might affect Tenerife’s resilienceEste informe técnico describe un estudio de caso sobre la política de adaptación al cambio climático entregado a la DG-CLIMA. Su objetivo es explorar los escenarios de adaptación al cambio climático así como las acciones concretas para aumentar la resistencia climática en una pequeña isla europea: Tenerife, Islas Canarias (España), la mayor y más poblada de las siete islas de las Canarias. Se revisan los efectos de los peligros climáticos y no climáticos sobre la salud de la población local y los ecosistemas, como las olas de calor, la contaminación del aire y el polvo atmosférico procedente del desierto del Sahara. También se exploran los posibles efectos combinados o superpuestos de estos peligros. De acuerdo con la literatura revisada, las olas de calor, la contaminación del aire y el polvo sahariano han estado produciendo efectos negativos en la población, tanto en términos de morbilidad como de mortalidad, así como en el medio ambiente, tales como los impactos relacionados con los incendios forestales. En cuanto a los impactos sobre la salud, los ancianos y las personas con enfermedades crónicas son los más vulnerables a los peligros anteriores. Como consecuencia tanto del envejecimiento de la población como del aumento previsto de los fenómenos meteorológicos extremos, se cree que la vulnerabilidad empeorará. Actualmente existe un cierto número de políticas tanto a escala de las Islas Canarias como a escala de Tenerife que, directa o indirectamente, podrían abordar las múltiples amenazas aquí analizadas. Sin embargo, la mayoría de estas políticas no se han desarrollado específicamente para aumentar la resiliencia frente a las olas de calor, los fenómenos de polvo sahariano y la contaminación atmosférica, ni para hacer frente a sus posibles interacciones. Por lo tanto, su posible capacidad debe ser explorada junto con otras opciones potenciales de adaptación. Para ello, se propone una evaluación participativa integrada basada en tres pasos: uno primero destinado a definir la cuestión analizada y enmarcar la problemática de la adaptación al cambio climático en Tenerife mediante entrevistas en profundidad y un cuestionario; un segundo paso previsto para explorar los escenarios para aumentar la resiliencia de la isla, así como acciones concretas para reducir la vulnerabilidad a las olas de calor, la intrusión de polvo sahariano y la contaminación atmosférica, mediante sesiones de grupos focales; y un último paso previsto para construir los escenarios de resiliencia (esta tercera fase se llevará a cabo en una etapa posterior). Para ello se han aplicado diferentes técnicas participativas, como cuestionarios, entrevistas en profundidad y sesiones de grupos focales, con la participación de los principales interesados locales, así como de ciudadanos y laicos. Una de las conclusiones del análisis es que hay una falta de instituciones a cargo de los temas de políticas de cambio climático. Según la mayoría de los participantes, las Islas necesitan una estructura institucional encargada de la incorporación de la política sobre el cambio climático en las instituciones públicas y privadas. Una segunda conclusión indica que también se necesita un plan de gestión integrada de los riesgos del cambio climático, así como la inversión en modelos climáticos regionales de alta resolución. La siguiente parte de este estudio estará dedicada a la construcción de escenarios para Tenerife. Tal y como se desprende del presente estudio, los ciudadanos locales no sólo están preocupados por la adaptación al cambio climático, sino también por la forma de ser más resistentes a los impactos externos, incluidos los fenómenos meteorológicos extremos como consecuencia del cambio climático. Así, estos escenarios, aún por construir, propondrán caminos que Tenerife podrá recorrer desde la época actual hasta el año 2040 para aumentar su resiliencia. Estos escenarios se concentrarían en la energía, la agricultura y la dependencia alimentaria, así como en otras fuerzas motrices que podrían afectar a la resiliencia de Tenerife

Role of the medial olivocochlear system among children with ADHD

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) patients show, as one of the main symptoms, an attentional impairment. Selective attention in the hearing process is the ability to understand speech in a noisy environment, which can be evaluated by several methods. One of the main approaches is the functioning of the Medial Olivocochlear Efferent System, which can be accessed by Transient-Evoked Otoacoustic Emissions (TOAE). OBJECTIVE:This study aimed at evaluating the suppression effect of contralateral noise on TOAE in ADHD (study group) and normal subjects (control group). Study Design: Case-control study. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A study with 20 children distributed in two, age- and gender-matched groups. RESULTS: No differences were found in TOAE responses between the two groups, with and without noise. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that there were no functional differences in the Medial Olivocochlear Efferent System in the two groups analyzed.Crianças portadoras de Transtorno do Déficit de Atenção/Hiperatividade (TDAH) apresentam como um de seus principais sintomas a dificuldade de atenção. Na audição, a Atenção Seletiva que se caracteriza por ser a capacidade de compreender a fala em ambientes ruidosos, pode ser avaliada de várias formas, salientando-se o funcionamento do Sistema Eferente Olivococlear Medial. Este sistema pode ser avaliado pelo exame de emissões otoacústicas (EOA). OBJETIVO: Este trabalho teve por objetivo verificar a ocorrência do efeito de supressão de EOA, caracterizado pela diminuição da amplitude de resposta das emissões otoacústicas evocadas por estímulo transiente (EOAT) em resposta a apresentação de ruído contralateral, em crianças com TDAH (grupo estudo) e normais (grupo controle). Forma de Estudo: Estudo caso-controle. MATERIAL E MÉTODO: Foi realizado um estudo com 20 crianças alocadas em dois grupos de 10 crianças, pareadas por sexo e idade. Foi realizado o exame de EOAET sem e com ruído em ambos os grupos. RESULTADOS: Não houve diferença nas respostas das EOAET sem e com ruído, entre os grupos estudados. CONCLUSÕES: Pôde-se concluir que não há diferenças no funcionamento do Sistema Eferente Olivococlear Medial nas crianças com transtorno do déficit de atenção/hiperatividade em relação às crianças normais.Universidade de Brasília Instituto de Psicologia Departamento de Processos Psicológicos BásicosMinistério da Ciência e TecnologiaUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Departamento de FonoaudiologiaUNIFESP, Depto. de FonoaudiologiaSciEL

Making sense of wearables:new-emerging markets and mediascapes

This document reports on the events of the networking/embedding event, organised by the Epinet WP3 team in Brussels Nov 2013. It summarises observations and key findings. The aim of the event was to involve the expertise of professionals from a range public and private agencies involved in the development of wearable sensor technologies and ICT innovation policy. We learn from their input of new-emerging roles for wearable sensors, how they are situated in visions of the future of healthcare and self care, of changing lifestyles and occupations. We learn of complications in clinical practice and in medical devices regulation. We learn of expectations, of what personalisation can stand for, of conceptions of behaviour and of well-being more generally. Finally, we observe a distinct disconnect between top-down policy developments on the future delivery of personalised healthcare to European citizens and grass-roots developments in self care and in the self-management of medical conditions. The results of this consultation are key to finalising the embedding stage of the case study on wearable sensors, and they provide major input into our attempts to integrating the many different assessments of this innovation domain

Gadgets on the move and in stasis:consumer and medical electronics, what's the difference? (summary of findings and policy recommendations).

This document provides a set of policy recommendations, based on the findings of a three-year long case study on wearable sensors. The key objective was to assess state-of-the-art developments in this domain of innovation, using evaluation and analytic methods that correspond with the expertise and experience available on our study team and among our associates in industry and innovation, medicine, policy, grass roots activism, STS and ELS study traditions. Our aim is to provide guidelines for good governance of wearable sensors, in light of their potential roles in medical settings as well as their currency as consumer electronics for quasi-medical purposes. We provide recommendations for ongoing innovation in this field, considering the necessity of mutual recognition and reflexive knowledge exchange among innovators and industrial actors, medical expertise, scholarly and technical assessments, patient organisations and grass roots activism, policy developers and regulators

Family and Conjugality: Perception of Happiness of Domestic Abusers

This research aimed to learn about the happiness perception of men with violent behavior attended by a nucleus of assistance to victims of violence in the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre RS Brazil For this 16 men with restraining orders for assaulting their partners Lei Maria da Penha - 11 340 2006 were interviewed This study involved descriptive research qualitative approach and data were analyzed using thematic content analysis For the discussion three subcategories related to Subjective Well-Being were organized into conception of happiness challenges in being happy and attitudes required in being happy The word family was referenced by abusers in all subcategories When it comes to involving violence between intimate partners this new approach intends to make men a part of the solution rather than just the proble