Integrating knowledge and expertise from designers and scientists proposes solutions to complex problems in a flexible and open-minded way. However, little insight is available in how this collaboration works. Therefore, we reflected on a research project aimed at supportive care interventions for child oncology, and detected barriers and enablers for effective designer scientist collaboration. We interviewed medical scientists (n=2), designers (n=5), health care professionals (n=2), design students (n=3), and one design innovation-expert. Enablers appeared a receptive attitude towards innovation, and shared terminology facilitated by participatory design tools, internal communication means, and common goals. Largest barrier was unstable team membership. Future collaborative research projects might benefit when preventing barriers and stimulating enablers.
At present, leading international agencies, such as the United Nations Environmental Programme, are largely focused on what they claim to be ‘win-win’ scenarios of ‘sustainable development’ rhetoric. These combine social, economic and environmental objectives. However, as noted by the ‘Scientists’ Warning to Humanity’, environmental integrity is the essential precondition for the healthy functioning of social and economic systems, and thus environmental protection needs to be prioritized in policy and practice. Ecological sustainability cannot be reached without realizing that population growth and economic growth, with attendant increased rates of depletion of natural resources, pollution, and general environmental degradation, are the root causes of unsustainability. This article argues that to strategically address ecological unsustainability, the social, economic and political barriers to addressing the current economic model and population growth need to be overcome. Strategic solutions proposed to the current neoliberal economy are generic – namely, degrowth, a steady-state economy, and a ‘circular economy’. Solutions to demographic issues must be sensitive to the countries' cultural, social, political and economic factors to be effective as fertility differs from country to country, and culture to culture. As discussed here, Mediterranean countries have the lowest fertility in the world, while many countries in Africa, and some in Asia, South America have stable but consistently high birthrates. This is discussed using three case studies - Tanzania, Italy, and Cambodia, focusing on the "best case" policy practice that offers more realistic hope for successful sustainability. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41207-019-0139-4 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helenkopnina/
MULTIFILE
In order to stay competitive and respond to the increasing demand for steady and predictable aircraft turnaround times, process optimization has been identified by Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) SMEs in the aviation industry as their key element for innovation. Indeed, MRO SMEs have always been looking for options to organize their work as efficient as possible, which often resulted in applying lean business organization solutions. However, their aircraft maintenance processes stay characterized by unpredictable process times and material requirements. Lean business methodologies are unable to change this fact. This problem is often compensated by large buffers in terms of time, personnel and parts, leading to a relatively expensive and inefficient process. To tackle this problem of unpredictability, MRO SMEs want to explore the possibilities of data mining: the exploration and analysis of large quantities of their own historical maintenance data, with the meaning of discovering useful knowledge from seemingly unrelated data. Ideally, it will help predict failures in the maintenance process and thus better anticipate repair times and material requirements. With this, MRO SMEs face two challenges. First, the data they have available is often fragmented and non-transparent, while standardized data availability is a basic requirement for successful data analysis. Second, it is difficult to find meaningful patterns within these data sets because no operative system for data mining exists in the industry. This RAAK MKB project is initiated by the Aviation Academy of the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (Hogeschool van Amsterdan, hereinafter: HvA), in direct cooperation with the industry, to help MRO SMEs improve their maintenance process. Its main aim is to develop new knowledge of - and a method for - data mining. To do so, the current state of data presence within MRO SMEs is explored, mapped, categorized, cleaned and prepared. This will result in readable data sets that have predictive value for key elements of the maintenance process. Secondly, analysis principles are developed to interpret this data. These principles are translated into an easy-to-use data mining (IT)tool, helping MRO SMEs to predict their maintenance requirements in terms of costs and time, allowing them to adapt their maintenance process accordingly. In several case studies these products are tested and further improved. This is a resubmission of an earlier proposal dated October 2015 (3rd round) entitled ‘Data mining for MRO process optimization’ (number 2015-03-23M). We believe the merits of the proposal are substantial, and sufficient to be awarded a grant. The text of this submission is essentially unchanged from the previous proposal. Where text has been added – for clarification – this has been marked in yellow. Almost all of these new text parts are taken from our rebuttal (hoor en wederhoor), submitted in January 2016.
CRISPR/Cas genome engineering unleashed a scientific revolution, but entails socio-ethical dilemmas as genetic changes might affect evolution and objections exist against genetically modified organisms. CRISPR-mediated epigenetic editing offers an alternative to reprogram gene functioning long-term, without changing the genetic sequence. Although preclinical studies indicate effective gene expression modulation, long-term effects are unpredictable. This limited understanding of epigenetics and transcription dynamics hampers straightforward applications and prevents full exploitation of epigenetic editing in biotechnological and health/medical applications.Epi-Guide-Edit will analyse existing and newly-generated screening data to predict long-term responsiveness to epigenetic editing (cancer cells, plant protoplasts). Robust rules to achieve long-term epigenetic reprogramming will be distilled based on i) responsiveness to various epigenetic effector domains targeting selected genes, ii) (epi)genetic/chromatin composition before/after editing, and iii) transcription dynamics. Sustained reprogramming will be examined in complex systems (2/3D fibroblast/immune/cancer co-cultures; tomato plants), providing insights for improving tumor/immune responses, skin care or crop breeding. The iterative optimisations of Epi-Guide-Edit rules to non-genetically reprogram eventually any gene of interest will enable exploitation of gene regulation in diverse biological models addressing major societal challenges.The optimally balanced consortium of (applied) universities, ethical and industrial experts facilitates timely socioeconomic impact. Specifically, the developed knowledge/tools will be shared with a wide-spectrum of students/teachers ensuring training of next-generation professionals. Epi-Guide-Edit will thus result in widely applicable effective epigenetic editing tools, whilst training next-generation scientists, and guiding public acceptance.
Codarts wil met deze SPRONG-aanvraag het PErforming artist and Athlete Research Lab (PEARL) oprichten. PEARL is het nationale onderzoekscentrum dat zich richt op de gezondheid en vitaliteit van podiumkunstenaars (dansers, musici en circusartiesten) en sporters. Doel van PEARL is om bij podiumkunstenaars en sporters enerzijds gezondheidsklachten te voorkomen en anderzijds de gezondheid te optimaliseren, zodat zij in staat zijn om tot excellente prestaties te komen. PEARL bestaat uit acht fieldlabs. Dit zijn fysieke locaties in ‘het veld’ met unieke test- en meetfaciliteiten waar podiumkunstenaars, sporters, maar ook (revaliderende) patiënten ter plekke onderzocht en geadviseerd worden. Deze fieldlabs verzamelen onder leiding van onderzoekers gegevens over de gezondheid van podiumkunstenaars en sporters. De gegevens worden opgeslagen in een datawarehouse, geanalyseerd en op begrijpelijke wijze teruggekoppeld naar podiumkunstenaars, sporters en hun begeleiders. PEARL vormt de (tot nog toe ontbrekende) verbindende schakel tussen podiumkunsten, sport, zorg, onderzoek, onderwijs en bedrijfsleven. Dankzij de interdisciplinaire programmatische aanpak en visie kan PEARL inspelen op de doelstellingen en behoeften van alle betrokken partijen en deze effectief bedienen. PEARL brengt bewegingswetenschappers, fysiotherapeuten, sportartsen, ICT’ers, MKB’ers en data scientists samen. Zij kunnen gezamenlijk op basis van de data podiumkunstenaars, sporters en hun begeleiders trainingsprogramma’s op maat aanbieden. Dankzij deze unieke krachtenbundeling is het met PEARL mogelijk wetenschappelijk gefundeerd beleid te maken om de gezondheid van podiumkunstenaars en sporters te optimaliseren. Hierdoor zal PEARL in Nederland een grote bijdrage leveren aan betere topsport- en podiumprestaties en aan het reduceren van blessures. Wat het buitenland betreft: het is de bedoeling dat PEARL uiteindelijk zal uitgroeien tot een, internationaal toonaangevend, Advanced Research Center. De volgende organisaties zijn bij PEARL betrokken: - Kennisinstellingen: Codarts Rotterdam, ErasmusMC, VUmc, Hogeschool Rotterdam, Rotterdam Arts & Sciences Lab (RASL) - Podiumkunsten: Het Nationaal Ballet, Rotterdams Philharmonisch Orkest, Circusstad Rotterdam en het Nationaal Centrum Performing Arts (NCPA) - Sport: Rotterdam Topsport - Zorg: Nederlandse Vereniging voor Fysiotherapie in de Sportgezondheidszorg (NVFS) en het Nederlands Paramedisch Instituut (NPI) - MKB: Johan Sports, Sportgeneeskunde Rotterdam
