A Report from the Field: Doing RRI from Scratch in an Assisted Living Technology Research and Development Project

Demonstrating methods for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is now a focus of research and development programmes designed to support decision making about future technology deployment. In this perspective piece, we outline some of the approaches to responsible research and innovation (RRI) being put to work in a United Kingdom-based programme organising field trials of various carbon removal methods. Unlike the disruptive technologies that predominate in RRI scholarship, many land-based methods for carbon removal have already been deployed, in some cases over many decades, with governance closely linked with longstanding fields of research and practice. We highlight why responsible innovation frameworks that developed in the context of geoengineering controversies may be only partially-suited to field trials of land-based carbon removal methods. We suggest that field trials of carbon removal methods are not simply evidentiary procedures but also strategic sites within an emerging innovation regime where RRI approaches can be both implemented and critically tested.

Given the wide spread use of robots and artificial intelligence (AI) across various industries, from auto-driving, healthcare, military, mass media, service sector, large sets of information searching(legal records), financial services, and new business model, etc., both the developed countries and many emerging market economics attach highly importance to the development of AI. They successively make the top-level design in the national strategy level, including China. However, the rapid development and the application of AI presents some alarming governance challenges, while to establish a solid governance system of AI is lagging behind its pace of technological development. Thereafter, conversations and debates on AI are organized, to hearing the different voices from scientists, technologies, ethics, social scientist, philosophers and the general public (the users), then to build up a practical governance system for the assessment of ethical risks, as well as to avoid the uncontrolled growth of the application of AI. In this study, we firstly summarize the ethics risks within society done by AI. Secondly, we discuss the elements of how to build up the governance system of AI, following by comparing the initiatives of AI in different countries or major AI institutions, and exploring the recent Chinese practices towards AI. In the final part, we propose to establish a generic ethical governance framework towards AI under the theory of the responsible research and innovation (RRI), thus, the open scientific governance system will be formed.

Open Science Hub (OSHub) is an international network, with several European partners, aimed at creating collaborative learning spaces based on Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) principles; supporting communities that traditionally do not engage with Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) due to social, economic or geographical barriers to make science-informed decisions and tackling locally relevant STEAM-related challenges. OSHub-Portugal has been working closely with the local school community in the co-development of educational strategies grounded on RRI and Open Schooling principles. This innovative participatory approach promotes the development of student-led projects based on community needs and fosters collaboration with stakeholders, transforming schools into agents of community well-being, innovation and development.

The idea that ethical, social, legal and economic aspects are important considerations in the development of emerging technologies is nothing new. In the 1990s, science policies in the United States began combining public funding for science with research on ethical, legal and social implications (ELSI). This inspired the ongoing development of related funding schemes in Europe such as ELSA (Ethical, Legal and Social Aspects) and RRI (Responsible Research and Innovation), the latter of which also addresses economic considerations. In addition, the academic disciplines representing these aspects – ethics, law, the social sciences and economics – have their own histories of relating to and influencing technological innovation.

Aging populations strain health care systems. Assisted Living Technologies (ALTs) emerge as a potential solution for promoting independent living among older adults. However, the real-world effect of ALTs remains unclear.This study explores benefits and challenges (anticipated and unanticipated) of ALTs for older adults and informal caregivers across three aged care settings (residential aged care facilities [RACFs], retirement villages [RVs], and home-dwelling communities [HDCs]) in Australia.Three ALTs (fall detection sensors, sleep monitors, and smartwatches) were deployed across three settings. NASSS framework (Non-adoption, Abandonment, Scale-up, Spread, and Sustainability), informed by sociotechnical theories, guided analysis of the interplay between technology, user needs, and caregiving context in ALTs implementation. Semistructured interviews with 14 older adults and 9 caregivers from 19 households explored user experiences. Benefits and challenges of using ALTs for older adults and informal caregivers were categorized using the consequences framework.Setting-specific challenges alongside common benefits and challenges across care settings were revealed. The NASSS framework analysis showed how technology limitations, user needs, and caregiving context influenced these outcomes. In RACFs, where residents receive constant nursing assistance, informal caregivers faced uncertainty regarding who was responsible for monitoring residents. In RVs, with a strong sense of community, informal caregivers (often neighbors) were more prone to overreacting to false alarms. Shared sleeping arrangements among HDCs made interpreting sleep data challenging.Implementing ALTs in elderly care settings requires a context-sensitive approach. In RACFs, clear role definitions for informal caregivers and staff are essential. For RVs, design should support help-seeking aligned with residents' social and geographical contexts. Home-dwelling settings may benefit from advanced sleep monitoring tailored to shared living arrangements. Future ALTs development should focus on real-world contexts to promote successful aging in place.

This chapter is concerned with setting up practical guardrails within the research activities and environments of Computational Social Science (CSS). It aims to provide CSS scholars, as well as policymakers and other stakeholders who apply CSS methods, with the critical and constructive means needed to ensure that their practices are ethical, trustworthy, and responsible. It begins by providing a taxonomy of the ethical challenges faced by researchers in the field of CSS. These are challenges related to (1) the treatment of research subjects, (2) the impacts of CSS research on affected individuals and communities, (3) the quality of CSS research and to its epistemological status, (4) research integrity, and (5) research equity. Taking these challenges as motivation for cultural transformation, it then argues for the incorporation of end-to-end habits of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) into CSS practices, focusing on the role that contextual considerations, anticipatory reflection, impact assessment, public engagement, and justifiable and well-documented action should play across the research lifecycle. In proposing the inclusion of habits of RRI in CSS practices, the chapter lays out several practical steps needed for ethical, trustworthy, and responsible CSS research activities. These include stakeholder engagement processes, research impact assessments, data lifecycle documentation, bias self-assessments, and transparent research reporting protocols.

Outstanding multinational companies from emerging countries have been using technology research and development (R&D) project management strategies to develop high level products and services. Open innovation that is based on building partnerships to explore new opportunities, capitalizing on the possibilities available by advancing the company's knowledge base, is an important tool for increasing its competitive advantage by creating business value. However, whether a company can gain competitive advantage in the short term depends heavily on the maturity level of its technologies. Long-term competitiveness, in turn, is related to investment on research and development (R&D) projects that will underpin future innovations. A company's technology readiness influences its technology R&D strategy and, in turn, the ongoing project portfolio. This readiness is related to how close the project outcome is to application or how much it is a more fundamental study, away from use. An important indicator of technology readiness developed by NASA -the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) -has great relevance in risk assessment of product and service development projects and has become a benchmark for rating R&D project portfolios. The case selected was the LAB O&G (O&G COMPANY R&D Center), which develops projects with different readiness and degrees of open innovation. The objective was, through a qual-quant approach, to use these variables to reflect on the dynamics and practices between the levels of technological readiness and the degree of openness of innovation in research and technology development projects. With this it was possible to identify that in O&G COMPANY the R&D projects with higher TRLs lead to greater cooperation from both supplier / partner companies and universities and in lower TRLs the universities have the leading role. In this work it was possible to increase the understanding of the role of each of these variables in the innovation process and to contribute to the open innovation literature through research at the project level.

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International Social Science JournalVolume 65, Issue 217-218 p. 249-261 Document World social science report 2016: challenging inequalities: pathways to a just world (summary)* First published: 15 March 2017 https://doi.org/10.1111/issj.12095Citations: 1 † The World Social Science Report 2016 was prepared by the ISSC and the IDS and co-published with UNESCO. The complete Report is available online at: en.unesco.org/wssr2016. More information about the Report is available from the ISSC: www.worldsocialscience.org. The World Social Science Report 2016 is a collaborative effort made possible by the support and contributions of many people. It was financed by generous contributions from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), UNESCO, as part of its Framework Agreement with the ISSC, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), as well as the European Science Foundation (ESF), Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO), the Research Council of Norway, Riksbankens Jubileumsfond, and the Swedish Research Council. Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume65, Issue217-218Special Issue: Joint Special Issue: Social and sustainability sciences in South East Asia/Social justice and the post-2015 development agendaSeptember‐December 2014Pages 249-261 RelatedInformation

Who Owns a Dissertation, and Why Does It Matter?

BackgroundThe capacity of ketones to improve cognition in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) may depend on ApoE4 status. In the BENEFIC RCT (NCT02551419), improvement in three cognitive domains was directly related to ketones from medium chain triglyceride (kMCT) improving global brain energy status. Post‐kMCT, ketone uptake increased 2.9‐fold in total white matter (WM) and was significantly positively correlated to improved processing speed composite score in 8/9 WM fascicles, especially the fornix (r = 0.47‐0.61; p = 0.014‐0.072; n=16‐17/group). Here we report from the same trial the relationship to both ApoE4(‐) and to WM structural properties post‐intervention.MethodsIn MCI, cognitive outcomes were assessed before and after a 6‐month intervention involving an active arm (15 g kMCT twice/day; n=39) and placebo arm (non‐ketogenic vegetable oil; n=43), both emulsified into a lactose‐free skim milk drink. Brain imaging (18F‐fluorodeoxyglucose [FDG] and 11C‐acetoacetate PET, diffusion MRI at 3 Tesla) was done on a subset of the main cohort.ResultsParticipant demographics and imaging methods were previously reported (Fortier et al. Alz Dementia 2019). In ApoE4(‐) participants, two measures of executive function (verbal fluency [p≤0.016] and Stroop total errors [0.008]) improved more post‐kMCT (n=28) compared to placebo (n=32). Faster completion of the Trail‐making test (motor speed and visual scanning conditions that measure attention and processing speed), was also directly correlated to higher ketone uptake in most of these nine fascicles. Six months on kMCT did not significantly affect WM fascicle structural properties measured by diffusion imaging (apparent fiber density, free water). Diffusion‐tensor imaging metrics and FDG uptake were also unaffected in total WM and in most individual fascicles.ConclusionsIn MCI, the beneficial effect of kMCT on executive function was greater in ApoE4(‐). Better processing speed and attention was directly linked to improved WM energetics, specifically higher ketone uptake in fascicles affected in AD, but did not alter WM structural properties measurable by diffusion imaging. Ketones improved outcomes in all five main cognitive domains in MCI so a ketone‐based prevention‐type trial to delay the onset of AD is warranted. Acknowledgements: Supported by the Alzheimer Association, Nestlé Health Science, MITACS, FRQS and USherbrooke.

Academic procrastination in university students of social and health sciences was compared according to socio-academic variables, such as: age, gender, occupation, area and year of study. The research was descriptive-comparative, quantitative, non-experimental; 1000 university social and health sciences students intentionally selected according to quotas participated. The information was collected with a duly validated instrument about academic procrastination. It was observed that: the majority of students perceive high academic procrastination (62%), low academic self-regulation (41%) and high procrastination of activities (74%). Concluding that the trend of academic procrastination is mostly present in students of social sciences, in male students, in the first years or academic cycles and in those who are studying while working. Therefore, most students who procrastinate avoid prioritizing the development of academic activities for others that are of particular interest such as: excessive use of technology, social networks, dependence on cell phones and work.

The development of the social and health sciences in Japan

Globalization and increasing international mobility intensify the importance of intercultural competencies in public trust professions. Previous research indicates that cultural intelligence and multicultural personality are crucial in intercultural interactions. The aim of this study was to assess the level of cultural intelligence, multicultural personality traits, and perceptions of cultural differences among students of social sciences, medical sciences, and health sciences. In Poland, the scale of cross-border contacts continues to grow, creating an educational challenge in preparing future professionals for work in multicultural environments. The study employed a proprietary questionnaire along with the Cultural Intelligence Scale (CQS) and the short version of the Multicultural Personality Questionnaire (MPQ SF-40). A total of 102 students from a large university in southern Poland participated in the study. The findings revealed that social science students demonstrated significantly higher levels of cultural intelligence compared to students of medical and health sciences. Cultural intelligence was positively correlated with cultural empathy, open-mindedness, social initiative, and emotional stability. To date, no studies in Poland have addressed this issue. The results highlight the need to design educational programs that foster intercultural competencies while considering the specific professional roles and differences in student preparation.

Extended-Reality Technologies: An Overview of Emerging Applications in Medical Education and Clinical Care.