Where do IPBES delegates in Europe see challenges,needs, gaps and opportunities in policy uptake of “Nature’s contributions to people”?

This research note illustrates how European national delegates to the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) perceive the challenges, needs, gaps and opportunities related to the policy implementation of “Nature’s contributions to people (NCP)” in their nation. Until now, only little information has been available on how IPBES delegations perceive national policy-uptake and the implementation of the IPBES core concept of NCP. Based on an online survey with IPBES delegates, we aim to provide a stock-take of how IPBES delegations see NCP currently being incorporated in national government policies in Europe and how these policies are being implemented through programmes. Survey results show IPBES delegates consider a lack of relevant data and methodologies for NCP assessments to be a major obstacle to the uptake and implementation of NCP concepts in Europe. We wonder if availability of data and methodologies are the most prominent challenges to make IPBES a success, and consider the need for policy uptake and implementation to be more prominently addressed within the IPBES process.     

‘Acupuncture for antenatal depression: It’s worth giving it a go’ — A qualitative study

Background

Treatment strategies for the management of antenatal depression are limited by varied and often modest response rates, unpleasant medication side effects and uncertainty regarding foetal safety. Consequently, many pregnant women experiencing depression seek alternative non-pharmaceutical options. Acupuncture may provide a safe and potentially effective additional treatment, however further investigation is required. In this qualitative study, we explored the views of health professionals regarding the possible incorporation of acupuncture into mainstream care.

Women’s experiences of having depression during pregnancy and receiving acupuncture treatment—A qualitative study

Background

Research indicates some women experiencing depression during pregnancy are dissatisfied with conventional depression treatments due to incomplete effectiveness, dislike of side effects, unsatisfactory experiences with providers and concerns regarding in-utero and breastfeeding safety. Consequently, many explore alternative options including acupuncture. To further understand women’s views, preferences and motivations in this regard, as well as their experiences of receiving acupuncture as part of a three-armed pragmatic randomised controlled trial evaluating acupuncture for antenatal depression in Sydney, Australia, in-depth interviews were conducted with a group of acupuncture recipients.

Modeling agricultural risk management policies – The implementation of the Income Stabilization Tool in Italy

This paper investigates the potential impact of the income stabilisation tool (IST), currently introduced in the European Common Agricultural Policy to reduce farmers’ income risks using Italian agriculture as case study. The paper extends the existing literature by investigating the effects of two implementation issues: level of aggregation of mutual funds (MF); definition of farmers’ contribution (i.e. premium) to MF. We use a simulation approach based on a FADN panel data set of 3421 farms over a period of 7 years to investigate effects on (i) farm-level income variability, (ii) the expected level and variability of indemnifications at the level of mutual funds and (iii) the distribution of net benefits from this policy instrument across the farm population. We find that the introduction of the IST would lead to a significant reduction of income variability in Italian agriculture. Our results support the establishment of a national mutual fund due to the high volatility of indemnification levels at more disaggregated (e.g. regional or sectoral) levels. In addition, our results propose that farmers’ contribution to mutual funds, i.e. premiums paid, should be modulated according to farm size as this reduces the inequality of the distribution of benefits of such tool within the farm population.     

Structuring software anthropometric variables on CD Rom as a facilitator of the process of design of work situations

The environment where everyday activities are developed, these should be appropriate and the individual who will execute them, for greater efficiency of their work and even if you feel safe, comfortable and satisfied when interacting with that space, expending less energy to this interaction. Given this context, this study aims to structure a software with the results obtained in the field, from anthropometric measure to subsidize the furniture industry in manufacturing of furniture, definition work situations, considering the different anthropometric measurements made between 2001 and 2010, using data from this sample of adults aged 18 to 65 years old and children between 6 and 11 years old. It was convenient to make the software with a site, only instead of staying on the Web has been recorded on CD Rom. Tests with the prototype allow navigation through the structure of the software. The data needed to implement the remaining modules were also raised. Issues related to system layout and usability of the interface also were not considered, because it is an initial prototype.     

Design for reflection

Since a few years, a number of academic papers have been proposing to shift from user-centered design to human-centered (or person) design. In this contribution, we discuss as the common tread underlying these works the idea that design should also address the reflective part of our human experience, and not only aim to maximize the experiential aspects. Our review is complemented with examples derived from the internet world and from ICT consumer products. The main research areas we see as promising for the approach of "design for reflection" are: design for pauses, design for detachment, design for serendipity.     

The ‘proper’ way to spread ideas through social media: exploring the affordances and constraints of different social media platforms as perceived by Italian activists

Social media have become a relevant arena for different forms of civic engagement and activism. This article focuses on the affordances and constraints of different social media platforms as they are perceived by Italian activists. Instead of focusing on single protest movements, or on single platforms, we adopt a media ecological approach and consider a variety of environments where people can choose to express protest‐related content. Our main goal is to explore whether, and how, the affordances and constraints of different social media platforms are perceived by users, and how such perceived differences are integrated in everyday social media activities. To this end, we combined in‐depth interviews with an adapted version of the cognitive walkthrough and thinking aloud techniques. Respondents reported that they act on social media platforms according to specific representations of what each platform ‘is’, and how it works. Such perceptions affect users’ protest‐related social media practices. Although they perceive major social media platforms filtering strategies and are aware, to different extents, of their commodified nature, they report continuing to use them for activism‐related communication, often adopting an instrumental approach.     

Über innovationsverhindernde und innovationsfördernde DenkweisenAbout Innovation Impeding and Innovation Facilitating Mindsets

This article examines the question why large organizations, despite skillful employees and available resources, are seldom the driver of innovations. Subsequently, we highlight possibilities to overcome this current situation. It is argued that organizations have a distinct focus on an analytic-deductive mindset that undermines the acquisition of new knowledge. Therefore, organizations miss to recognize and react according to the needs of clients, as well as their employees. As a possible solution, an abductive-hypothetical mindset is presented, which supports organizations to create innovations. In order to illustrate the differences between these mindsets, we compare these approaches and examine the reasons and structures that lead to the dominance of the deductive mindset within the majority of organizations. Building on this discussion, we identify possibilities how consultants could establish abductive, innovation enhancing elements within the organizational structure. These suggestions are based on the five discovery skills (questioning, observing, experimenting, networking, and associating) of the Innovator‘s-DNA-model and are supplemented by examples how these skills can be implemented into the organization’s routine.     

Ansteckungsprozesse in Gruppen: Die Rolle von geteilten Gefühlen für Gruppenprozesse und -ergebnisse

Feelings are not only a matter of individual group members. Within groups, individuals’ feelings converge resulting in a group affective tone. This paper provides an overview about processes that contribute to group affective tone as well as research findings about related group processes and outcomes. Group affective tone compromises two independent dimensions: positive group affective tone and negative group affective tone. Positive group affective tone is usually related to desired group processes and outcomes. It also promotes cooperation and performance. A negative group affective tone promotes group processes and outcomes only in groups that work together for a short time. In longer lasting groups negative group affective tone is linked to conflicts and reduced performance. Groups should be aware that affect spills over, cultivate a positive group affective tone and regulate an emergent negative group affective tone at an early stage.