The Academic Profession: A Common Core, a Diversified Group or an Outdated Idea?

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Academic Systems and Professional Conditions in Five European Countries

Despite the tendency to create a European Higher Education and Research area, academic systems are still quite different across Europe. We selected five countries (Finland, Germany, Italy, Norway and the UK) to investigate how the differences have an impact on a number of aspects of the working conditions of academic staff. One crucial aspect is the growing diversification of professional activity: reduction of tenured and tenure tracked position, the growing number of fixed-term contracts for both teaching and research, including the growing recruitment of academic staff from external professional fields. These changes are connected with the changing functions of higher education systems and signal the growing openness of higher education institutions to their outside social and economic environment. To understand these trends one has to take into consideration the different degree in which systems distinguish between teaching and research functions. A second aspect has to do with career paths, their regulation, their length and speed. Here, the history of recruitment and career mechanisms in different countries are of particular importance because the different systems went through different periods of change and stability. Also connected to career is the willingness and the opportunity to move from one position to another, both within and outside the academic world. A third aspect deserving attention that is connected to mobility is the professional satisfaction among academic staff in the five systems considered

Alcuni temi trascurati nella formazione degli insegnanti della scuola secondaria

Imparare non è un'operazione passiva, vuol dire aprire la testa degli allievi in modo che loro stessi si approprino del sapere. La scuola italiana ha pensato, erroneamente, che le competenze socio-psico-pedagogiche siano necessarie solo per la scuola dell'infanzia e l'educazione primaria. Ma è proprio nell'arco del primo ciclo della scuola secondaria che si creano i presupposti per i fenomeni di dispersione scolastica. L'insuccesso scolastico può essere dovuto a carenze dell'ambiente nell'identificare, stimolare e valorizzare le capacità. Quando entriamo per la prima volta in un'aula davanti a un gruppo di giovani la prima cosa che dovremmo cercare di capire è su che cosa far leva per fare in modo che i giovani sentano di essere capitati in un ambiente che vuole valorizzare le loro capacità. Per una scuola del sapere e del saper fare sono necessari i laboratori per vari tipi di applicazioni tecniche, le attività ludico-artistico-sportive, le attività di alternanza e di stage, di volontariato. Alcuni temi di natura socio-psico-pedagogica e di didattica generale dovrebbero far parte della fase di tirocinio che segue la formazione universitaria

Die deutsche Gesellschaft nach der Vereinigung aus der Sicht eines Europäers

"Mir sind keine Meinungsforschungsuntersuchungen darüber bekannt, wie die Einstellungen der europäischen Bevölkerung zur deutschen Einheit aussehen. In Ermangelung empirischer Daten ist man auf die Meinungen verwiesen, die in der Tagespresse erscheinen. Grundsätzlich können Meinungen und Einstellungen schwach oder stark begründet sein, aber auch schwach begründete Meinungen beeinflussen das Verhalten, wie dies bei Vorurteilen der Fall ist. In der Beurteilung des vereinten Deutschland liegt eine Ambivalenz vor: 1. Der Prozeß der wirtschaftlichen und sozialen Integration der neuen Bundesländer wird als erfolgreich hingestellt. Das neue Deutschland hat die Übergangsphase inzwischen durchlaufen und ist im Begriff, eine Hegemonie über Europa auszuüben. Die Stärke der DM wird mit wirtschaftlicher und, darüber vermittelt, mit politischer Macht gleichgesetzt. Dieser ersten Beurteilung steht eine zweite gegenüber: 2. Die Schwierigkeiten der Integration der neuen Bundesländer sind größer als erwartet. Die Bewältigung dieser Schwierigkeit erfordert alle Anstrengungen der Bundesbürger. Durch diese Aufgabenverlagerung nach innen wird Deutschland nach außen isoliert. Folglich wird es seine Rolle als Motor der Einigungsprozeß Europas vernachlässigen. Das Problem der nationalen Einigung gewinnt Vorrang vor dem Problem der europäischen Einigung. Bei aller Widersprüchlichkeit dieser beiden Beurteilungen drücken sie beide eine gemeinsame Befürchtung aus. Das neue vereinte Deutschland wird in beiden Positionen als unbequemer Partner befürchtet, das eine Mal, weil seine Präsenz zu groß, das andere Mal, weil seine Präsenz zu klein ist. Beide Positionen leiten sich aus einer einseitig gestellten Frage ab: Was kann Europa von Deutschland erwarten ? Man sollte sich vielmehr auch die umgekehrte Frage stellen: Was kann Deutschland von den anderen europäischen Partner bei der Bewältigung seiner innerdeutschen Probleme erwarten? Man hat übersehen, daß 17 Millionen Ost-Deutsche gleichzeitig Bürger der EU geworden sind und daß ihre Integration in Europa nicht nur eine innerdeutsche, sondern eine gesamteuropäische Herausforderung bedeutet." (Autorenreferat

First trimester diagnosis of iniencephaly associated with fetal malformations and trisomy 18: Report of a new case and gene analysis on folate metabolism in parents

ABSTRACT  Iniencephaly is a rare congenital malformation consisting of a complex alteration of the embryonic development occurring around the third post‐fertilization week and characterized by a hyper‐retroflexion of the cephalic pole. We report a case of iniencephaly associated with acrania‐encephalocele, spina bifida and abnormal ductus venosus in a fetus with trisomy 18 diagnosed at 12 week's gestation in a 41‐year‐old woman. A co‐occurrence between aneuploidy and iniencephaly was documented and polymorphisms on folate metabolism‐related genes were investigated in the parents to assess possible etiologic factors and recurrence risk for neural tube defects (NTD). An homozygous state for the MTRR polymorphism was diagnosed in the mother, identifying a clinical risk for NTD. Once iniencephaly or any other NTD are suspected, genetic analysis, second level ultrasound and fetal karyotype are recommended. Autopsy should also be performed in all cases of early ultrasound‐based diagnosis of fetal malformations

Long term trends in aerosol optical characteristics in the Po Valley, Italy

Aerosol properties have been monitored by ground-based in situ and remote sensing measurements at the station for atmospheric research located in Ispra, on the edge of the Po Valley, for almost one decade. In situ measurements are performed according to Global Atmosphere Watch recommendations, and quality is assured through the participation in regular inter-laboratory comparisons. Sunphotometer data are produced by the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET). Data show significant decreasing trends over the 2004–2010 period for a number of variables, including particulate matter (PM) mass concentration, aerosol scattering, backscattering and absorption coefficients, and aerosol optical thickness (AOT). In situ measurement data show no significant trends in the aerosol backscatter ratio, but they do show a significant decreasing trend of about −0.7±0.3%yr−1 in the aerosol single scattering albedo (SSA) in the visible light range. Similar trends are observed in the SSA retrieved from sun-photometer measurements. Correlations appear between in situ PM mass concentration and aerosol scattering coefficient, on the one hand, and elemental carbon (EC) concentration and aerosol absorption coefficient, on the other hand. However, no increase in the EC /PM ratio was observed, which could have explained the decrease in SSA. The application of a simple approximation to calculate the direct radiative forcing by aerosols suggests a significant diminution in their cooling effect, mainly due to the decrease in AOT. Applying the methodology we present to those sites, where the necessary suite of measurements is available, would provide important information to inform future policies for air-quality enhancement and fast climate change mitigation.JRC.H.2-Air and Climat

JRC Ispra EMEP - GAW Regional Station for Atmospheric Research - 2005 Report

The aim of the JRC-Ispra station for atmospheric research (45°49'N, 8°38'E) is to monitor atmospheric parameters (pollutant concentrations and fluxes, atmospheric particle chemical composition, number size distribution and optical properties) to contribute in assessing the impact of European policies on air pollution and climate change. The station has been operated continuously since November 1985, with a gap in gas phase data due to a severe breakdown of the data acquisition system in 2003 though. The measurements performed in 2005 led to annual averages of ca. 43 µg m-3 O3, 4 µg m-3 SO2, 16 µg m-3 NO2, 0.8 mg m-3 CO and 41 µg m-3 PM10. Carbonaceous species (organic matter plus elemental carbon) are the main constituents of both PM10 and PM2.5 (> 50%) followed by (NH4)2SO4 and NH4NO3 (a bit less than 20% each). The measurements confirmed the seasonal variations observed over the previous years, mainly driven by meteorology rather than by changes in emissions. Aerosol physical and optical properties were measured from 2004. The average particle number (from 6 nm to 10 µm) was about 10000 cm-3 in 2005. The mean (close to dry) aerosol single scattering albedo (a key parameter for determining the aerosol direct radiative forcing) was 0.80. Long-term trends (over 20 years) show decreases in sulfur concentrations and deposition, and in extreme ozone value occurrence frequency. The decreasing trends in nitrogen oxides, reduced nitrogen species, and PM concentrations are much less marked.JRC.H.2-Climate chang

The AM3aC2A Project: Multiscale approach for modeling CMC and UHTCMC materials for reusable components for aerospace

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