Kobiety w polityce, aspiracje i praktyka

The paper discusses the role of women in public life, in particular in the realm of politics. Surveys show that women do well in free market economies, where they rank quite highly in the European Union (35% of employers), whereas their participation in politics is considerably smaller. The paper presents the data on women participating in the highest bodies of representational authorities and local governments, as well as their achievements in the Women’s Parliamentary Group and their struggle to obtain parity on electoral ballots, concluded by winning a 35% quota.The paper discusses the role of women in public life, in particular in the realm of politics. Surveys show that women do well in free market economies, where they rank quite highly in the European Union (35% of employers), whereas their participation in politics is considerably smaller. The paper presents the data on women participating in the highest bodies of representational authorities and local governments, as well as their achievements in the Women’s Parliamentary Group and their struggle to obtain parity on electoral ballots, concluded by winning a 35% quota

Targeting Teacher Education and Professional Development for Inclusion

Teachers around the world are likely to encounter students with varied backgrounds and experiences, strengths and weaknesses in their classrooms. The paper reviews the literature and available data on how teachers can be agents of inclusion in education. It focuses particularly on how teacher education and professional development systems can assist in this task. It then describes the challenges present in the existing design of systems and offers recommendations for ways forward. The article is based on the research conducted for the 2020 Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report (UNESCO, 2020). Hence, it takes a broad view of inclusion in education, not limited to any groups, but rather focused on learning for all learners. The paper emphasises the central role teachers can play in accommodating students of all abilities and backgrounds. It also highlights the importance of relevant internationally comparable data on teacher training, as part of Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4) and particularly its target 4.c. Finally, the paper discusses the challenges and ways forward in supporting and strengthening teachers’ role in building inclusion in education

Autorytaryzm XXI wieku czy nam grozi?

Democratic systems are neither perfect nor satisfactory, therefore theoreticians offer different models of democracy. Consequently, democracy is understood in different ways, which are presented in this paper. The most interesting ones are proposed by R. Dahl, A. Lijphart and J. Schumpeter. The latter calls into question the notion of the ‘common good’ and an individual’s rationality in political life. The paper discusses different models of democracy: representative, consensual and polyarchic. A democratic system is based on principles and abounds in great advantages, the most desirable of which include peace (democratic states have not waged wars) and the fact that the market economy is more efficient. In order to maintain polyarchic institutions a state needs to meet certain conditions which cannot be maintained everywhere. If these conditions are not fulfilled, the system can be deemed to be nondemocratic. If only some conditions are present, the system will be highly unstable. This instability leads the research on authoritarianism to develop dynamically. Authoritarian systems are political systems of limited political plurality that are free from the accountability of society, yet authoritarianism is also a certain type of mentality and personality. The research Adorno and his colleagues conducted in the mid-twentieth century introduced the notion of an authoritarian personality; The Polish research also demonstrates an interesting correlation between authoritarian features, which are presented in the paper

Heterozygosität und Fitness bei einem bedrohten Singvogel : Blutparasitenbefall wird durch Einzel-Lokus, aber nicht durch Genom-weite Effekte erklärt

In non-pedigreed populations, insights into effects of inbreeding can be obtained by correlations between individual heterozygosity and fitness-related traits (HFCs). Using an information-theoretic approach, we explored whether heterozygosity of microsatellite markers, measured as internal relatedness (IR), is associated with infection by blood parasites (Plasmodium, Trypanosoma, or Leucocytozoon) in the threatened Aquatic Warbler (Acrocephalus paludicola). We also explored whether any of the markers is more influential than others, or than IR, in explaining blood parasitism (single-locus effects). While we observed that IR was a relatively important predictor of Plasmodium parasitism, we did not find strong evidence for IR to correlate with infection by the identified blood parasites, accounting for sex and population effects. Therefore, our data did not support negative inbreeding effects on blood parasite infection in the Aquatic Warbler. However, we found single-locus effects, such that individuals heterozygous at AW-03 and Ase19 had lower probability of infection by blood parasites pooled together and by Plasmodium, respectively. This indicates that these two markers are in linkage disequilibrium with unknown fitness loci which are related to resisting or clearing blood parasites, and which confer a heterozygote advantage in the Aquatic Warbler. Our results add to the growing evidence that single-locus effects contribute more to HFCs than formerly recognized and have implications for Aquatic Warbler conservation

Enhancing photocatalytic performance of TiO2 in H2 evolution via Ru co-catalyst deposition

A series of ruthenium catalysts supported into pure anatase titania were tested in the photo-production of hydrogen from methanol:water mixtures under UV and visible illumination conditions. Catalysts containing 1, 2, 3 and 5 wt.% of ruthenium were subjected to a characterization study with the help of X-ray diffraction, Raman, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, photoluminescence, morphology as well as scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Through the measurement of the optical properties of the suspension of the catalysts and the hydrogen photo-production reaction rate we calculate the true quantum efficiency. Optimum activity is presented by the catalyst with a 3 wt.% of Ru component, which shows quantum efficiency values of ca. 3.1 and 0.6% under, respectively, UV and visible light illumination. Careful examination of the physico-chemical properties of the solid allows to establish a correlation between the ruthenium surface exposed and the quantum efficiency. The implications of such result to justify chemical activity of the ruthenium supported samples are discussed both for UV and visible illumination conditions

Bimetallic Pt-Pd co-catalyst Nb-doped TiO2 materials for H2 photo-production under UV and Visible light illumination

In this work we synthesized a series of binary PtPd co-catalysts supported on a Nb-doped TiO2 support. The catalytic solids and corresponding monometallic reference systems are characterized using X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron, and UV–vis spectroscopies, together with microscopy and porosimetry tools. Such characterization was able to show the formation of PtPd alloy particles in the bimetallic catalysts. The mono and bimetallic TiO2-based powders were tested in the photo-production of hydrogen from methanol:water mixtures under UV and visible illumination conditions. Analysis of catalytic properties was carried out through the measurement of the optical properties of the materials and the calculation of the true quantum efficiency parameter. Results indicate that the PtPd co-catalysts have superior performance that the Pt and Pd monometallic counterparts both under UV and visible illumination conditions. Optimum performance was achieved with a material having a Pt:Pd 1:1 atomic ratio. A remarkable increase in the use of the visible range and thus in sunlight utilization is achieved with the 1:1 Pt:Pd bimetallic system with respect to the monometallic counterparts. The evolution of the bimetallic co-catalysts under reaction conditions as well as their key properties to interpret photo-activity were analyzed with the help of the above mentioned techniques as well as photoluminescence spectroscopy and an in-situ infrared analysis of the materials under reaction conditions. Results point out the critical role that both PtPd alloying and the metal-support interface play in the reaction

Morphological and structural behavior of TiO2 nanoparticles in the presence of WO3: crystallization of the oxide composite system

Composite TiO2–WO3 oxide materials were prepared by a single pot microemulsion method and studied during calcination treatments under dry air in order to analyze the influence of tungsten on the behavior of the dominant titania component. To this end, the surface and bulk morphological and structural evolution of the solid precursors was studied using X-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy. In the calcination process, differences in the dominant titania component behavior appeared as a function of the W/Ti atomic ratio of the precursor. First, the crystallization of the anatase phase is affected by tungsten through an effect on the primary particle size growth. Furthermore, such an effect also influences the anatase to rutile phase transformation. The study provides evidence that the W–Ti interaction develops differently for a low/high W/Ti atomic ratio below/above 0.25 affecting fundamentally the above-mentioned anatase primary particle size growth process and the subsequent formation of the rutile phase and showing that addition of tungsten provides a way to control morphology and phase behavior in anatase-based oxide complex materialsComisión Interminsterial de Ciencia y Tecnología CT2010- 14872/BQUJunta de Andalucía FQM6090Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas 201460E00

Surface CuO, Bi2O3, and CeO2 species supported in TiO2-anatase: Study of Interface Effects in Toluene Photodegradation Quantum Efficiency

The enhancement of active triggered by surface deposition of Cu, Bi, and Ce containing oxidic species onto a high surface area anatase is analyzed through the calculation of the quantum efficiency for toluene photodegradation under UV and Sunlight-type illumination. To this end, series of Cu, Bi, and Ce containing oxides supported on anatase were synthesized having a growing content of the Cu, Bi, and Ce surface species and characterized with X-ray diffraction and photoelectron, UV-visible, and photoluminescence spectroscopies as well as transmission electron microscopy. Utilizing the surface concentration of Cu, Bi, and Ce species as a tool, we analyzed the influence of the system physicochemical properties affecting quantum efficiency in anatase-based materials. First, employing small surface concentrations of the Cu, Bi, and Ce species deposited onto (the unperturbed) anatase, we provided evidence that all steps of the photocatalytic event, including light absorption, charge recombination, as well as surface interaction with the pollutant and chemical output as to activity and selectivity have significance in the quantitative assessment of the enhancement of the efficiency parameter. Second, we analyzed samples rendering maximum quantum efficiency within all these series of materials. The study indicates that maximum enhancement over anatase displays a magnitude strongly dependent on the efficiency level of calculation and would thus require the use of the most accurate one, and that it occurs through a balance between optoelectronic and chemical properties of the composite materials. The (Cu, Bi, Ce) oxide-anatase interface plays a major role modulating the optoelectronic properties of the solids and thus the efficiency observableFinancial support by MINECO (ENE2013-46624-C4-1-R) is gratefully acknowledge

Role of alkali-cyano group interaction in g-C3N4 based catalysts for hydrogen photo-production

Carbon nitride based materials incorporating K and Na alkali ions were used as support(s) to deposit platinum. The systems were tested in the photo-production of hydrogen using methanol as a sacrificial molecule. Tests under UV and sunlight-type illumination conditions showed an important promoting effect of the alkali ions irrespective of the illumination source characteristics. The measurement of the quantum efficiency was used to quantitatively assess the performance of the catalysts. Outstanding results were obtained, particularly under sunlight illumination. A complete characterization study of the materials was carried out to establish a structure-activity link. This link correlates catalytic activity with the capture of charge carrier species by surface cyano groups directly associated with the presence of alkali ions at the carbon nitride componen