Assessment of Sustainability Governance in Higher Education Institutions - a Systemic Tool using a Governance Equalizer

The paper aims to add to the discussion on sustainability governance in higher education institutions by examining the role of sustainability assessment and introducing an assessment tool inspired by systemic thinking and centered on a ‘governance equalizer’. It discusses recent research and argues that the complexity inherent in sustainability governance remains to be addressed adequately. While a number of models and frameworks have been proposed, most of them remain caught between narrow, management-oriented approaches on the one hand, and rather abstract approaches that provide little guidance for improving the field on the other. Sustainability assessment tools represent a potential way to bridge this gap. While there are existing tools which include issues of sustainability governance, these are often limited to aspects that are easily quantifiable and neglect more complex aspects. Against this background, the article proposes an alternative tool to assess sustainability governance in higher education institutions. The tool is based on a multi-case study in Germany and has been tested in a series of workshops. Drawing on the concept of a ‘governance equalizer’, it focuses on the functional requirements of sustainability governance in five dimensions - politics, profession, organization, knowledge, and the public—and how they are addressed by the HEI. The tool raises the level of abstraction in order to capture complexity, but at the same time keeps sight of governance structures, processes, instruments, and practices. It combines clearly defined criteria that are assessed using carefully developed maturity scales with a focus on stakeholder participation and knowledge

Interdependencies of Culture and Functions of Sustainability Governance at Higher Education Institutions

Sustainable development practices in higher education institutions are diverse, with regard not only to the types of challenges that have to be addressed, but also to the forms of sustainability governance adopted by individual higher education institutions. This paper aims to reflect on the aspects of organizational culture that are particularly crucial for the implementation of sustainable practices at higher education institutions. Specifically, it addresses the research question: how do different organizational cultures affect approaches to sustainability governance at higher education institutions (HEIs)? It reflects on data from multi-case studies at eleven German higher education institutions. Four of the cases are analyzed in this paper to draw out the insights they offer on how organizational culture shapes the institutions’ approach to sustainable development. A governance equalizer is used as a functional framework for evaluating and discussing the influence of different cultural orientations on sustainability governance. In addition to providing many insights and findings in relation to specific cases, comparison of the different institutions, their governance structures and their cultures of sustainable development helps to emphasize that there is no single cultural factor that can be identified as directly promoting particular governance structures. Rather, there is an active interplay between cultural orientations, which influence, and are also influenced by, the measures deployed. Such influence is not instantly apparent but needs time to develop, and it evolves in a variety of ways as illustrated by the case studies

Role of Clouds, Aerosols, and Aerosol-Cloud Interaction in 20th Century Simulations with GISS ModelE2

The key uncertainties in the climate sensitivity to the increasing greenhouse gases lie in the behavior and impact of short-lived species, such as tropospheric aerosols and ozone, and secondly, in the response and impact of the ocean circulation

Overlapping activator sequences determined for two oppositely oriented promoters in halophilic Archaea

Transcription of the genomic region involved in gas vesicle formation in Halobacterium salinarum (p-vac) and Haloferax mediterranei (mc-vac) is driven by two divergent promoters, PA and PD, separated by only 35 nt. Both promoters are activated by the transcription activator GvpE which in the case of PmcA requires a 20-nt sequence (UAS) consisting of two conserved 8-nt sequence portions located upstream of BRE. Here, we determined the two UAS elements in the promoter region of p-vac by scanning mutageneses using constructs containing PpD (without PpA) fused to the bgaH reporter gene encoding an enzyme with β-galactosidase activity, or the dual reporter construct pApD with PpD fused to bgaH and PpA to an altered version of gvpA. The two UAS elements found exhibited a similar extension and distance to BRE as previously determined for the UAS in PmcA. Their distal 8-nt portions almost completely overlapped in the centre of PpD–PpA, and mutations in this region negatively affected the GvpE-mediated activation of both promoters. Any alteration of the distance between BRE and UAS resulted in the loss of the GvpE activation, as did a complete substitution of the proximal 8-nt portion, underlining that a close location of UAS and BRE was very important

Chimera states in multi-strain epidemic models with temporary immunity

We investigate a time-delayed epidemic model for multi-strain diseases with temporary immunity. In the absence of cross-immunity between strains, dynamics of each individual strain exhibits emergence and annihilation of limit cycles due to a Hopf bifurcation of the endemic equilibrium, and a saddle-node bifurcation of limit cycles depending on the time delay associated with duration of temporary immunity. Effects of all-to-all and non-local coupling topologies are systematically investigated by means of numerical simulations, and they suggest that cross-immunity is able to induce a diverse range of complex dynamical behaviors and synchronization patterns, including discrete traveling waves, solitary states, and amplitude chimeras. Interestingly, chimera states are observed for narrower cross-immunity kernels, which can have profound implications for understanding the dynamics of multi-strain diseases

Basic psychological needs and job satisfaction in Swiss in-service special education students

In welchem Zusammenhang stehen die Arbeitsbedingungen von Sonderpädagog*innen im integrativen Berufsalltag mit ihrer Arbeitszufriedenheit? Diese Frage ist hochaktuell, da im Kontext der wachsenden Integrationsbemühungen der Personalbedarf in integrativen Settings der Sonderpädagogik zunimmt, während frühzeitige Berufsausstiege den Personalmangel verschärfen. Ein zentraler Aspekt der Arbeitsbedingungen gemäß der Self-Determination Theory ist die Erfüllung der psychologischen Grundbedürfnisse soziale Eingebundenheit, Kompetenzerleben und Autonomie. Um die psychologischen Grundbedürfnisse im Arbeitsalltag von Schweizer Sonderpädagog*innen zu untersuchen, wurden problemzentrierte Interviews mit 30 berufsbegleitend Studierenden der Sonderpädagogik durchgeführt, die in integrativen Settings arbeiten. Mittels inhaltlich strukturierender und evaluativer qualitativer Inhaltsanalyse wurden die psychologischen Grundbedürfnisse mit der aktuellen Arbeitszufriedenheit in Beziehung gesetzt. Über viel Autonomie wird in Bezug auf das individuelle Unterrichten im direkten Kontakt mit den Schüler*innen berichtet, für die Arbeitszufriedenheit scheint aber die Autonomie auf Team- und Professionsebene relevanter zu sein. Zentral ist hier vor allem die Förderung einer konstruktiven Zusammenarbeit durch die Schulleitung, aber auch die Stärkung der Sonderpädagog*innen in ihrer Berufsrolle. (DIPF/Orig.)What are the working conditions of special education teachers (SET) in inclusive settings, and how are they related to job satisfaction? These questions are highly topical, as in the context of growing integration efforts, staffing needs in inclusive special education settings are increasing while early career exits are exacerbating staff shortages. A critical aspect of working conditions, according to self-determination theory, are the basic psychological needs of relatedness, competence, and autonomy. To explore basic psychological needs in Swiss SET, we conducted problem-centered interviews with 30 in-service SET students already working in inclusive school settings. The interviews were analyzed with structuring and evaluative qualitative content analysis to explore the relationship between basic psychological needs and job satisfaction. Perceived autonomy was highest in individual teaching situations, in direct contact with the students; however, team autonomy as well as autonomy at the level of Special Education as a profession seemed to be more relevant for job satisfaction. How school leaders support team cooperation and strengthen SET in their professional role seem to be crucial factors in this context. (DIPF/Orig.

Influence of solar radiation on the production of secondary metabolites in three rice (Oryza sativa) cultivars

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is one of the most produced and consumed cereals worldwide and has its importance highlighted mainly in developing countries, where it plays a strategic economic and social role. Due to the importance of rice in the diet, its composition and nutritional characteristics are directly related to the health of the population. In the rice production systems, some climatic factors are determinants for the good performance of the crop, inducing the biosynthesis of primary and secondary metabolites. The present study determined the metabolic profiles through UV-visible spectrophotometry of leaf samples of three rice cultivars (Marques -- white, \\^Onix -- black, and Rubi -- red pericarp) throughout the rice's vegetative stages in two experimental times, from September to December 2015 and from January to April 2016. Solar radiation was recorded along the experimental period. To the organosolvent extracts of leaf samples, UV-vis spectrophotometric techniques were applied and the quantitative results of certain metabolites, e.g., chlorophylls, carotenoids, phenolics, flavonoids, and sugars, as well the antioxidant activity, which were analyzed by chemometrics tools. The results showed that biochemical parameters carotenoids, chlorophylls and sugars are more affected by the intensity of the radiation do que as vari\\'\a\veis phenolics, flavonoids and these alterations may be detected through statistical analysis of biochemical concentrations and UV-vis spectra.CAPES -Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior(407323/2013-9)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Test of electric conductivity on the assessment of physiological quality of crambe seeds(Crambe abyssinica Hochst)

The study aimed to assess present the effects of water volume and imbibition periods on the application of electric conductivity test on crambe seeds. We used crambe (Crambe abyssinica Hochst) seeds of 5 lots, FMS Brilhante cultivar, provided by the MS Foundation, from properties located in different locations of Mato Grosso do Sul State, produced on the 2012 harvest. We used randomized block designs with four replicates. For the characterization of the lots, we conducted germination tests and emergence speed index. Posteriorly, we performed the electric conductivity test, using 25ºC as imbibition temperature, four volumes of water (20mL, 30mL, 40mL and 50mL) and 5 imbibition periods (30, 60, 120, 240 e 360 minutes). We observed that the higher the volume the lower the quantity of electrolytes liberated by the seeds. The electric conductivity test was efficient in order to assess the vigor of crambe seeds. The volumes of 20 and 30mL, with imbibition period of 240 minutes, were the most favorable conditions in the conduction of our test.O presente estudo teve como objetivo avaliar os efeitos do volume de água e períodos de embebição na aplicação do teste de condutividade elétrica em sementes de crambe.. Foram utilizadas sementes de 5 lotes de crambe (Crambe abyssinica Hochst), cultivar FMS Brilhante fornecidos pela Fundação MS, oriundos de propriedades localizadas em diferentes locais do Estado de Mato Grosso do Sul, produzidas na safra 2012. Foi utilizando delineamento em blocos casualizados com quatro repetições. Foram feitos, teste de germinação e índice de velocidade de emergência para caracterização dos lotes. Posteriormente foi efetuada a condução do teste de condutividade elétrica utilizando 25ºC como temperatura de embebição, quatro volumes de água (20mL, 30mL, 40mL e 50mL) e 5 tempos de embebição (30, 60, 120, 240 e 360 minutos). Foi observado que quanto maior o volume, menor a quantidade de eletrólitos liberados pelas sementes. O teste de condutividade elétrica foi eficiente para avaliação do vigor de sementes de crambe. Os volumes de 20 e 30mL, com período de embebição 240 minutos, foi a condição mais favorável a realização deste teste.Este estudio tuvo como objetivo evaluar los efectos de volumen de agua y los períodos de imbibición en la aplicación de la prueba de conductividad eléctrica en semilla de crambe. Se utilizaron semillas de 5 lotes de crambe (Crambe abyssinica Hochst) cultivar FMS brillante proporcionados por la Fundación MS, provenientes de las granjas ubicadas en diferentes lugares del Estado de Mato Grosso do Sul, producidas en 2012. Fue utilizado diseño de bloques al azar con cuatro repeticiones. Se hicieron prueba de germinación e índice de velocidad de emergencia para la caracterización de los lotes. Posteriormente se efectuó la conducción de la prueba de conductividad eléctrica usando 25 °C como temperatura de imbibición, cuatro volúmenes de agua (20 ml, 30 ml, 40 ml y 50 ml) y 5 tiempos de imbibición (30, 60, 120, 240 y 360 minutos). Se observó que cuanto mayor el volumen, menor será la cantidad de electrolito liberado por la semilla. La prueba de conductividad eléctrica fue eficiente para la evaluación del vigor de las semillas de crambe. Los volúmenes de 20 a 30 ml, con tiempo de imbibición de 240 minutos, fue la condición más favorable para la realización de esta prueba