The mediation of Further Education professionalisation policies at the meso-level of policy-making

Using a case study composed of meso-level organisations, with a particular emphasis on Higher Education institutions, the thesis focuses on the mediation of Further Education professionalisation policies during and following the 2012 Lingfield review. The literature reflects a ‘top down’ application of Further Education professionalisation policies but there is theoretical evidence that policy-making is a ‘messy’ process. Drawing on a hybrid theoretical and analytical framework, which suggests that the organisations studied mirror ‘issue’ networks’ practices, the study examines the processes and levels of agency exercised by players whilst mediating policies. The level of agency is of importance in a sector described as the Cinderella of education. Central to the argument of this thesis is thus the current and potential agency of the policy players. The findings confirm that the mediation is a ‘messy’ and complex process. They reveal that the network’s meso-level policy-players are not all equal and that they mediate policies through an exchange of resources, interactions and ‘playing games’. As a resource, funding has the most currency but professional expertise has been undermined. Players struggle with their relationship with government but also with their peers, particularly in the case of Higher Education, whose policy-making behaviour is perceived as protectionist. The findings identify two specific games operated ‘below the radar’; one of connivance and the other of avoidance, and stress the need for the Further Education sector to evolve from its current ‘Cinderella’ image. The case study shows that the meso-level policy mediation practices have little impact and that the players react to the policy-making process. The study concludes that the players need to progress from a reactive to a proactive level of mediation to increase agency over policy-making. It suggests the adoption of a ‘nibble and nudge’ strategy embedded within a triple professionalism framework

Molecular Insight into the Self-Assembly Process of Cellulose I beta Microfibril

The self-assembly process of β-D-glucose oligomers on the surface of cellulose Iβ microfibril involves crystallization, and this process is analyzed herein, in terms of the length and flexibility of the oligomer chain, by means of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The characterization of this process involves the structural relaxation of the oligomer, the recognition of the cellulose I microfibril, and the formation of several hydrogen bonds (HBs). This process is monitored on the basis of the changes in non-bonded energies and the interaction with hydrophilic and hydrophobic crystal faces. The oligomer length is considered a parameter for capturing insight into the energy landscape and its stability in the bound form with the cellulose I microfibril. We notice that the oligomer–microfibril complexes are more stable by increasing the number of hydrogen bond interactions, which is consistent with a gain in electrostatic energy. Our studies highlight the interaction with hydrophilic crystal planes on the microfibril and the acceptor role of the flexible oligomers in HB formation. In addition, we study by MD simulation the interaction between a protofibril and the cellulose I microfibril in solution. In this case, the main interaction consists of the formation of hydrogen bonds between hydrophilic faces, and those HBs involve donor groups in the protofibril

Estructura de Gestión Universitaria: una mirada empírica en la Universidad Nacional de Córdoba

Se ha generalizado la idea de que el cambio permite la supervivencia de la organización, que de otra manera se vería amenazada, desencadenado una era de transformación organizacional. Conformada la necesidad de la adaptación, resulta inminente definir los requerimientos que guiarán el cambio. En este trabajo, se aborda la discusión sobre un cambio del tipo no estructural en el marco de la Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Para ello se presentan evidencias que justifica una transformación que no alcance a modificar sustancialmente la estructura de gestión actual

Durum wheat growth analysis in a semiarid environment in relation to crop rotation and nitrogen rate

SUMMARY – A research on durum wheat growth analysis was carried out at Sparacia farm (37°37’N-13°42’E) during the 2000-2001 and 2001-2002 seasons in a typical semi-arid environment. The objective of this research was to determine the effects of crop rotation (continuous wheat and wheat-pea rotation) and N fertilizer rates (0, 60 and 120 Kg ha-1) on growth of four durum wheat varieties, characterized by different productive ability and adaptation. A split- split-plot design with three replications was used. The study highlighted the role of the CGR index in order to enable a better knowledge of the relationship among crop techniques and wheat yield respons

Green manuring as sustainable management for southern Italy extensive cultivated areas

In the extensively-managed agricultural areas of Sicily, rainfall is often so limited that economically effective annual productions are not feasible. Bare fallow, the most extreme dry-farming technique, seems to be, under such conditions, the only suitable strategy. The introduction in these cropping systems of an annual legume to put early into the soil, as an alternative to bare fallow, may represent a technique able not only to prevent soil erosion, but also to improve the low soil organic matter reserves, with a direct benefit on the following yields and on the whole environment. The trial was aimed to verify the bioagronomical and qualitative behaviour of durum wheat managed under different cropping systems. Results, heavily influenced by very low rainfall (320 mm), stressed the extraordinary productive response of durum wheat cultivated after the green manure legume

A rare Giant Killian-Jamieson diverticulum in a 97-year-old female. Considerations and multidisciplinary treatments in a symptomatic patient

The purpose of this publication is to describe the clinical and imaging findings of rare symptomatic giant Killian-Jamieson diverticulum (KJD) detected in a 97-year-old female patient and discuss diagnostic and therapeutic protocols to be implemented. The clinical history began implementing anamnesis and physical examination, followed by laryngoscopy, esophagogastroduodenoscopy, sonographic examination and subsequently a double-contrast pharyngoesophagram evaluations, to our symptomatic old patient with results of typically KJD, with maximal dimension of 5 cm. The KJD was successfully treated with a surgical approach, esophagomyotomy in addition to a diverticulopexy; these techniques were used for adequate visualization of the tissue bridge of the diverticulum and protection of the surrounding tissue during dissection of the tissue bridge. Our patient has benefit from the operation immediately, with resolution of the disease. The follow-up (on-going), up to now, showed no recurrence of the pathological and no complications, making sure the authors of the efficacy of the surgical treatment. According to the authors the surgical treatment was the only procedure to cure the patients and, to date, our successful experience suggests that only surgical approach can be a safe and effective method for the treatment of symptomatic giant KJD, due to its close proximity to the recurrent laryngeal nerve and the concern of possible nerve injury