Social entrepreneurship as a solution provider for ageing societies in Europe

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

Les Plus Anciens Mastodontes Tetralophodontes (Langhien inférieur Vb), évolution et remarques sur la Tetralophodontie

This study deals with mastodont teeth found near Lisbon in Lower Langhian (lower Middle Miocene) fluviatile, feldspathic sands (Vb division). Conclusions are as follows: 1. Tetralophodont molars (even if at a still primitive stade of the tetralophodont condition) do exist at least since lower Langhian times, and not only since late Middle Miocene as was previously known. 2. Tri- and tetralophodont structures may (and indeed do) coexist in the same individual: such examples do not correspond to transitional forms, but instead to a mosaic of juxtaposed characters (however this does not mean there are no transitional forms in other instances). 3. So these structures coexisted in a population not yet genetically separated beyond fertile cross-breeding, i.e. beyond species' level. 4. Origin of the tetralophodont molar was due to some mutation (s). but without crossing species, limits and even more genus'ones. 5. At this times probably soon after the first appearance of tetralophodont mutants, animals with such characters were a small but significant minority among the population (17% if account is taken on D4's: only 2% after M2's). 6. There was not then any direct and clear correlation between number of lophs (transversal crests) and tooth size, even if the increase of such number goes along with length's increase. 7. Dimensions (length in special) in tetralophodont teeth tend to exceed those in «normal» trilophodont teeth, this being particularly clear in D4, even if there is no clear distinction: the situation is quite the same, maybe less marked, with the M2. 8. According to the preceding conclusions there are no reasons to segregate different taxa among such mastodont population on the grounds of the presence in D4, M1 and M2 of 3 or 4 crests (this character being regarded as diagnostic of the genus Tetralophodon). 9. On the contrary, if any natural (in biological sense) classification is disregarded and a morphological parataxonomy is adopted there should be considered both Gomphotherium angustidens and Tetralophodon sp.: however this is absolutely not our opinion.

Notes sur la géologie et la paleontology du Miocène de Lisbonne; (XX) les plus anciens mastodontes tetralophodontes (Langhien inférieur Vb), évolution et remarques sur la tetralophodontie

This study deals with mastodont teeth found near Lisbon in Lower Langhian (lower Middle Miocene) fluviatile, feldspathic sands (Vb division). Conclusions are as follows: 1. Tetralophodont molars (even if at a still primitive stade of the tetralophodont condition) do exist at least since lower Langhian times, and not only since late Middle Miocene as was previously known. 2. Tri- and tetralophodont structures may (and indeed do) coexist in the same individual: such examples do not correspond to transitional forms, but instead to a mosaic of juxtaposed characters (however this does not mean there are no transitional forms in other instances). 3. So these structures coexisted in a population not yet geneticaliy separated beyond fertile cross-breeding, i.e. beyond species'level. 4. Origin of the tetralophodont molar was due to some mutation (s). but without crossing species, limits and even more genus' ones. 5. At this times probably soon after the first appearance of tetralophodont mutants, animals with such characters were a small but signifiant minority among the population (17% if account is taken on D4's: only 2% after M2's). 6. There was not then any direct and clear correlation between number of lophs (transversal crests) and tooth size, even if the increase of such number goes along with length's increase. 7. Dimensions (length in special) in tetralophodont teeth tend to exceed those in «normal» trilophodont teeth, this being particularly clear in D4, even if there is no clear distinction: the situation is quite the same, maybe less marked, with the M2. 8. According to the preceding conclusions there are no reasons to segregate different taxa among such mastodont population on the grounds of the presence in D4, M1 and M2 of 3 or 4 crests (this character being regarded as diagnostic of the genus Tetralophodon). 9. On the contrary, if any natural (in biological sense) classification is disregarded and a morphological parataxonomy is adopted there should be considered both Gomphotherium angustidens and Tetralophodon sp.: however this is absolutely not our opinion.

Synechocystis ferredoxin/ferredoxin-NADP+-reductase/NADP+ complex: Structural model obtained by NMR-restrained docking

FEBS Letters 579 (2005) 4585–4590

Tendências futuras de evolução das qualificações na Europa

The aim of this report is to highlight the importance of foresight exercises as a necessary tool to help the decision makers, allowing through projections and identification of the main trends, the identification of the key variables of the process and which ones may have more influence in the process of evolution of societies. It will be presented some examples of prospective methods and also scenarios construction. One example is the European project WORKS (Work organization restructuring in the knowledge society) that pretend to built a set of scenarios about the possible evolution of work in Europe in a short, medium and long term, stressing the key variables that may have an important role in the process and their interconnections. Another exemple is the report ‘Future skill needs in Europe’ prepared in 2008 by Cedefop, that presents data about the future development of employment by industry, occupation and qualification by 2015.

The sociological perspective on the knowledge-based society: assumptions, facts and visions

The paper will present the central discourse of the knowledge-based society. Already in the 1960s the debate of the industrial society already raised the question whether there can be considered a paradigm shift towards a knowledge-based society. Some prominent authors already foreseen ‘knowledge’ as the main indicator in order to displace ‘labour’ and ‘capital’ as the main driving forces of the capitalistic development. Today on the political level and also in many scientific disciplines the assumption that we are already living in a knowledge-based society seems obvious. Although we still do not have a theory of the knowledge-based society and there still exist a methodological gap about the empirical indicators, the vision of a knowledge-based society determines at least the perception of the Western societies. In a first step the author will pinpoint the assumptions about the knowledge-based society on three levels: on the societal, on the organisational and on the individual level. These assumptions are relied on the following topics: a) The role of the information and communication technologies; b) The dynamic development of globalisation as an ‘evolutionary’ process; c) The increasing importance of knowledge management within organisations; d) The changing role of the state within the economic processes. Not only the differentiation between the levels but also the revision of the assumptions of a knowledge-based society will show that the ‘topics raised in the debates’ cannot be considered as the results of a profound societal paradigm shift. However what seems very impressive is the normative and virtual shift towards a concept of modernity, which strongly focuses on the role of technology as a driving force as well as on the global economic markets, which has to be accepted. Therefore – according to the official debate - the successful adaptation of these processes seems the only way to meet the knowledge-based society. Analysing the societal changes on the three levels, the label ‘knowledge-based society’ can be seen critically. Therefore the main question of Theodor W. Adorno during the 16th Congress of Sociology in 1968 did not loose its actuality. Facing the societal changes he asked whether we are still living in the industrial society or already in a post-industrial state. Thinking about the knowledge-based society according to these two options, this exercise would enrich the whole debate in terms of social inequality, political, economic exclusion processes and at least the power relationship between social groups.

Unlimited or disrupted communication? How does the development of the mobile phone effect our ability of social action?

The aim of this essay is to discuss the thesis of the German Sociologist Günter Burkhart that in modern societies a phenomenon appeared which he calls “handymania”, an excessive and nearly addictive use of the mobile phones especially from adolescents. After a short overview about the history of the cell phone, I will relate this development to Jürgen Habermas “theory of communicative action”, more precisely to his diagnosis of a pathological society (“lifeworld”) to find out if the “handymania” could be one expression of it. Adjacent I will present social-psychological theories from E.H.Erikson and Tilmann Habermas to ascertain whether juveniles could really be a high-risk group for this kind of addiction. I will focus on the ability to communicate in an Habermasian way that could be seriously harmed by the unregulated usage of cell phones.

Hexose and pentose transport inascomycetousyeasts: an overview

FEMS Yeast Research, Vol. 9, nº 4

Microeukaryoticdiversity in the extreme environments of the Iberian PyriteBelt: a comparison between universal and fungi-specific primer sets, temperature gradient gel electrophoresis and cloning

FEMS Microbiology Ecology, Vol. 57, nº 1