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This paper analyses the actual crisis that affects Spain and other countries in Europe and the world as caused by the neoliberal management of globalization, that has shown to be unsustainable and deadly for the economy. It is a cultural, moral and religious crisis, but at the same time it has a structural dimension. The author proposes a solution in two steps: first, we need to reach urgently a social contract in order to get out of recession; and second, in the medium and long term, we need an alternative to capitalism. This alternative must break away from the ideologies and practices of unlimited growth and embrace instead degrowth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper I am exploring the criticism of the University-Academy contained in the books of sociologists Pierre Bourdieu and Jean Claude Passeron, and I analyze the also critical approaches to the University-Corporation in the work of Stanley Aronowitz and other academic researchers of the so called "academic capitalism". I place these criticisms in relation to professional and student movements of the 70. I use them by the questioning of the ongoing transformation of the European University, known as Bologna Process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper brings a reflection, from a pedagogical point of view, about the changes in the European educational area according to the Bologna Process. Regarding the discursive elements as well as the methodological proposals derived from the educational change, an analysis of the transformation of the educational model in the university is presented. This analysis also includes the educational changes produced in the teaching activity, the relationship between teachers and students, in addition to the impact that those changes have produced in the dynamic or the work load in the classroom. From a critical point about the discourse, the text is organized regarding to what the new languages are improving, hiding or discrediting to establish how to rethink the teaching and learning question in the new educational frame in Higher Education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scientific Internationalism played a determinant role in the beginning of the European contemporary documental movement. In this paper there are studied the theoretical, social and technical elements of the same one that contributed to the emergence of a nascent documentary science. After First World War, scientific in-ternationalism lost his raison d'être, but some of his components continued having a very relevant weight in the evolution of scientific documentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In late 2004, the Conference for EU-Related Affairs (CARUE) approved two agreements governing the participation of the autonomous communities in the Council of the European Union and its preparatory bodies. After more than seven years of implementation, the system is not bringing the expected results. The problems identified in practice in a context, moreover, of institutional and economic crisis, call for new approaches. The following paper analyses the main obstacles that have arisen since the implementation of the 2004 agreements with a view to determining future prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, there is an important consensus regarding the fact that regions have lost their attraction in terms of European studies. This leads us to the following paradox: while the metaphor "Europe of the Regions" that had such great resonance in the 1990s has become discredited, the degree of regional commitment with the EU has been constantly rising. Nowadays, the EU is enmeshed in a crisis that is not only of an economic and financial nature, but also a crisis of democracy. In this context, it seems appropriate to 'recover' this study on the role of regions in the European system of governance. This paper alms, on the one hand, to review the evolution of the role of regions in the European system of governance, and on the other, to explore the way in which this role has been dealt with in the European integration literature. Its ultimate goal is to understand what the future prospects are for regions within the integration process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The deregulation process of the European power sector generated strategic moves by the power companies leading to a complete reordering of the European electric market that brought out an upsurge of mergers and acquisitions. This paper researches how the following wave of mergers and acquisitions that took place in the 2000 impacted the market value for the acquiring and selling companies that took part of it. With this objective and making use of the event study methodology, and OLS, GARCH, and SURE econometric techniques, we found that mergers and acquisitions did have a positive statistically and significant effect on the average market price in public stock exchanges for the companies that were target which is consistent with previous studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last twenty years the educational policy of the European Union has sought two objectives: on the one hand, to make the citizens aware of the common European identity and on the other hand, to enable them to make Europe the most dynamic and competitive knowledge-based economy in the world. Education is seen as the most effective tool to face the current challenges in Europe in the context of globalization and economic crisis. It is therefore essential to raise the proper orientation to the present European Education crossroads. The hypothesis of this paper is that the education policy raised at European level does not respond with rigor and depth to the current challenges in Europe since it is predominantly subject to a target of economic progress and growth and to a professional training. Neither does it propose a comprehensive education within a code of ethics that achieves to alleviate the profound moral failings of the current crisis, their breeding ground consisting of nihilism and moral relativism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper has the goal to develop a comparative approach between the European definition of social rights and the same definition in the case of the United Nations; taking into account the differences and similarities between the way to work on it by the European Union and the Council of Europe. The research done try to show the dear gap between the legal promotion and protection of civil and political rights and the legal promotion and protection of social rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When called upon to deliver judgment, citizens must believe that government is capable of affecting economic outcomes. Economic integration arguably reduces the power of governments to act independently in response to macroeconomic shocks. This paper seeks to determine whether institutional changes implemented by 12 European countries in the wake of monetary integration affected economic voting, and whether such changes were mediated by party messages. It employs statistical analyses across 12 European countries at two points in time. The results show that differences in economic voting were mediated by perceptions of EU integration; voters who believed in delegation at EU level weighed up economic issues to a lesser extent when casting their vote. In addition, such findings were to a large extent driven by partisan concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we introduce a system of composite indicators designed to analyze the digital gender divide. This tool, called Gender & ICT Indicators System (GICTIS), is an advance in the measurement and analysis of the difference between men and women in the Information Society. Its application allows us to a) make inter-gender comparisons, determined by their degree of e-equity; b) carry out intra-gender analysis according to the degree of e-inclusion of each sex; and c) contextualize the results obtained with the corresponding thirty-one European countries. Furthermore, this transnational analytical perspective is specified in the ranking of countries that are used to establish five classification categories according to the level of ICT use, combined with the degree of existing gender equality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Practicum (post-graduate teacher education) is an area critical to the formation of a student to finish college. In the new framework of European Higher Education Area (EHEA), classroom practices have become even more important for the development of the skills required for a particular professional profile. In this paper we present the organization and monitoring of the Practicum as part of a virtual university. From a constructivist and socio-cultural teaching, learning and assessment, the proposal presents a model of practicum of the degree of 2 nd cycle of psychopedagogy, which combines mentoring and monitoring the work of students in the training center work simultaneously with a reflection on practice which takes place in the classroom of the virtual campus. The results are analyzed from the satisfaction questionnaire administered to students at the end of each semester, which assesses four areas: overall satisfaction, teaching activities, resources and assessment of learning. The application of this methodology has many benefits for students training as skill acquisition warrants intervention own psychology in context together with reflection on the contexts, purposes and objectives of the psychopedagogy intervention. The implications, advantages and disadvantages of this model of practicum are discussed taking into account the guidelines of the European Higher Education Area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some processes of integration include a parliamentary body in their institutional structures. This paper combines basic premises of neofunctionalism and intergovernmentalism to address the origin and further evolution of regional parliaments, including the necessary precautions when applying European approaches of integration to other regions. With these postulates in mind, we outline an explanation of the way in which two regional parliaments, the European Parliament and the Mercosur Parliament, emerged and developed. The combination of approaches allows us to affirm that States are important and powerful actors, but the role of regional institutions and transnational actors cannot be ignored. However, comparative analysis shows that while in Europe the dynamics of the process of integration has feedback mechanisms beyond the control of States, in the Mercosur the influence of national Governments is overwhelming and prevents any "self-reinforcing" dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper, which deals with the relationship between the juridical statutes of churches and fundamental rights within the European Union, is divided into two parts. The first part describes the protection of fundamental rights within the EU; and the second addresses the three key questions that arose regarding a subject discussed during the European Convention held to draft the so-called European Constitution, the failure of which led to the Treaty of Lisbon: (1) the relationship between church statutes and Article 10 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (concerning freedom of thought, conscience and religion); (2) the role of fundamental rights as parameters protecting churches in EU treaties; and (3) the guarantee of the juridical statute of churches under the terms of the Charter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trans-European Transport Networks (TEN-T) contribute to improve the competitiveness of the international markets within the European Union, EU, and strengthen the economic and social development of its countries. The aim of this paper is to analyze the infrastructure policy promoted by the EU. To that end, we describe and assess both the planning process of the TEN-T, and the financial instruments implemented by the EU to foster them. In the last decades some steps have been conducted to improve the EU infrastructure policy. However, these measures have not been sufficient to ensure the development of such infrastructures. In order to solve this problem, in the future, the EU should play a greater role in developing cross-border infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Europe has extraordinary and distinguished psychologists who have promoted education as an essential aspect of psychology since its inception. Although there has always been a need and justification to further develop the figure of the educational psychologist, it in fact developed in a particular way in each country and in a way adapted to their own needs. This has caused the development of psychology to be uneven in each country. The current situation means that the central issues facing psychologists, such as is their identity, training, and professional roles, still vary widely between European countries. Integration is therefore required to find agreement on the redefinition of the roles, training, professionalization and specialization in all countries of the European Union. This paper analyzes the initial and current situation of educational psychologists in several European countries and suggests some of the remaining tasks and initiatives that would affect a common framework for the educational psychologist in Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to analyze how bidder shareholders value the announcement of Mergers and Acquisitions (M&As), examining the influence of the legal and institutional environment of the firms. On average, European bidder shareholders obtain a positive abnormal return of 1.41 % around the announcement date of Mergers and Acquisitions (M&As). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper researches the traces of the Incas and the ayllu from a long-term historical perspective, highlighting them as an 'Andean utopia' as well as a political program in Peru and in Europe. It will be shown that these concepts attracted great attention and interest in both Latin America and in Europe. We will therefore investigate the diffusion and circulation of ideas and representations in the transatlantic space which pertain to different ways of thinking and to political objectives between the 17th and the 20th centuries. This approach represents a new methodological perspective which focuses on the dynamics of exchange and circulation of persons, representations, images, practices and objects which consistently cross local, regional, national and even continental frontiers. These exchanges include academic ideas, ideologies and approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Media groups' independence and autonomy levels, in particular their journalistic task, are tightly connected with several factors, of which the type of corporate ownership and the freedom or pressure under which corporate governance makes decisions are most relevant. Scholarly research has traditionally considered those factors in relation to the dependencies and links established between corporate media and larger advertisers. However, financialization adds up a new dimension to the study -since it stresses the subordination of professional logics and democratic responsibilities to the financial logics dominating media groups listed in stock exchanges. This paper discusses some data gathered at the beginning of 2009 regarding ownership structure and composition of the boards of directors of the largest European media groups. The aim of this work is to identify the economic agents linked to both, ownership and boards of directors, of the main European commercial news producers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Quantitative Methods for the Economy and the Company" was a class traditionally taught through conventional lectures leading to a feared final exam as the sole form of evaluation. In order to make that methodology more attuned to the European Higher Education Area, we have decided to incorporate a more practical approach to promote student-centred learning as well as a new system of lifelong evaluation. This paper presents the analysis of students' opinion about the new methodology and training materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Communication Theories are one of the main pillars of many higher education studies that, placing communication as its core topic, have raised public presence during the last two decades at universities worldwide. However, this ongoing process of consolidation inside the scholar field is not walking together with an objective analysis of the ontological and epistemological positions serving as milestones for Communication Theories' courses. Taking an international online survey as the initial source of information, completed by professors and lectures working at different European and Latin American countries, this paper collects some useful information about the positions and the content of these courses, bringing some light in a confusing fieldwork. If the goal of a common higher education area is real, then deep comparative studies like this must be carried out. Results appeal to a clear dominance of Mass Communications as the main topic inside these courses, although there is a high level of interdisciplinary approaches. Some of the requirements established by the new European Higher Education Area are not implemented in the expected competencies for the students, although they are all present in the courses' objectives. Professors and lecturers are conscious about the new standard set by the Bologna Process, but this consciousness did not arrive to the classrooms yet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Market response to mobile television usage is quite modest in most European countries. No single reason explains this situation. On the contrary, a set of complex and interrelated causes can be found. On the supply side, the potential hurdles are in the technical (infrastructures, standards), economic (revenue models, content availability) and normative domains. On the demand side, companies must understand the (real) utility derived by consumers and the circumstances in which they intend to use the service. The conditions for mobile television success are, therefore, the research question of this paper. It is concluded that removal of these barriers, focus on the user (rather than on the product), and stronger institutional commitment are key factors for mobile television development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The theory that first mover advantages can explain firm competitive advantages has a long tradition in the strategic management field. However, the empirical evidence available is inconclusive. This fact has lead researchers to examine the mechanisms that allow relating order of market entry and performance, as well as the conditions under which the pioneer should be capable of obtaining a competitive advantage. Our objective in this paper is to offer new empirical evidence on this relationship in a context, the European mobile communications industry that, a priori, seems not to be favourable to the appearance of first mover advantages. This is a service sector in which market growth has been impressive in the last decade. According to the existing theory, these two characteristics should hinder the development of advantages based on the order of market entry. Contrarily, our results confirm that, in this industry, the pioneer enjoys a competitive advantage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper discusses the educational potential of popular culture through the use didactic formats musicovisual interaction in the classroom. It is believed that popular culture, specifically music, is a particularly useful tool for learning. Considered by learning skills, and its current deployment in International educational systems. Especially, its implementation in the education Systems in Europe and Spanish. We live in a technological society, and therefore it is necessary to extend the concept of literacy to digital literacy. Elements of popular culture that are common for young people, such as video clips, should be incorporated. We analyze the competency learning proposals made by the OECD through the DESECO Project or the European framework defined by the recommendation of the European Parliament and Council. These proposals provide a starting point to establish an initial strategy, from the discursive dimension of interaction musicovisual formats, allowing for effective work in the classroom. For this reason, the article evaluates formats musico-visual interaction as teaching aids to serve a critical digital literacy. It also explores some specific contributions to the development of competencies in compulsory Secondary Education. General proposals are made to enable teachers to understand how to use these formats musico-visual interaction in their classroom to work general competencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we study a corpus of parliamentary discourses on university issues throughout three different parliaments from a Discourse Analysis semiolinguistic and compared approach. The specific subjects we focus on are the LOU (Universities Act), regional laws on universities, the adaptation to the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) and the actions of quality rating agencies. As well as defining the main traits of this parliamentary sub-genre, we identify linguistic forms and strategies most frequently used by members of the three parliaments. We find that most MPs are not especially interested in current University issues, of which their knowledge is scant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A videogame is a cultural device with its own socializing functions, as stated by most of the media. The high levels of pleasure and enjoyment it gives players make it essential to analyse its potential as an educational tool, more so if there is an awareness of its value as a vehicle for personality development among young people. This paper tries to provide current examples of the wide range of videogames and their ability to develop certain skills related to the dynamic representation of space, within Jerome Bruner's learning model. There is analysis of how adventure, strategy, simulation and role-playing games improve the development of skills such as reflection, strategic and tactical reasoning, or mental agility and economic challenges. Furthermore, data is provided on the present rating systems for game choice e.g.: ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board) valid in the U.S.A, and PEGI, from the European Federation for Interactive Software. Both are accepted by aDeSe (Asociation for Distributors and Editors of Entertainment Software) and both try to help parents and teachers recognise its content and suitability for the different range of ages and profiles. To sum up, the essay attempts to show the importance of videogames in the teaching-learning process by providing up-to-date examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper demonstrates how the behavior of the parts within a contract has legal effects in the contract phase named "preliminary treatment". In this sense we perform a legal and doctrinal analysis of the concept of free will and its exteriorization, considering the implications and scope of the effective appearance theory accepted by European courts for such cases where the exteriorized behavior does not agree with the procedure of one party generating a need to protect the other that has legitimate expectation over the imminent celebration of a contract. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, local and European education policies concerning bilingualism are reviewed. A number of concepts are used regarding the learning of a second language as educational method. Then, neuro-psychological processes underlying bilingualism are reviewed. Finally, their implications for learning a second language are addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is twofold: first, to examine the relationships between antecedents and consequences of bridge employment activity; second~ to analyze the mediator role both of quality and quantity of bridge employment activities in the relationship between antecedents and consequences. First wave panel data from the SHARE (Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe) were obtained from 1190 men and women in Europe, using structured interviews and questionnaires. Structural equation modeling analyses, including the sample without missing values (N= 650), showed that both quantity and quality of bridge employment participation are predictors of job satisfaction, life satisfaction, and quality of life in retirement. These results validate and expand the previous research on bridge employment activities and partial retirement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The idea of democracy is probably one of the easiest to get consensus about in contemporary societies, while at the same time there are clear symptoms of political disaffection. The explanations for this political disaffection phenomenon are quite varied. While some argue that the lack of political implication is a consequence of individualism and «civic privatism» that threatens to break the bonds within the political community, others argue that this is a consequence of the crisis of the politics led by elites, which gives way to new forms of political participation driven by the masses. Lying behind these contradictory explanations there is a debate about the normative concept of citizenship or the «good citizen». In this paper I analyze empirically different conceptions of citizenship in Europe, as measured by how much value individuals attach to different civic duties that belong to the definition of citizenship from a normative point of view. In order to do that, I distinguish one dimension of normative commitment and one of community commitment. I then explain the value attached to each dimension at the individual level using multilevel analysis techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The debate that carne about as a consequence of the speech given by Benedict XVI in Regensburg has not only given a new impulse to the relationship of Christianity and Islam, but it has also caused a new internal debate within the countries of Christian origin. In this paper we offer a summary of the main opinions formulated until now, which are useful to re-think and re-shape the current dialogue between faith and reason, modernity and Christianity, Europe and its Christian roots, non-Christian cultures and the Catholic Church, a debate in which many well-known intellectuals of diverse creeds have spoken. In this article we underline the precedents there are for the present Pope's stance, the first responses to his speech, and the subsequent interventions that have turned this discussion into a «Globalized discourse». [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although national European governments prefer to manage orderly, legal migration flows, the presence of irregular immigrants on European territory is evident. Although Southern- European countries are, for various reasons, the ones with most such irregular inmigrants, the rest of Europe must also come to grips with the same phenomenon. The goal of this paper is to analyse the mechanisms and instruments implemented through the years in order to deal with immigration irregularities in the different European countries. We will pay special attention to year 2005, in which the European Union has began to build up a common framework within which to discuss the political answers needed to manage irregular immigration in Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on analysis of public opinion towards European integration in Greece, Portugal and Spain, countries known for their positive attitudes toward integration. In particular, the article analyses how public attitudes towards Europe have been formed in these countries. Secondly, it examines the determining factors of citizens' positive attitudes toward integration and shows the types of variables that are essential to understanding the differences between Greeks, Spaniards and the Portuguese. It also examines traditional euro-optimism in these southern countries. The findings show the relevance of identity and the various impacts of party platforms and ideology in attitudes of support for European integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the evolution of women's presence in both chambers of Spanish Parliament —Congress and Senate— during the last three decades, as well as in the European Parliament since 1986. The patterns of transformation in female representation are then compared with a) other lower houses in the rest of the EU countries, b) Spanish regional parliaments and c) other levels of political power such as national, regional and local governments. Further, the question of gender in political parties is raised. Finally, we identify the main socio-demographic differences and similarities that characterize female MPs and Senators in comparison to their male counterparts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current situation of European society is still deeply marked by the aftermath of the "cultural revolution" of the 60s. This paper discusses examines, first, a number of social features in which this influence is discernible: secularization, birth rate decline, decay of the family, relativism, etc. The second section presents the contemporary cultural crisis as the ultimate stage of an evolution that opened up in the 17th century, when a new secular-rational ethics (etsi Deus non daretur) -designed to supersede traditional Christian ethics- was proposed by Grotius and other scholars. The third section analyzes the essential contribution Christianity could make to the (still hypothetical) cultural-moral revival of Europe (via an ethics veluti si Deus daretur), focusing particularly on the dialogues Joseph Ratzinger held with Jürgen Habermas and Marcello Pera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There were 370 million people within the European Union in 1997. Among them, 18 million were foreigners, roughly the 4.8% of the total population. Ten years later, there are 25 million foreigners in the EU (i.e. 5% of the aggregate population in the domain). These foreigners are settled mainly in five specific countries: Germany (7.2 million), Spain (4.6), France (3.5), England (3) and Italy (2.4). For the period 1990-2007, with the only exception of Latvia, every European country has seen its foreign population steadily growing. In some countries the growth has been breathtaking. That is the case of Spain which ended the period second, after Germany. In this paper we describe, grosso modo, this immigration process, its main factors, and the consequences for the European population and culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to test the influence of the paid premium on the value that bank M&A generate. We performed an event study on abnormal returns and a regression analysis in a sample comprised of mergers and acquisitions undertaken by European banks from 1995 to 2004. The results obtained show a negative influence of the premium on abnormal returns obtained by the stockholders for both the purchaser as well as the organisation resulting from the operation. Moreover, the payment with shares of stock in conjunction with a high premium could be a sign of high overvaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper shows the results of an empirical and theoretical analysis intended to determine the current state of religiosity in Europe, that is, the degree to which Europeans give their allegiance to either a religious world view or a secular one. Applying multiple correspondence and cluster K-means analysis to the data gathered from the ISSP European survey «Religion-II», a new typology based on five basic cultural positions has been developed: religious; believers; skeptics; agnostics and atheists. These results show the quantitative extent and the qualitative importance of skepticism. Through an interpretation of the contents of each type, it shows that the skepticism regarding both religious and secular world views represents, at this particular moment in time, an essential key to European culture. We cannot affirm that there is a return to religious matters, but it is clear that the secularisation process has lost some of its original strength. Post-modern Europe is immersed in a cultural crossroads, and will have to decide about its future. The article ends by showing the three possible strategies for settling the doubt: the Kierkegaardian resolution, whereby Europeans will take up either exclusive religious or secular positions; the Borgian solution, whereby religious and secular content and forms will be hybridized; and the Hegelian dissolution, through which Europe may possibly develop a new cultural synthesis built from the remains of the old secular and religious world views. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional conceptualization of a collective identity linked to a nation-state is being seriously questioned. The vindication of specific identities on the part of diverse regional, ethnic or cultural groups coexists with a globalisation process that tends to cultural standardization and the uniformity of life styles and shared values. This paper deals with the process of incorporation of the knowledge of Europe to the school culture and the role of education in the construction of an intercultural European identity based on the acceptance of multiple simultaneous identities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the community employment policy of the European Union (EU) through the execution and results of the so-called European Employment Strategy (EES), created in 1997, as a response to the problems raised by labour and employment transformations. The EES is supported by four fundamental pillars: employability, enterpreneurship, equal opportunities and adaptability. The last pillar is intended to reconcile the different flexibilizing options for employment with the security of labour force protection (flexisecurity) in order to achieve a certain balance in the economy and reach social cohesion. The massive extension of atypical or non-traditional forms of employment, persistent unemployment, particularly long-lasting unemployment, and some workers' collectives (youth, women and the elderly); demographic changes, including ageing of the population as well as the regional disparities among EU member countries, represent serious challenges to achieving the EES aims of reaching full employment, competitiveness and social cohesion, as is evident in the balances performed up to now by its own institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we applied the dynamic system theory to the measurement of the stability of the European process of convergence. In particular, Lyapunov's exponents are used to verify the influence of political and economic decisions made during the creation of the European Union on the stability (or instability) of exchange rate fluctuation in different European countries. We find evidence of such relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a sensory analysis of olive oils from the main Tunisian cultivars: Chemlali, Chétoui, Sradki, Sayali and Hor Kesra, and one Spanish cultivar: Arbequina. Some hybrids obtained from controlled crossings between Tunisian and European cultivars: Hd 031, Hd 034, Hd 038, Hd 039, Hd 044 & Hd 045, were also analysed. Sensory evaluation of oils was performed in order to evaluate their sensory profiles. A Duncan Test (a = 0,05) was applied using the data of each attribute and showed differences between analysed oils, pointing out the oil from the hybrids HD 044 for its bitter attribute. All collected data were also submitted to Cluster analysis, based on the similarity in Euclidian distances, showing the difference between the oil from hybrid HD 044 and the rest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper highlights the impossibility of educating on the basis of the nihilist scepticism conveyed by the prevailing counter-culture in present-day Europe, the need to restate the bases of education as socialization and the need for cultural change. It examines the connection between Philosophy and Pedagogy existing since Socrates' time as a clue to understand education as an introduction to reality and the role it plays in meaningful language. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The majority of the countries in the world dedicate a high percentage of their budget to their Health Care System. In addition, this percentage grows year by year. For that reason, the Health Care evaluation and its repercussion in the improvement of the population health are very important. The aim of this paper is to determine the mean socioeconomic variables that influence the healthy life expectancy in the European countries. Taking 16 variables of social, economic, sanitary and environmental character, for the periods 2003 and 2004 in 22 European countries. The information of the 15 variables is transformed by a factorial analysis. The relation between the variables and the healthy life expectancy by means of a regression analysis. And a classification of the countries is made using the analysis cluster. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research shows that the style used by a supervisor to manage his/her subordinates determines the organizational climate perceived by the latter. At the same time literature argues that organizational climate perceptions affect the work performance of the subordinates. Most of this research has been conducted with samples of managers from North America and Europe. Nevertheless employee management tends to be highly determined by the characteristics of local culture. This paper presents the results of a study about the managerial styles used by a sample of Chilean managers and its relationship to the organizational climate perceived by their subordinates. Two measures of managerial styles perceptions are used to predict the subordinate's organizational climate perceptions. These results are discussed in consideration of previous literature, local results are compared to those obtained in other cultures, and findings are discussed in relation to local work culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Practice Database (EPD) project, developed by the EDTNA/ERCA Research Board, collects data on renal practice at centre level in different European countries. Results presented in this paper focus on the European Practice in Haemodialysis centres from 8 European countries or regions following data collection from 2002 to 2004. These results will enable international comparison in practice and will stimulate further research and the development of new practice recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Paediatric Access Care (PAC) project, organised by the Research Board of EDTNA/ERCA, aimed to study the organisation of paediatric renal care in Europe and to investigate the practice of access care for both haemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD) paediatric patients. This paper reports on the organisation of paediatric renal care. The majority of paediatric renal care units were located in specific paediatric units of university hospitals. Most of the centres had offered HD, PD and transplantation (Tx) for more than 20 years. Half of nursing staff had qualifications in paediatric and renal nursing. Most of the centres offered an extended multidisciplinary team approach with the family actively involved in the care of the patient. PD and HD were equally used. Automatic Peritoneal Dialysis (APD) was offered as the standard PD treatment in 2 out of 3 centres. The HD schedule mostly utilised was 3 × 4 hours a week. Half of the patients were on the Tx waiting list and one third of registered patients were transplanted in 2004. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports part of the findings from a larger study reported earlier, the European study on epidemiology and the management of HCV in the haemodialysis population (1). Centres recruited to the larger study were monitored for a further one year observation period to measure and generate a deeper understanding of HCV sero-conversion. From 4724 patients who were studied at the baseline, in 68 centres, only 13 patients were found to have sero-converted. These sero-conversions occurred in 7 hospitals within 5 different countries. Possible routes of transmission and risk factors are described with respect to the individual centres and good practice recommendations based on current evidence presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the findings from the European Practice Database project (1) providing an overview of transplant practice in Europe and patient selection. From the 276 centres surveyed 25 recorded performing patient transplants across eight different countries. The overall figures indicate that the waiting list for transplants is made up of 38% women and 9% of patients above the age of 65 years. All countries offered pre-transplant counselling and screening and post-transplant follow-up, but the extent to which these activities occurred varied. The waiting/transplant ratio ranged from one in Norway to eight in Slovakia. Differences still exist as a result of country specific policies and legislation regarding transplantation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Practice Database (EPD) project, developed by the EDTNA/ERCA Research Board, collects data on renal practice at centre level in different European countries. Results presented in this paper focus on infection control practice in haemodialysis centres from 8 different European countries or regions following data collection from 2002 up to 2004. The prevalence of hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C (HCV), human immune deficiency (HIV) and methicillin-resistant staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) was studied as well as the use of screening and preventive actions. These results will enable international comparison in practice and will stimulate further research and the development of new practice recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]