Information Asymmetries between Parents and Educators in German Childcare Institutions

Economic theory predicts market failure in the market for early childhood education and care (ECEC) due to information asymmetries. We empirically investigate information asymmetries between parents and ECEC professionals in Germany, making use of a unique extension of the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP). It allows us to compare quality perceptions by parents and pedagogic staff of 734 ECEC institutions which were attended by children in SOEP households. Parents and staff were asked to rate the same quality measures. We detect considerable information asymmetries between these groups which differ across quality measures but little by parental socio-economic background or center characteristics. Our findings imply that information is not readily available to parents, an issue that should be addressed by policy-makers

Pyrometallurgical Treatment of Apatite Concentrate with the Objective of Rare Earth Element Recovery: Part II

Apatite, Ca5(PO4)3F, is a useful raw material for the production of both elemental phosphorus and phosphoric acid, and the mine tailings present at Luossavaara-Kiirunavaara AB (LKAB) in Kiruna, Sweden, represent a significant potential European source of apatite if upgraded to a concentrate. In the present study, pilot apatite concentrate made from the LKAB tailings has been pyrometallurgically treated using carbon to extract phosphorus without fluxing at temperatures exceeding 1800 °C, with the ultimate objective of recovery of rare earth elements (REEs) from the resulting slag/residue phases. Experimental behavior has been modeled using equilibrium thermodynamic predictions performed using HSC®. A process is proposed, and mass–energy balance presented, for the simultaneous production of P4 and CaC2 (ultimately for acetylene, C2H2, and PVC production) from apatite, producing a lime residue significantly enriched in REEs. Possible implications to kiln-based processing of apatite are also discussed

Graphene phosphonic acid as an efficient flame retardant

We report the preparation of graphene phosphonic acid (GPA) via a simple and versatile method and its use as an efficient flame retardant. In order to covalently attach phosphorus to the edges of graphene nanoplatelets, graphite was ball-milled with red phosphorus. The cleavage of graphitic C-C bonds during mechanochemical ball-milling generates reactive carbon species, which react with phosphorus in a sealed ball-mill crusher to form graphene phosphorus. Subsequent opening of the crusher in air moisture leads to violent oxidation of graphene phosphorus into GPA (highest oxidation state). The GPA is readily dispersible in many polar solvents, including neutral water, allowing for solution (spray) coating for high-performance, nontoxic flame-retardant applications.close0

Progress Toward Sustainable Reversible Deactivation Radical Polymerization

peer reviewedThe recent focus of media and governments on renewability, green chemistry, and circular economy has led to a surge in the synthesis of renewable monomers and polymers. In this review, focussing on renewable monomers for reversible deactivation radical polymerizations (RDRP), it is highlighted that for the majority of the monomers and polymers reported, the claim to renewability is not always accurate. By closely examining the sustainability of synthetic routes and the renewability of starting materials, fully renewable monomers are identified and discussed in terms of sustainability, polymerization behavior, and properties obtained after polymerization. The holistic discussion considering the overall preparation process of polymers, that is, monomer syntheses, origin of starting materials, solvents used, the type of RDRP technique utilized, and the purification method, allows to highlight certain topics which need to be addressed in order to progress toward not only (partially) renewable, but sustainable monomers and polymers using RDRPs

Educational frameworks of early child education and care settings—describing a pedagogical tool

Sowohl die Praxisliteratur zum Einrichtungsmanagement als auch der Gesetzgeber sehen pädagogische Konzeptionen als ein probates Mittel zur Steuerung der Qualität von Kindertageseinrichtungen. Die vorliegende Studie untersuchte 583 Kita-Konzeptionen von Einrichtungen aus ganz Deutschland mithilfe eines neu entwickelten Codierschemas und quantitativen Analysemethoden. Im Zentrum stehen zwei Fragen: erstens inwiefern Qualitätsmerkmale in den Dokumenten zu finden sind und zweitens, ob Rahmenbedingungen der Einrichtungen, die zu besserer Qualität in diesen führen sollten, mit ausgewählten Konzeptionsmerkmalen zusammenhängen. Die ausgewerteten Dimensionen umfassen Aspekte der Qualitätssicherung und -entwicklung, der Elternkooperation sowie Kooperationen im sozialen Nahraum. Die Konzeptionen stammen von Einrichtungen, in die Kinder der SOEP- und der TwinLife-Studien gingen. Die Dokumente erweisen sich sowohl hinsichtlich formaler als auch inhaltlicher Merkmale als sehr heterogen und können nur teilweise die in der öffentlichen und fachlichen Debatte formulierten Erwartungen erfüllen. Weniger formalisierte und einfache Formen der Qualitätssicherung und -entwicklung (z. B. Teamsitzungen) sowie der Kooperationen mit Eltern (z. B. Tür-und-Angel-Gespräche) sind häufiger dokumentiert als stärker formalisierte oder aufwändiger zu gestaltende Formen (z. B. externe Evaluationen). Bivariate Analysen nach Bundesland‑, Gemeinde- und Trägertypen zeigen, dass die Inhalte pädagogischer Konzeptionen sich nur teilweise systematisch nach diesen Kontextmerkmalen unterscheiden. Konzeptionen von Einrichtungen in kleineren Gemeinden sowie von freien und öffentlichen Trägern beschreiben eher Kooperationen mit Eltern und im sozialen Nahraum als die Konzeptionen von Einrichtungen in größeren Gemeinden und von anderen Trägern