The Koundoum sheep breed in Niger: morpho-biometric study and description of the production system

The diffusion of highly productive breeds across developing countries goes along with a neglect of indigenous breeds, which are well suited to their environment but often show low yields. Thus, in Niger, the flock of Koundoum sheep are rapidly decreasing. The Koundoum is one of the few wool sheep breeds of Africa and shows important adaptive feature to its native environment, i.e. the humid pastures on the banks of the Niger River. To characterise the breed and to understand its production context, a survey has been conducted in 104 herds in four communes along the Niger River (Kollo, Tillabery, Say and Tera). Nine body measurements, including live weight, were taken on 180 adult sheep (101 females and 79 males). The herds varied from 2 to 60 heads, with a median size of eight animals and two thirds of the herds having less than 10 animals. Mainly fed on natural pastures, 85.6% of the herds received crop residues. Only natural mating was practiced. Veterinary care was restricted to anti-helminthic and some indigenous treatments. The frequent affiliation of breeders to professional unions appeared as favourable to the implementation of a collective conservation program. The Koundoum sheep were white or black coated, with the black colour being most frequent (75.6%). Wattles were present in both sexes at similar frequencies of around 14%. All biometric variables were significantly and positively correlated between them. The thoracic perimeter showed the best correlation with live weight in both males and females. Three variables were selected for live weight prediction: thoracic perimeter, height at withers and rump length. From the present study, it is expected that the in situ conservation of the Koundoum sheep will be highly problematic, due to lack of market opportunities for wool and the willingness of smallholders to get involved in pure Koundoum rearing.

L'Exercici de la docència de la psicologia i el Burnout

En l’actualitat el burnout o síndrome de cremar-se per la feina és considerat un risc emergent als països occidentals essent el col·lectiu docent un dels més afectats. L’espai europeu d’educació superior proposa un nou rol pel professor que haurà de ser compaginat amb la gestió, la recerca i la transferència de coneixement. En la present recerca s’analitza el nivell de burnout en una mostra formada per 42 docents (mitjana d’edat: 37,21 anys; D.T.: 8,98; 70,8% dones) del departament de Psicologia de la Universitat de Girona. El burnout s’ha avaluat amb el Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) així com amb un qüestionari d’elaboració pròpia que recull variables sociodemogràfiques, característiques del tipus de treball i de l’ús del temps lliure, el locus de control i el burnout percebut. Els resultats obtinguts indiquen valors mitjans en les puntuacions de les dimensions Cansament Emocional i Despersonalització, i valors elevats en Realització Personal. El 20,5% dels docents es percep cremat per la feina

Research and teaching: a holy or an unholy alliance?

Much of the self-image of the Western university hangs on the idea that research and teaching are intimately connected. The central axiom here is that research and teaching are mutually supportive of each other. An institution lacking such a set of relationships between research and teaching falls short of what it means to be a university. This set of beliefs raises certain questions: Is it the case that the presence of such a mutually supportive set of relationships between research and teaching is a necessary condition of the fulfilment of the idea of the university? (A conceptual question). And is it true that, in practice today, such a mutually supportive set of relationships between research and teaching characterises universities? (An empirical question). In my talk, I want to explore these matters in a critical vein. I shall suggest that: a) In practice today, such a mutually supportive set of relationships between research and teaching is in jeopardy. Far from supporting each other, very often research and teaching contend against each other. Research and teaching are becoming two separate ideologies, with their own interest structures. b) Historically, the supposed tight link between research and teaching is both of recent origin and far from universally achieved in universities. Institutional separateness between research and teaching is and has been evident, both across institutions and even across departments in the same institution. c) Conceptually, research and teaching are different activities: each is complex and neither is reducible to the other. In theory, therefore, research and teaching may be said to constitute a holy alliance but in practice, we see more of an unholy alliance. If, then, in an ideal world, a positive relationship between research and teaching is still a worthwhile goal, how might it be construed and worked for? Seeing research and teaching as two discrete and unified sets of activity is now inadequate. Much better is a construal of research and teaching as themselves complexes, as intermingling pools of activity helping to form the liquid university that is emerging today. On this view, research and teaching are fluid spaces, ever on the move, taking up new shapes, and themselves dividing and reforming, as the university reworks its own destiny in modern society. On such a perspective, working out a productive relationship between research and teaching is a complex project. This is an alliance that is neither holy nor unholy. It is an uneasy alliance, with temporary accommodations and continuous new possibilities

Experience in introduction of English terminology in engineering lessons: methodology and evaluation

This communication explains a experience for the introduction of English terminology in a technical degree of higher education. We present the methodology and assessment procedures used to evaluate the way the students perceived the introduction of terminology in English in two different subjects from 3rd and 5th year courses of a Computer Science degree in which English was not the vehicular language. We propose a strategy based on two main pillars, namely: 1) The design of materials, explanations, and exams, paying particular attention to the way in which the specific terminology was exposed to the students, and 2) The assessment of the impact in the students by means of the analysis of the feedback trough a set of enquiries. Our experience showed that the students responded very positively to the introduction of English terminology, and presented an affirmative feedback about the impact that an improvement of their linguistic abilities would have in their future work. Further, we present statistics regarding the use of English as the vehicular language for technical reports, which is envisaged as very useful by the students. Finally, we propose a set of questions for further debate which are centered in the role that English terminology should pay in technical degrees, and about the way in which universities should deploy resources in English languages within the different Syllabus

[Ressenya del llibre Rediscovering geography: new relevance for science and society, de Rediscovering Geography Committee, National Research Council]

El llibre ressenyat pretén ser una síntesi i una avaluació de la situació de la geografia als Estats Units. Estructurat en vuit capítols, els sis primers són una anàlisi de diversos aspectes de la geografia i els dos últims expliquen quina estratègia hauria de portar-se a terme per enfortir el paper de la geografia en el món acadèmic i en la societat en general

El Chat como estrategia para fomentar el aprendizaje colaborativo. Una experiencia práctica en el practicum de magisterio

En la educación superior, el aprendizaje colaborativo comienza a ser una realidad existiendo múltiples experiencias en torno al mismo, pero aún queda un largo camino por recorrer para que éste se generalice y se realice con garantías de éxito, rompiendo con la cultura del individualismo existente

EdShare: collaboration in a University for learning and teaching

Poster for the School of Electronics and Computer Science, Learning Societies Lab Open Day, 27 February 2008 at the University of Southampton. Profile and presentation of the EdShare resource. The poster illustrates the philosophy of EdShare, how it relates to the Web 2.0 environment and its relationship to the education agenda in a University.

EdShare: collaboration in a University for learning and teaching

Poster for the Learning Societies Laboratory, School of Electronics and Computer Science, University of Southampton Open Day, Wednesday 27 February 2008.

EdShare: collaboration in a University for learning and teaching

Poster for the Learning Societies Laboratory, School of Electronics and Computer Science, University of Southampton Open Day, Wednesday 27 February 2008.

EdShare: Sharing for learning and teaching

A powerpoint presentation given by Hugh Davis and Debra Morris at the University of Southampton Learning and Teaching Week event 2 April 2008.

Una Experiencia de innovación docente dirigida a los alumnos repetidores en la formación de maestros en didáctica de la matemática

La titulación de Maestro especialidad de Educación Primaria de la Facultad de Ciencias de la Educación de la Universidad de Granada, acoge cada año a 4 grupos de 95 alumnos en su primer curso. A estos alumnos hay que añadir, en el caso de la asignatura Matemáticas y su Didáctica, a los numerosos repetidores de la asignatura que se encuentran en cursos superiores. Esta bolsa de repetidores, equivalente a un 40 % de la nueva matrícula, se ve favorecida por una baja asistencia a las clases, con lo que nos encontramos que la media por grupo (que va disminuyendo conforme avanza el curso) oscila entre 30 y 90 alumnos, cuando según el número de alumnos matriculados debería de ser de entre 80 y 130 alumnos. El absentismo se acompaña de un índice importante de abandono pese a que, desde hace 2 años, la matrícula de esta especialidad se cierra en junio, dado que se cubre el cupo de 380 alumnos nuevos admitidos y, por tanto, se supone que los alumnos que ingresan tienen mayores expectativas de completar los estudios que los que se matricularían en septiembre. Diversas circunstancias favorecen este fuerte absentismo escolar, así como los abandonos, entre las que destacamos que muchos de nuestros alumnos simultanean estudios y trabajo

What’s the Difference between Web Technology and Web Science? Opportunities for study and research at the University of Southampton

The University of Southampton has a long history of pursuing research, development and social change with the Web This document guides you through the opportunities for Web-related study and research that we offer: an MSc in Web Technology; a 3-year PhD in Web Technology; an MSc in Web Science or a 4-year PhD in Web Science

Cardiovascular disease in latin american patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: a cross-sectional study and a systematic review

Objective. This study was performed to determine the prevalence of and associated risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Latin American (LA) patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods. First, a cross-sectional analytical study was conducted in 310 Colombian patients with SLE in whom CVD was assessed. Associated factors were examined by multivariate regression analyses. Second, a systematic review of the literature on CVD in SLE in LA was performed. Results. There were 133 (36.5%) Colombian SLE patients with CVD. Dyslipidemia, smoking, coffee consumption, and pleural effusion were positively associated with CVD. An independent effect of coffee consumption and cigarette on CVD was found regardless of gender and duration of disease. In the systematic review, 60 articles fulfilling the eligibility criteria were included. A wide range of CVD prevalence was found (4%–79.5%). Several studies reported ancestry, genetic factors, and polyautoimmunity as novel risk factors for such a condition.Conclusions. A high rate of CVD is observed in LA patients with SLE. Awareness of the observed risk factors should encourage preventive population strategies for CVD in patients with SLE aimed at facilitating the suppression of cigarette smoking and coffee consumption as well as at the tight control of dyslipidemia and other modifiable risk factors.