Conscientious Objection to Animal Experimentation in Italian Universities

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Ilaria Baldelli

2017-03-01

Full Text Available In Italy, Law 413/1993 states that public and private Italian Institutions, including academic faculties, are obliged to fully inform workers and students about their right to conscientious objection to scientific or educational activities involving animals, hereafter written as “animal CO”. However, little monitoring on the faculties’ compliance with this law has been performed either by the government or other institutional bodies. Based on this premise, the authors have critically reviewed the existing data and compared them with those emerging from their own investigation to discuss limitations and inconsistencies. The results of this investigation revealed that less than half of Italian academic faculties comply with their duty to inform on animal CO. Non-compliance may substantially affect the right of students to make ethical choices in the field of animal ethics and undermines the fundamental right to express their own freedom of thought. The Italian Ministry of Education, Universities and Research, ethics committees and animal welfare bodies should cooperate to make faculties respect this law. Further research is needed to better understand the reasons for the current trend, as well as to promote the enforcement of Law 413/1993 with particular regard to information on animal CO.

Conservation of Animal Genetic Resources in the Danubian Valley

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Pal Hajas

2011-05-01

Full Text Available The overall aim of gene conservation is the preservation of animal genetic resources (AnGR. Since the well balanced, diverse and healthy supply of food is a major element of the national food sovereignty, hence successful animal production is not possible without preservation of AnGR. Moreover, local breeds are considered as part of national treasures, cultural values, and pre-requisit for a landscape-friendly, biologically diverse and ecologically sensitive agriculture. In thematic gene conservation, our primary concerns are economically important traits, adaptability and biological diversity of breeds. Beside these, aesthetic and ethical issues to be considered as well.

Relational Resources of a University as a Source of Education Quality Assurance

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Bagdasaryan, Irina; Vasilyeva, Zoya; Almabekova, Olga

2015-01-01

This paper considers high quality educational services provided by a university being the highest priority and assumes relational resources as valuable sources that can facilitate and enhance quality assurance. Each university with a unique resource base is connected with a variety of entities--other universities, non-profit and for-profit…

Bush animal attacks: management of complex injuries in a resource-limited setting

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Mitchell Katrina B

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Introduction Though animal-related injuries and fatalities have been documented throughout the world, the variety of attacks by wild animals native to rural East Africa are less commonly described. Given the proximity of our northwestern Tanzania hospital to Lake Victoria, Lake Tanganyika, and the Serengeti National Park, and presentation of several patients attacked by bush animals and suffering a variety of complex injuries, we sought to report the pattern of attacks and surgical management in a resource-limited setting. Materials and methods Four patients who were admitted to the northwestern Tanzania tertiary referral hospital, Bugando Medical Centre (BMC, in 2010-2011 suffered attacks by different bush animals: hyena, elephant, crocodile, and vervet monkey. These patients were triaged as trauma patients in the Casualty Ward, then admitted for inpatient monitoring and treatment. Their outcomes were followed to discharge. Results The age and gender of the patients attacked was variable, though all but the pediatric patient were participating in food gathering or guarding activities in rural locations at the time of the attacks. All patients required surgical management of their injuries, which included debridement and closure of wounds, chest tube insertion, amputation, and external fixation of an extremity fracture. All patients survived and were discharged home. Discussion Though human injuries secondary to encounters with undomesticated animals such as cows, moose, and camel are reported, they often are indirect traumas resulting from road traffic collisions. Snake attacks are well documented and common. However, this series of unique bush animal attacks describes the initial and surgical management of human injuries in the resource-limited setting of the developing world. Conclusion Animal attacks are common throughout the world, but their pattern may vary in Africa throughout jungle and bush environmental settings. It is

Human Resources Management in Educational Faculties of State Universities in Turkey

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Öztürk, Sevim

2016-01-01

This study aims to evaluate the human resources management in the faculties of education of state universities in Turkey within the context of Human Resources Management Principles. The study population consisted of 40 academic members in the faculties of education of 20 different state universities and 10 academic unit administrators at different…

Workshop summary: detection, impact, and control of specific pathogens in animal resource facilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Mansfield, Keith G; Riley, Lela K; Kent, Michael L

2010-01-01

Despite advances, infectious diseases remain a threat to animal facilities, continue to affect animal health, and serve as potential confounders of experimental research. A workshop entitled Detection, Impact, and Control of Specific Pathogens in Animal Resource Facilities was sponsored by the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) and National Institutes of Aging (NIA) and held April 23-24, 2009, at the Lister Hill Conference Center on the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) Bethesda campus. The meeting brought together laboratory animal scientists and veterinarians with experience in fish, rodent, and nonhuman primate models to identify common issues and problems. Session speakers addressed (1) common practices and current knowledge of these species, (2) new technologies in the diagnosis of infectious diseases, (3) impact of environmental quality on infectious disease, (4) normal microbial flora in health and disease, (5) genetics and infectious disease, and (6) specific infectious agents and their impact on research. Attendees discussed current challenges and future needs, highlighting the importance of education and training, the funding of critical infrastructure and resource research, and the need for improved communication of disease risks and integration of these risks with strategic planning. NIH and NCRR have a strong record of supporting resource initiatives that have helped address many of these issues and recent efforts have focused on the building of consortium activities among such programs. This manuscript summarizes the presentations and conclusions of participants at the meeting; abstracts and a full conference report are available online (www.ncrr.nih.gov).

Achieving an optimal allocation of resources for animal health surveillance, intervention and disease mitigation.

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Hasler, B; Delabouglise, A; Babo Martins, S

2017-04-01

The primary role of animal health economics is to inform decision-making by determining optimal investments for animal health. Animal health surveillance produces information to guide interventions. Consequently, investments in surveillance and intervention must be evaluated together. This article explores the different theoretical frameworks and methods developed to assess and optimise the spending of resources in surveillance and intervention and their technical interdependence. The authors present frameworks that define the relationship between health investment and losses due to disease, and the relationship between surveillance and intervention resources. Surveillance and intervention are usually considered as technical substitutes, since increased investments in surveillance reduce the level of intervention resources required to reach the same benefit. The authors also discuss approaches used to quantify externalities and non-monetary impacts. Finally, they describe common economic evaluation types, including optimisation, acceptability and least-cost studies.

Differences in Moral Judgment on Animal and Human Ethics Issues between University Students in Animal-Related, Human Medical and Arts Programs.

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Verrinder, Joy M; Ostini, Remo; Phillips, Clive J C

2016-01-01

Moral judgment in relation to animal ethics issues has rarely been investigated. Among the research that has been conducted, studies of veterinary students have shown greater use of reasoning based on universal principles for animal than human ethics issues. This study aimed to identify if this was unique to students of veterinary and other animal-related professions. The moral reasoning of first year students of veterinary medicine, veterinary technology, and production animal science was compared with that of students in non-animal related disciplines of human medicine and arts. All students (n = 531) completed a moral reasoning test, the VetDIT, with animal and human scenarios. When compared with reasoning on human ethics issues, the combined group of students evaluating animal ethics issues showed higher levels of Universal Principles reasoning, lower levels of Personal Interest reasoning and similar levels of Maintaining Norms reasoning. Arts students showed more personal interest reasoning than students in most animal-related programs on both animal and human ethics issues, and less norms-based reasoning on animal ethics issues. Medical students showed more norms-based reasoning on animal ethics issues than all of the animal-related groups. There were no differences in principled reasoning on animal ethics issues between program groups. This has implications for animal-related professions and education programs showing that students' preference for principled reasoning on animal ethics issues is not unique to animal-related disciplines, and highlighting the need to develop student (and professional) capacity to apply principled reasoning to address ethics issues in animal industries to reduce the risk of moral distress.

Differences in Moral Judgment on Animal and Human Ethics Issues between University Students in Animal-Related, Human Medical and Arts Programs

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Verrinder, Joy M.; Ostini, Remo; Phillips, Clive J. C.

2016-01-01

Moral judgment in relation to animal ethics issues has rarely been investigated. Among the research that has been conducted, studies of veterinary students have shown greater use of reasoning based on universal principles for animal than human ethics issues. This study aimed to identify if this was unique to students of veterinary and other animal-related professions. The moral reasoning of first year students of veterinary medicine, veterinary technology, and production animal science was compared with that of students in non-animal related disciplines of human medicine and arts. All students (n = 531) completed a moral reasoning test, the VetDIT, with animal and human scenarios. When compared with reasoning on human ethics issues, the combined group of students evaluating animal ethics issues showed higher levels of Universal Principles reasoning, lower levels of Personal Interest reasoning and similar levels of Maintaining Norms reasoning. Arts students showed more personal interest reasoning than students in most animal-related programs on both animal and human ethics issues, and less norms-based reasoning on animal ethics issues. Medical students showed more norms-based reasoning on animal ethics issues than all of the animal-related groups. There were no differences in principled reasoning on animal ethics issues between program groups. This has implications for animal-related professions and education programs showing that students’ preference for principled reasoning on animal ethics issues is not unique to animal-related disciplines, and highlighting the need to develop student (and professional) capacity to apply principled reasoning to address ethics issues in animal industries to reduce the risk of moral distress. PMID:26934582

Dependency on floral resources determines the animals' responses to floral scents

OpenAIRE

Junker, Robert R; Blüthgen, Nico

2010-01-01

Animal-pollinated angiosperms either depend on cross-pollination or may also reproduce after self-pollination—the former are thus obligately, the latter facultatively dependent on the service of animal-pollinators. Analogously, flower visitors either solely feed on floral resources or complement their diet with these, and are hence dependent or not on the flowers they visit. We assume that obligate flower visitors evolved abilities that enable them to effectively forage on flowers including m...

Use of Electronic Resources in a Private University in Nigeria ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The study examined awareness and constraints in the use of electronic resources by lecturers and students of Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo, Nigeria. It aimed at justifying the resources expended in the provision of electronic resources in terms of awareness, patronage and factors that may be affecting awareness and use ...

Introducing RFID at Middlesex University Learning Resources

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Hopkinson, Alan; Chandrakar, Rajesh

2006-01-01

Purpose: To describe the first year of the implementation of radio frequency identification (RFID) in Middlesex University Learning Resources. Design/methodology/approach: The technology is explained in detail to set the scene. Information on the implementation is presented in chronological order. Findings: Problems which would generally be…

Utilization of farm animal genetic resources in a changing agro-ecological environment in the Nordic countries

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Juha eKantanen

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Livestock production is the most important component of northern European agriculture and contributes to and will be affected by climate change. Nevertheless, the role of farm animal genetic resources in the adaptation to new agro-ecological conditions and mitigation of animal production’s effects on climate change has been inadequately discussed despite there being several important associations between animal genetic resources and climate change issues. The sustainability of animal production systems and future food security require access to a wide diversity of animal genetic resources.There are several genetic questions that should be considered in strategies promoting adaptation to climate change and mitigation of environmental effects of livestock production. For example, it may become important to choose among breeds and even among farm animal species according to their suitability to a future with altered production systems. Some animals with useful phenotypes and genotypes may be more useful than others in the changing environment.Robust animal breeds with the potential to adapt to new agro-ecological conditions and tolerate new diseases will be needed. The key issue in mitigation of harmful greenhouse gas effects induced by livestock production is the reduction of methane (CH4 emissions from ruminants. There are differences in CH4 emissions among breeds and among individual animals within breeds that suggest a potential for improvement in the trait through genetic selection.Characterization of breeds and individuals with modern genomic tools should be applied to identify breeds that have genetically adapted to marginal conditions and to get critical information for breeding and conservation programmes for farm animal genetic resources. We conclude that phenotyping and genomic technologies and adoption of new breeding approaches, such as genomic selection introgression, will promote breeding for useful characters in livestock species.

Utilization of farm animal genetic resources in a changing agro-ecological environment in the Nordic countries

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Kantanen, Juha; Løvendahl, Peter; Strandberg, Erling; Eythorsdottir, Emma; Li, Meng-Hua; Kettunen-Præbel, Anne; Berg, Peer; Meuwissen, Theo

2015-01-01

Livestock production is the most important component of northern European agriculture and contributes to and will be affected by climate change. Nevertheless, the role of farm animal genetic resources in the adaptation to new agro-ecological conditions and mitigation of animal production’s effects on climate change has been inadequately discussed despite there being several important associations between animal genetic resources and climate change issues. The sustainability of animal production systems and future food security require access to a wide diversity of animal genetic resources. There are several genetic questions that should be considered in strategies promoting adaptation to climate change and mitigation of environmental effects of livestock production. For example, it may become important to choose among breeds and even among farm animal species according to their suitability to a future with altered production systems. Some animals with useful phenotypes and genotypes may be more useful than others in the changing environment. Robust animal breeds with the potential to adapt to new agro-ecological conditions and tolerate new diseases will be needed. The key issue in mitigation of harmful greenhouse gas effects induced by livestock production is the reduction of methane (CH4) emissions from ruminants. There are differences in CH4 emissions among breeds and among individual animals within breeds that suggest a potential for improvement in the trait through genetic selection. Characterization of breeds and individuals with modern genomic tools should be applied to identify breeds that have genetically adapted to marginal conditions and to get critical information for breeding and conservation programs for farm animal genetic resources. We conclude that phenotyping and genomic technologies and adoption of new breeding approaches, such as genomic selection introgression, will promote breeding for useful characters in livestock species. PMID:25767477

Genome resource banking of biomedically important laboratory animals.

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Agca, Yuksel

2012-11-01

Genome resource banking is the systematic collection, storage, and redistribution of biomaterials in an organized, logistical, and secure manner. Genome cryobanks usually contain biomaterials and associated genomic information essential for progression of biomedicine, human health, and research. In that regard, appropriate genome cryobanks could provide essential biomaterials for both current and future research projects in the form of various cell types and tissues, including sperm, oocytes, embryos, embryonic or adult stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, and gonadal tissues. In addition to cryobanked germplasm, cryobanking of DNA, serum, blood products, and tissues from scientifically, economically, and ecologically important species has become a common practice. For revitalization of the whole organism, cryopreserved germplasm in conjunction with assisted reproductive technologies, offer a powerful approach for research model management, as well as assisting in animal production for agriculture, conservation, and human reproductive medicine. Recently, many developed and developing countries have allocated substantial resources to establish genome resources banks which are responsible for safeguarding scientifically, economically, and ecologically important wild type, mutant, and transgenic plants, fish, and local livestock breeds, as well as wildlife species. This review is dedicated to the memory of Dr. John K. Critser, who has made profound contributions to the science of cryobiology and establishment of genome research and resources centers for mice, rats, and swine. Emphasis will be given to application of genome resource banks to species with substantial contributions to the advancement of biomedicine and human health. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Application of random effects to the study of resource selection by animals.

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Gillies, Cameron S; Hebblewhite, Mark; Nielsen, Scott E; Krawchuk, Meg A; Aldridge, Cameron L; Frair, Jacqueline L; Saher, D Joanne; Stevens, Cameron E; Jerde, Christopher L

2006-07-01

1. Resource selection estimated by logistic regression is used increasingly in studies to identify critical resources for animal populations and to predict species occurrence. 2. Most frequently, individual animals are monitored and pooled to estimate population-level effects without regard to group or individual-level variation. Pooling assumes that both observations and their errors are independent, and resource selection is constant given individual variation in resource availability. 3. Although researchers have identified ways to minimize autocorrelation, variation between individuals caused by differences in selection or available resources, including functional responses in resource selection, have not been well addressed. 4. Here we review random-effects models and their application to resource selection modelling to overcome these common limitations. We present a simple case study of an analysis of resource selection by grizzly bears in the foothills of the Canadian Rocky Mountains with and without random effects. 5. Both categorical and continuous variables in the grizzly bear model differed in interpretation, both in statistical significance and coefficient sign, depending on how a random effect was included. We used a simulation approach to clarify the application of random effects under three common situations for telemetry studies: (a) discrepancies in sample sizes among individuals; (b) differences among individuals in selection where availability is constant; and (c) differences in availability with and without a functional response in resource selection. 6. We found that random intercepts accounted for unbalanced sample designs, and models with random intercepts and coefficients improved model fit given the variation in selection among individuals and functional responses in selection. Our empirical example and simulations demonstrate how including random effects in resource selection models can aid interpretation and address difficult assumptions

Evaluation of wild animals browsing preferences in forage resources

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Giovanni Argenti

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Excessive presence of wild ungulates can produce negative effects on herbaceous crops or woody species, and to face this problem, habitat improvements are often performed to recreate suitable environments for a given animal species and to attract animals far from cultivated crops. A common example of these interventions is represented by grassland restoration and to evaluate the real animal preferences on restored forage resources a proper trial was established in a hilly area of Tuscany (central Italy, inside the historical Park of Pratolino, near Florence. The trial compared six different forage species or mixtures sown in plots: vegetal material was represented by two pure stands (Onobrychis viciifolia and Medicago sativa and four mixtures differing in number and kind of used species. Plots were utilised only by wild animals occurring in the area. Data collection consisted of botanical samples in each plot in different periods to obtain the percent presence of each species. At the same time, a visual estimation of animal intake on all occurring species was performed to obtain the browsing ratio of single species and overall defoliation rate for each species/mixture. Moreover, six camera traps were placed on the boundary of the experimental site to record videos of wild animals browsing in the area for identification of animals actually occurring on different plots and for comparison of these results with botanical data. Vegetation surveys permitted a proper evaluation of animals intake and of their feeding preferences. In general, sown species performed a major role in animal browsing, even if in some periods also a few native species (such as Plantago lanceolata or Cichorium intybus were utilised in a strong way, depending on vegetation context and existing biomass. Camera traps results permitted the identification of browsing animal species (mainly represented by roe deer and plots frequentation resulted to be highly related to animal

Perspectives of Increase of University Education Effectiveness: Use of Private Educational Resources

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Tyurina, Yulia; Troyanskaya, Maria

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to determine the perspectives of increase of effectiveness of university education, related to the use of private educational resources. Design/Methodology/ Approach: In order to determine the dependence of effectiveness of university education on the use of private educational resources, this work uses the…

Global-minded Human Resources and Expectations for Universities

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Inoue, Hiroshi

Under the globalized economy, Japanese corporations compete with rivals of the western countries and emerging economies. And domestically, they face with deflation, falling birth-rate, an aging society, and shrinking market. So they need to foster and retain global-minded human resources who can play an active role in global business, and who can drive innovation. What Japanese corporations expect for global-minded human resources are ability to meet challenges, ability to think independently free from conventional wisdom, communication skills in foreign languages, interests in foreign cultures and different values, and so on. In order to foster global-minded human resources, Keidanren work with the 13 universities selected under the Japanese Government‧s “Global 30” projects to undertake “Global-minded Human Resources Development Projects” .

Electronic Commerce Resource Centers. An Industry--University Partnership.

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Gulledge, Thomas R.; Sommer, Rainer; Tarimcilar, M. Murat

1999-01-01

Electronic Commerce Resource Centers focus on transferring emerging technologies to small businesses through university/industry partnerships. Successful implementation hinges on a strategic operating plan, creation of measurable value for customers, investment in customer-targeted training, and measurement of performance outputs. (SK)

Market organization and animal genetic resource management: a revealed preference analysis of sheep pricing.

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Tindano, K; Moula, N; Leroy, P; Traoré, A; Antoine-Moussiaux, N

2017-10-01

Farm animal genetic resources are threatened worldwide. Participation in markets, while representing a crucial way out of poverty for many smallholders, affects genetic management choices with associated sustainability concerns. This paper proposes a contextualized study of the interactions between markets and animal genetic resources management, in the case of sheep markets in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. It focusses on the organization of marketing chains and the valuation of genetic characteristics by value chain actors. Marketing chain characterization was tackled through semi-structured interviews with 25 exporters and 15 butchers, both specialized in sheep. Moreover, revealed preference methods were applied to analyse the impact of animals' attributes on market pricing. Data were collected from 338 transactions during three different periods: Eid al-Adha, Christmas and New Year period, and a neutral period. The neutral period is understood as a period not close to any event likely to influence the demand for sheep. The results show that physical characteristics such as live weight, height at withers and coat colour have a strong influence on the animals' prices. Live weight has also had an increasing marginal impact on price. The different markets (local butcher, feasts, export market, sacrifices) represent distinct demands for genetic characteristics, entailing interesting consequences for animal genetic resource management. Any breeding programme should therefore take this diversity into account to allow this sector to contribute better to a sustainable development of the country.

Assessing Student Attitudes toward Animal Welfare, Resource Use, and Food Safety.

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Nordstrom, Patricia A.; Richards, Martha J.; Wilson, Lowell L.; Coe, Brenda L.; Fivek, Marianne L.; Brown, Michele B.

2000-01-01

Students participating in the Pennsylvania Governor's School for Agricultural Sciences (n=192) studied animal welfare, resource use, and food safety. They ranked food safety as a primary concern. Students with and without agricultural backgrounds showed positive changes in knowledge and perception of issues after the course. (SK)

Why Should I Use University Library Website Resources? Discipline Differences

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Kim, Yong-Mi

2011-01-01

Users across academic disciplines utilize different information sources based on the resource's usefulness and relevance. This study's findings show that users from arts and sciences disciplines are much more likely to utilize university library website resources and printed materials than business users who heavily rely on commercial websites.…

The Challenges of Developing Research Resources for Leading Vietnamese Universities

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Nguyen, Thi Lan Huong

2013-01-01

This paper examines the challenges of developing research resources for leading Vietnamese universities. The first part of the paper presents the background to the study, including literature review on the challenges to research resources development, and describes the research questions and research methods. The next part provides empirical…

The Use of Electronic Resources by Academic Staff at the University of Ilorin, Nigeria

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Tella, Adeyinka; Orim, Faith; Ibrahim, Dauda Morenikeji; Memudu, Suleiman Ajala

2018-01-01

The use of e-resources is now commonplace among academics in tertiary educational institutions the world over. Many academics including those in the universities are exploring the opportunities of e-resources to facilitate teaching and research. As the use of e-resources is increasing particularly among academics at the University of Ilorin,…

Animal-based medicines: biological prospection and the sustainable use of zootherapeutic resources

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Eraldo M. Costa-Neto

2005-03-01

Full Text Available Animals have been used as medicinal resources for the treatment and relieve of a myriad of illnesses and diseases in practically every human culture. Although considered by many as superstition, the pertinence of traditional medicine based on animals cannot be denied since they have been methodically tested by pharmaceutical companies as sources of drugs to the modern medical science. The phenomenon of zootherapy represents a strong evidence of the medicinal use of animal resources. Indeed, drug companies and agribusiness firms have been evaluating animals for decades without paying anything to the countries from where these genetic resources are found. The use of animals' body parts as folk medicines is relevant because it implies additional pressure over critical wild populations. It is argued that many animal species have been overexploited as sources of medicines for the traditional trade. Additionally, animal populations have become depleted or endangered as a result of their use as experimental subjects or animal models. Research on zootherapy should be compatible with the welfare of the medicinal animals, and the use of their by-products should be done in a sustainable way. It is discussed that sustainability is now required as the guiding principle for biological conservation.Os animais são utilizados como recursos medicinais para o tratamento e alívio de um gama de doenças e enfermidades em praticamente toda cultura humana. A pertinência da medicina tradicional baseada em animais, embora considerada como superstição, não deve ser negada uma vez que os animais têm sido testados metodicamente pelas companhias farmacêuticas como fontes de drogas para a ciência médica moderna. O fenômeno da zooterapia representa uma forte evidência do uso medicinal de recursos animais. De fato, as indústrias farmacêuticas e de agronegócios há décadas vêm avaliando animais sem pagar tributos aos países detentores desses recursos gen

Accounting for animal movement in estimation of resource selection functions: sampling and data analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Forester, James D; Im, Hae Kyung; Rathouz, Paul J

2009-12-01

Patterns of resource selection by animal populations emerge as a result of the behavior of many individuals. Statistical models that describe these population-level patterns of habitat use can miss important interactions between individual animals and characteristics of their local environment; however, identifying these interactions is difficult. One approach to this problem is to incorporate models of individual movement into resource selection models. To do this, we propose a model for step selection functions (SSF) that is composed of a resource-independent movement kernel and a resource selection function (RSF). We show that standard case-control logistic regression may be used to fit the SSF; however, the sampling scheme used to generate control points (i.e., the definition of availability) must be accommodated. We used three sampling schemes to analyze simulated movement data and found that ignoring sampling and the resource-independent movement kernel yielded biased estimates of selection. The level of bias depended on the method used to generate control locations, the strength of selection, and the spatial scale of the resource map. Using empirical or parametric methods to sample control locations produced biased estimates under stronger selection; however, we show that the addition of a distance function to the analysis substantially reduced that bias. Assuming a uniform availability within a fixed buffer yielded strongly biased selection estimates that could be corrected by including the distance function but remained inefficient relative to the empirical and parametric sampling methods. As a case study, we used location data collected from elk in Yellowstone National Park, USA, to show that selection and bias may be temporally variable. Because under constant selection the amount of bias depends on the scale at which a resource is distributed in the landscape, we suggest that distance always be included as a covariate in SSF analyses. This approach to

resource mobilization in public university libraries in tanzania

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Some of the challenges facing these libraries are limited funds and other library resources. Public University libraries manage, collect and provide access to an ever-growing arsenal of information for an increasing number of users in an environment of growing financial constraints. The paper argues that libraries employ ...

A Cost-Effective Approach to Producing Animated Infographics for Immunology Teaching

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Maria Helena Bellei

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Multimedia resources such as video and animations are increasingly used to enhance student engagement and understanding, particularly when teaching cognitively complex concepts.  However, the creation of animation is time-consuming and hence, expensive compared to the creation of graphics. Recognizing this and the challenges students face in learning immunology, we describe here a process of a multi-disciplinary collaboration that produced a series of 3-minute animated infographics videos for tertiary-level immunology teaching within an Australian university. We evaluate the benefit of these and their merit as supplemental curriculum resources to enhance learning.

Universal mortality law and immortality

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Azbel', Mark Ya.

2004-10-01

Well-protected human and laboratory animal populations with abundant resources are evolutionarily unprecedented. Physical approach, which takes advantage of their extensively quantified mortality, establishes that its dominant fraction yields the exact law, which is universal for all animals from yeast to humans. Singularities of the law demonstrate new kinds of stepwise adaptation. The law proves that universal mortality is an evolutionary by-product, which at any given age is reversible, independent of previous life history, and disposable. Life expectancy may be extended, arguably to immortality, by minor biological amendments in the animals. Indeed, in nematodes with a small number of perturbed genes and tissues it increased 6-fold (to 430 years in human terms), with no apparent loss in health and vitality. The law relates universal mortality to specific processes in cells and their genetic regulation.

A Technical Mode for Sharing and Utilizing Open Educational Resources in Chinese Universities

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Juan Yang

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Open educational resources just supply potentials to help equalize the access to worldwide knowledge and education, but themselves alone do not cause effective learning or education. How to make effective use of the resources is still a big challenge. In this study, a technical mode is proposed to collect the open educational resources from different sources on the Internet into a campus-network-based resource management system. The system facilitates free and easy access to the resources for instructors and students in universities and integrates the resources into learning and teaching. The technical issues regarding the design the resource management system are examined, including the structure and functions of the system, metadata standard compatibility and scalability, metadata file format, and resource utilization assessment. Furthermore, the resource collecting, storage and utilization modes are also discussed so as to lay a technical basis for extensive and efficient sharing and utilization of the OER in Chinese universities.

HELP (INFORMATION ELECTRONIC RESOURCE "CHRONICLE OF ONU: DATES, FACTS, EVENTS": HISTORY OF UNIVERSITY IN INFORMATION SPACE

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А. М. Гавриленко

2016-03-01

Object of research is the help information resource "The chronicle of the Odessa national university of I. I. Mechnikov: dates, facts, events". The main objective of our article – to state the main methodological bases of creation of information resource. One of advantages of information resource is possibility of continuous updating and replenishment by new information. Main objective of creation of this information resource is systematization of material on stories of the Odessa national university of I. I. Mechnikov from the date of his basis to the present, ensuring interactive access to information on the main dates, the most significant events in life of university. The base of research are sources on the history of university, chronology of historical development, formation of infrastructure, cadres and scientific researches. In information resource the main stages of development, functioning and transformation of the Odessa University are analyzed, information on its divisions is collected. For creation of this information resource in Scientific library the method of work was developed, the main selection criteria of data are allocated. This information resource have practical value for all who is interested in history of university, historians, scientists-researchers of history of science and the city of Odessa.

Resource mapping and emergency preparedness to infectious diseases in human and animal populations in Kibaha and Ngorongoro districts, Tanzania

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E.D. Karimuribo

2012-06-01

Full Text Available A rapid situation analysis was conducted in Kibaha and Ngorongoro districts in Tanzania to map resources as well as analysing emergency preparedness to infectious diseases in animal (domestic and wild and human populations. Kibaha was chosen as a district close to a commercial city (Dar es Salaam while Ngorongoro represented a remote, border district with high interactions between humans, domestic and wild animals. In this study, data on resources and personnel as well as emergency preparedness were collected from all wards (n = 22, human health facilities (n = 40 and livestock facilities in the two districts using interview checklists and questionnaires. Descriptive statistics for resources were calculated and mapped by district. Kibaha district had a higher human population density, more health workers, better equipped health facilities and better communication and transport systems. On the other hand, Ngorongoro had a higher population of livestock and more animal health facilities but a poorer ratio of animal health workers to livestock. The average ratio of health personnel to population in catchment areas of the health facilities was 1:147 (range of 1:17−1:1200. The ratio of personnel to human population was significantly higher in Kibaha (1:95 than in Ngorongoro (1:203 district (p = 0 < 0.001. Considering the limited resources available to both human and animal health sectors and their different strengths and weaknesses there are opportunities for greater collaboration and resource-sharing between human and animal health for improved surveillance and emergency-preparedness.

The University Council for Workforce and Human Resource Education: Its History, Purpose, and Activities

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Scott D.; Martinez, Reynaldo L., Jr.

2009-01-01

This article features the University Council for Workforce and Human Resource Education, a nonprofit organization representing leading United States universities that offer graduate programs in career and technical education (CTE) and human resource development (HRD). The mission of the Council is to be a recognized force in shaping the future of…

Resource Discovery and Universal Access: Understanding Enablers and Barriers from the User Perspective

OpenAIRE

Beyene, Wondwossen

2016-01-01

Resource discovery tools are keys to explore, find , and retrieve resources from multitudes of collections hosted by library and information systems. Modern resource discovery tools provide facet - rich interfaces that provide multiple alternatives to ex pose resources for their potential users and help them navigate to the resources they need. This paper examines one of those tools from the perspective of universal access, ...

1976 Inter-university symposium on renewable resource assessment and programming: executive summary

Science.gov (United States)

Billy G. Pemberton

1977-01-01

The Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 directs the Secretary of Agriculture to prepare an assessment of the nation's renewable resources and a program that will assure an adequate future supply of these resources. Responsibility for this work is assigned to the Forest Service. An inter-university symposium was held in 1976 to evaluate...

Dependency on floral resources determines the animals' responses to floral scents.

Science.gov (United States)

Junker, Robert R; Blüthgen, Nico

2010-08-01

Animal-pollinated angiosperms either depend on cross-pollination or may also reproduce after self-pollination - the former are thus obligately, the latter facultatively dependent on the service of animal-pollinators. Analogously, flower visitors either solely feed on floral resources or complement their diet with these, and are hence dependent or not on the flowers they visit. We assume that obligate flower visitors evolved abilities that enable them to effectively forage on flowers including mechanisms to bypass or tolerate floral defences such as morphological barriers and repellent / deterrent secondary metabolites. Facultative flower visitors, in contrast, are supposed to lack these adaptations and are often prevented to consume floral resources by defence mechanisms. In cases where obligate flower visitors are mutualists and facultative ones are antagonists, this dichotomy provides a solution for the plants' dilemma to attract pollinators and simultaneously repel exploiters. In a meta-analysis, we recently supported this hypothesis: obligate flower visitors are attracted to floral scents, while facultative ones are repelled. Here, we add empirical evidence to these results: bumblebees and ants, obligate and facultative flower visitors, respectively, responded as predicted by the results of the meta-analysis to synthetic floral scent compounds.

Animal Surgery and Resources Core

Data.gov (United States)

Federal Laboratory Consortium — The ASR services for NHLBI research animals include: animal model development, surgery, surgical support, post-operative care as well as technical services such as...

Prospects and challenges for the conservation of farm animal genomic resources, 2015-2025

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bruford, M.W.; Ginja, Catarina; Hoffmann, Irene; Megens, Hendrik Jan

2015-01-01

Livestock conservation practice is changing rapidly in light of policy developments, climate change and diversifying market demands. The last decade has seen a step change in technology and analytical approaches available to define, manage and conserve Farm Animal Genomic Resources (FAnGR).

Prospects and challenges for the conservation of farm animal genomic resources, 2015-2025

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bruford, Michael W; Ginja, Catarina; Hoffmann, Irene; Joost, Stéphane; Orozco-terWengel, Pablo; Alberto, Florian J; Amaral, Andreia J; Barbato, Mario; Biscarini, Filippo; Colli, Licia; Costa, Mafalda; Curik, Ino; Duruz, Solange; Ferenčaković, Maja; Fischer, Daniel; Fitak, Robert; Groeneveld, Linn F; Hall, Stephen J G; Hanotte, Olivier; Hassan, Faiz-Ul; Helsen, Philippe; Iacolina, Laura; Kantanen, Juha; Leempoel, Kevin; Lenstra, Johannes A; Ajmone-Marsan, Paolo; Masembe, Charles; Megens, Hendrik-Jan; Miele, Mara; Neuditschko, Markus; Nicolazzi, Ezequiel L; Pompanon, François; Roosen, Jutta; Sevane, Natalia; Smetko, Anamarija; Štambuk, Anamaria; Streeter, Ian; Stucki, Sylvie; Supakorn, China; Telo Da Gama, Luis; Tixier-Boichard, Michèle; Wegmann, Daniel; Zhan, Xiangjiang

2015-01-01

Livestock conservation practice is changing rapidly in light of policy developments, climate change and diversifying market demands. The last decade has seen a step change in technology and analytical approaches available to define, manage and conserve Farm Animal Genomic Resources (FAnGR). However,

Application of ICT-based Learning Resources for University Inorganic Chemistry Course Training

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tatyana M. Derkach

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The article studies expediency and efficiency of various ICT-based learning resources use in university inorganic chemistry course training, detects difference of attitudes toward electronic resources between students and faculty members, which create the background for their efficiency loss

Information resources and access in Delta State University library ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

It was revealed in the study that due to various internet hiccups and financial problems affecting library services the use of ICTs in information retrieval has not fully gain ed ground. Based on the findings, pertinent recommendations were made. Key Words: Information , Resources, Access, Library, University, Abraka , Nigeria ...

A Descriptive Study Of The Burden Of Animal-Related Trauma At Cork University Hospital.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Sheehan, M

2018-01-01

Farming is the most dangerous occupation in Ireland1 and the incidence of farm accidents is rising. This study examines major farm animal-related trauma treated at Cork University Hospital over a 5 year period. There were 54 patients admitted to Cork University Hospital (C.U.H.) with major farm animal-related trauma. The median age was 56 years, 85% were male and the median hospital length of stay was four days. Older patients had longer lengths of stay; 5.5 vs 4 days (p=0.026). Tibia\\/fibula fractures were the most common injuries (N=13, 24%); head injury occurred in six patients (11%). There were 32 (59%) patients who required surgery, the majority for orthopaedic injuries. There were nine patients (16.7%) admitted to the intensive care unit; their median ICU stay was four days. Injury prevention and treatment strategies require that the age profile, mechanism of injury and injury patterns of farmers sustaining animal-related trauma is recognised.

Bridging Water Resources Policy and Environmental Engineering in the Classroom at Cornell University

Science.gov (United States)

Walter, M. T.; Shaw, S. B.; Seifert, S.; Schwarz, T.

2006-12-01

Current university undergraduate students in environmental sciences and engineering are the next generation of environmental protection practitioners. Recognizing this, Cornell's Biological and Environmental Engineering department has developed a popular class, Watershed Engineering (BEE 473), specifically designed to bridge the too-common gap between water resources policy and state-of-art science and technology. Weekly homework assignments are to design real-life solutions to actual water resources problems, often with the objective of applying storm water policies to local situations. Where appropriate, usually in conjunction with recent amendments to the Federal Clean Water Act, this course introduces water resource protection tools and concepts developed in the Cornell Soil and Water Lab. Here we present several examples of how we build bridges between university classrooms and the complex world of water resources policy.

Impact of euthanasia rates, euthanasia practices, and human resource practices on employee turnover in animal shelters.

Science.gov (United States)

Rogelberg, Steven G; Reeve, Charlie L; Spitzmüller, Christiane; DiGiacomo, Natalie; Clark, Olga L; Teeter, Lisa; Walker, Alan G; Starling, Paula G; Carter, Nathan T

2007-03-01

To examine the effects of euthanasia rates, euthanasia practices, and human resource practices on the turnover rate among employees with euthanasia responsibilities at animal shelters. Cross-sectional original study. 36 shelters across the United States that employed at least 5 full-time employees and performed euthanasia on site. By mail, 1 survey was sent to each shelter. Surveys were completed by a senior member of management and were returned by mail. Questions assessed characteristics (eg, euthanasia rates) and practices of the animal shelter, along with employee turnover rates. By use of correlation coefficients and stepwise regression analyses, key predictors of turnover rates among employees with euthanasia responsibilities were investigated. Employee turnover rates were positively related to euthanasia rate. Practices that were associated with decreased turnover rates included provision of a designated euthanasia room, exclusion of other live animals from vicinity during euthanasia, and removal of euthanized animals from a room prior to entry of another animal to be euthanized. Making decisions regarding euthanasia of animals on the basis of factors other than behavior and health reasons was related to increased personnel turnover. With regard to human resources practices, shelters that used a systematic personnel selection procedure (eg, standardized testing) had comparatively lower employee turnover. Data obtained may suggest several specific avenues that can be pursued to mitigate turnover among employees with euthanasia responsibilities at animal shelters and animal control or veterinary medical organizations.

Utilization of farm animal genetic resources in a changing agro-ecological environment in the Nordic countries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kantanen, Juha; Løvendahl, Peter; Strandberg, Erling

2015-01-01

Livestock production is the most important component of northern European agriculture and contributes to and will be affected by climate change. Nevertheless, the role of farm animal genetic resources in the adaptation to new agro-ecological conditions and mitigation of animal production’s effects...... to a future with altered production systems. Some animals with useful phenotypes and genotypes may be more useful than others in the changing environment. Robust animal breeds with the potential to adapt to new agro-ecological conditions and tolerate new diseases will be needed. The key issue in mitigation...

Bioethical Problems: Animal Welfare, Animal Rights.

Science.gov (United States)

March, B. E.

1984-01-01

Discusses various bioethical issues and problems related to animal welfare and animal rights. Areas examined include: Aristotelian views; animal welfare legislation; Darwin and evolutionary theory; animal and human behavior; and vegetarianism. A 14-point universal declaration of the rights of animals is included. (JN)

Open Feedlots Listed in the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Animal Feeding Operations Database

Data.gov (United States)

Iowa State University GIS Support and Research Facility — Currently, the Animal Feeding Operations (AFO) database does not allow facilities to be queried by watershed, therefore, this coverage was developed to assist with...

UNIVERSAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM OF EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES OF THE KHMARA’S SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH PROJECT OF OPEN EDUCATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Volodymyr I. Bessarabov

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The article is devoted to actual problems of the choice of technological platform and creation of a universal system of management of educational resources. The advantages of cloud technologies of distributed computing compared to server-side technologies for the purpose of creating a universal system of management of educational resources are shown. The choice of the service Google Apps for Education as a technological basis for constructing the system of management of educational resources was substantiated. It is concluded about the high efficiency of cloud technologies for creating the universal system of management of educational resources to integrate education and training on a single technology platform in projects of open education.

[Alternatives to animal experimentation v.s. animal rights terrorism].

Science.gov (United States)

Kurosawa, Tsutomu Miki

2008-05-01

Systematic modern animal experimentation was established by Bernard Claude who wrote "An Introduction to the Study of Experimental Medicine" in 1865. At this point, the public was already asking that the pain and distress of experimental animals be reduced. For this, scientists, William Russell and Rex Burch in 1959 proposed the principles of alternatives to animal experimentation, the "3Rs". Since that time, animal welfare advocates have promoted the 3Rs concept in biomedical research communities. However, cruel animal experiments have continued and there are reports of radical extremists showing their opposition by invasion, arson, theft and even bombing of institutions involved, resulting in killing of the animals. SHAC, one extremist group believed to be animal welfare activitists was recognized as a terrorist group after the 9.11 tragedy in USA and the government viewed their activities very seriously. In 2001, British animal extremists invaded Japanese universities and stole laboratory resources; one individual was arrested and sentenced to prison for three years; Japanese who assisted in the incident were arrested and one was sentenced for one year. In 2006, SHAC USA members were prosecuted and sentenced for up to 6 years for their terrorism activities including arson. We need to consider the background of these activities which are financially supported by animal welfare advocates. The way we, as scientists who conduct such experiments can respond is by promoting alternatives to this experimentation. In Japan, the animal welfare law was revised in 2005 stressing the importance of 3Rs in scientific activities with animals. The promotion of 3Rs should be strengthened in the pharmaceutical community.

DOD Future Energy Resources. Proceedings of Workshops Held at the National Defense University

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

2003-01-01

.... In response to concerns about U.S. and global depletion of cheap petroleum resources and the particular impact of this on future DOD energy resource needs, a series of workshops were held during 2002 and 2003 at National Defense University...

University of Idaho Water of the West Initiative: Development of a sustainable, interdisciplinary water resources program

Science.gov (United States)

Boll, J.; Cosens, B.; Fiedler, F.; Link, T.; Wilson, P.; Harris, C.; Tuller, M.; Johnson, G.; Kennedy, B.

2006-12-01

Recently, an interdisciplinary group of faculty from the University of Idaho was awarded a major internal grant for their project "Water of the West (WoW)" to launch an interdisciplinary Water Resources Graduate Education Program. This Water Resources program will facilitate research and education to influence both the scientific understanding of the resource and how it is managed, and advance the decision-making processes that are the means to address competing societal values. By educating students to integrate environmental sciences, socio-economic, and political issues, the WoW project advances the University's land grant mission to promote economic and social development in the state of Idaho. This will be accomplished through novel experiential interdisciplinary education activities; creation of interdisciplinary research efforts among water resources faculty; and focusing on urgent regional problems with an approach that will involve and provide information to local communities. The Water Resources Program will integrate physical and biological sciences, social science, law, policy and engineering to address problems associated with stewardship of our scarce water resources. As part of the WoW project, faculty will: (1) develop an integrative problem-solving framework; (2) develop activities to broaden WR education; (3) collaborate with the College of Law to offer a concurrent J.D. degree, (4) develop a virtual system of watersheds for teaching and research, and (5) attract graduate students for team-based education. The new program involves 50 faculty from six colleges and thirteen departments across the university. This university-wide initiative is strengthened by collaboration with the Idaho Water Resources Research Institute, and participation from off-campus Centers in Idaho Falls, Boise, Twin Falls, and Coeur d'Alene. We hope this presentation will attract university faculty, water resources professionals, and others for stimulating discussions on

Developing and evaluating animations for teaching quantum mechanics concepts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kohnle, Antje; Douglass, Margaret; Edwards, Tom J; Gillies, Alastair D; Hooley, Christopher A; Sinclair, Bruce D

2010-01-01

In this paper, we describe animations and animated visualizations for introductory and intermediate-level quantum mechanics instruction developed at the University of St Andrews. The animations aim to help students build mental representations of quantum mechanics concepts. They focus on known areas of student difficulty and misconceptions by including animated step-by-step explanations of key points. The animations are freely available, with additional resources available to instructors. We have investigated their educational effectiveness both in terms of student attitude and performance. Questionnaires showed that students are on the whole very positive about the animations and make substantial use of them. A diagnostic survey administered to level 2 and 3 students showed that level 2 students significantly outperformed level 3 students on topics which they had investigated using the animations.

Prospects and challenges for the conservation of farm animal genomic resources, 2015-2025

Science.gov (United States)

Bruford, Michael W.; Ginja, Catarina; Hoffmann, Irene; Joost, Stéphane; Orozco-terWengel, Pablo; Alberto, Florian J.; Amaral, Andreia J.; Barbato, Mario; Biscarini, Filippo; Colli, Licia; Costa, Mafalda; Curik, Ino; Duruz, Solange; Ferenčaković, Maja; Fischer, Daniel; Fitak, Robert; Groeneveld, Linn F.; Hall, Stephen J. G.; Hanotte, Olivier; Hassan, Faiz-ul; Helsen, Philippe; Iacolina, Laura; Kantanen, Juha; Leempoel, Kevin; Lenstra, Johannes A.; Ajmone-Marsan, Paolo; Masembe, Charles; Megens, Hendrik-Jan; Miele, Mara; Neuditschko, Markus; Nicolazzi, Ezequiel L.; Pompanon, François; Roosen, Jutta; Sevane, Natalia; Smetko, Anamarija; Štambuk, Anamaria; Streeter, Ian; Stucki, Sylvie; Supakorn, China; Telo Da Gama, Luis; Tixier-Boichard, Michèle; Wegmann, Daniel; Zhan, Xiangjiang

2015-01-01

Livestock conservation practice is changing rapidly in light of policy developments, climate change and diversifying market demands. The last decade has seen a step change in technology and analytical approaches available to define, manage and conserve Farm Animal Genomic Resources (FAnGR). However, these rapid changes pose challenges for FAnGR conservation in terms of technological continuity, analytical capacity and integrative methodologies needed to fully exploit new, multidimensional data. The final conference of the ESF Genomic Resources program aimed to address these interdisciplinary problems in an attempt to contribute to the agenda for research and policy development directions during the coming decade. By 2020, according to the Convention on Biodiversity's Aichi Target 13, signatories should ensure that “…the genetic diversity of …farmed and domesticated animals and of wild relatives …is maintained, and strategies have been developed and implemented for minimizing genetic erosion and safeguarding their genetic diversity.” However, the real extent of genetic erosion is very difficult to measure using current data. Therefore, this challenging target demands better coverage, understanding and utilization of genomic and environmental data, the development of optimized ways to integrate these data with social and other sciences and policy analysis to enable more flexible, evidence-based models to underpin FAnGR conservation. At the conference, we attempted to identify the most important problems for effective livestock genomic resource conservation during the next decade. Twenty priority questions were identified that could be broadly categorized into challenges related to methodology, analytical approaches, data management and conservation. It should be acknowledged here that while the focus of our meeting was predominantly around genetics, genomics and animal science, many of the practical challenges facing conservation of genomic resources are

Prospects and challenges for the conservation of farm animal genomic resources, 2015-2025.

Science.gov (United States)

Bruford, Michael W; Ginja, Catarina; Hoffmann, Irene; Joost, Stéphane; Orozco-terWengel, Pablo; Alberto, Florian J; Amaral, Andreia J; Barbato, Mario; Biscarini, Filippo; Colli, Licia; Costa, Mafalda; Curik, Ino; Duruz, Solange; Ferenčaković, Maja; Fischer, Daniel; Fitak, Robert; Groeneveld, Linn F; Hall, Stephen J G; Hanotte, Olivier; Hassan, Faiz-Ul; Helsen, Philippe; Iacolina, Laura; Kantanen, Juha; Leempoel, Kevin; Lenstra, Johannes A; Ajmone-Marsan, Paolo; Masembe, Charles; Megens, Hendrik-Jan; Miele, Mara; Neuditschko, Markus; Nicolazzi, Ezequiel L; Pompanon, François; Roosen, Jutta; Sevane, Natalia; Smetko, Anamarija; Štambuk, Anamaria; Streeter, Ian; Stucki, Sylvie; Supakorn, China; Telo Da Gama, Luis; Tixier-Boichard, Michèle; Wegmann, Daniel; Zhan, Xiangjiang

2015-01-01

Livestock conservation practice is changing rapidly in light of policy developments, climate change and diversifying market demands. The last decade has seen a step change in technology and analytical approaches available to define, manage and conserve Farm Animal Genomic Resources (FAnGR). However, these rapid changes pose challenges for FAnGR conservation in terms of technological continuity, analytical capacity and integrative methodologies needed to fully exploit new, multidimensional data. The final conference of the ESF Genomic Resources program aimed to address these interdisciplinary problems in an attempt to contribute to the agenda for research and policy development directions during the coming decade. By 2020, according to the Convention on Biodiversity's Aichi Target 13, signatories should ensure that "…the genetic diversity of …farmed and domesticated animals and of wild relatives …is maintained, and strategies have been developed and implemented for minimizing genetic erosion and safeguarding their genetic diversity." However, the real extent of genetic erosion is very difficult to measure using current data. Therefore, this challenging target demands better coverage, understanding and utilization of genomic and environmental data, the development of optimized ways to integrate these data with social and other sciences and policy analysis to enable more flexible, evidence-based models to underpin FAnGR conservation. At the conference, we attempted to identify the most important problems for effective livestock genomic resource conservation during the next decade. Twenty priority questions were identified that could be broadly categorized into challenges related to methodology, analytical approaches, data management and conservation. It should be acknowledged here that while the focus of our meeting was predominantly around genetics, genomics and animal science, many of the practical challenges facing conservation of genomic resources are

Resource mapping and emergency preparedness to infectious diseases in human and animal populations in Kibaha and Ngorongoro districts, Tanzania

OpenAIRE

E.D. Karimuribo; B. Jones; M.I. Matee; D.M. Kambarage; S. Mounier-Jack; M.M. Rweyemamu

2012-01-01

A rapid situation analysis was conducted in Kibaha and Ngorongoro districts in Tanzania to map resources as well as analysing emergency preparedness to infectious diseases in animal (domestic and wild) and human populations. Kibaha was chosen as a district close to a commercial city (Dar es Salaam) while Ngorongoro represented a remote, border district with high interactions between humans, domestic and wild animals. In this study, data on resources and personnel as well as emergency pre...

Institute of Laboratory Animal Resources

Science.gov (United States)

1992-06-01

special issues: Special Issues on Animal Models in Biomedical Research1 °, New Ra Models of Obesity and Type II Diabetes ", and Pain in Animals and...country of Central and South America, as well as to the Caribbean, and Mexico and published notices in newsletters. Young scientists from Mexico, Peru , and... diabetes ) Kom MowaKi Ph.D, Department of Cell Genetics, National Institute of Genetics, 25 S . . .. ,2

Uncovering trophic positions and food resources of soil animals using bulk natural stable isotope composition.

Science.gov (United States)

Potapov, Anton M; Tiunov, Alexei V; Scheu, Stefan

2018-06-19

Despite the major importance of soil biota in nutrient and energy fluxes, interactions in soil food webs are poorly understood. Here we provide an overview of recent advances in uncovering the trophic structure of soil food webs using natural variations in stable isotope ratios. We discuss approaches of application, normalization and interpretation of stable isotope ratios along with methodological pitfalls. Analysis of published data from temperate forest ecosystems is used to outline emerging concepts and perspectives in soil food web research. In contrast to aboveground and aquatic food webs, trophic fractionation at the basal level of detrital food webs is large for carbon and small for nitrogen stable isotopes. Virtually all soil animals are enriched in 13 C as compared to plant litter. This 'detrital shift' likely reflects preferential uptake of 13 C-enriched microbial biomass and underlines the importance of microorganisms, in contrast to dead plant material, as a major food resource for the soil animal community. Soil organic matter is enriched in 15 N and 13 C relative to leaf litter. Decomposers inhabiting mineral soil layers therefore might be enriched in 15 N resulting in overlap in isotope ratios between soil-dwelling detritivores and litter-dwelling predators. By contrast, 13 C content varies little between detritivores in upper litter and in mineral soil, suggesting that they rely on similar basal resources, i.e. little decomposed organic matter. Comparing vertical isotope gradients in animals and in basal resources can be a valuable tool to assess trophic interactions and dynamics of organic matter in soil. As indicated by stable isotope composition, direct feeding on living plant material as well as on mycorrhizal fungi is likely rare among soil invertebrates. Plant carbon is taken up predominantly by saprotrophic microorganisms and channelled to higher trophic levels of the soil food web. However, feeding on photoautotrophic microorganisms and non

An investigation on e-resource utilisation among university students in a developing country: A case of Great Zimbabwe University

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Talent Mawere

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Background: Electronic libraries are the recent development in the ever-changing technological world today. Students nowadays have the ability to carry the library wherever they are, their Internet-enabled devices being the only requirement. Most universities worldwide have subscribed to various online databases and other e-resources as a way of availing resources to their students. To their credit, most institutions of higher learning in developing countries have not been left out in this stampede.   Objectives: The study aimed at investigating the adoption and utilisation of e-resources by students at a university in a developing country.   Method: The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM model was used to conceptualise the study. A survey questionnaire was designed and distributed through social media platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp. Quantitative data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS. The Chi-squared test was used to test for casual relationships within the developed model. A thematic approach was used to analyse qualitative data. Results: Despite the fact that many Zimbabwean academic institutions have made the facility of e-libraries top agenda in their strategic plans, the adoption rate among students is still very limited. This can be attributed to a myriad of facts, inter alia, poor marketing strategies, lack of resources among the students and exorbitant data charges by Internet Service Providers (ISPs.   Conclusion: This study has provided some basic insights in utilisation of e-resources in universities of developing countries. Despite the younger generation being described as digital natives, it is, quite evident that their uptake of technological innovations especially in education is quite poor. This research will assist both researchers and management of institutions of higher learning to provide and design amicable solutions to the problem of poor utilisation of e-resources as

Animal movement constraints improve resource selection inference in the presence of telemetry error

Science.gov (United States)

Brost, Brian M.; Hooten, Mevin B.; Hanks, Ephraim M.; Small, Robert J.

2016-01-01

Multiple factors complicate the analysis of animal telemetry location data. Recent advancements address issues such as temporal autocorrelation and telemetry measurement error, but additional challenges remain. Difficulties introduced by complicated error structures or barriers to animal movement can weaken inference. We propose an approach for obtaining resource selection inference from animal location data that accounts for complicated error structures, movement constraints, and temporally autocorrelated observations. We specify a model for telemetry data observed with error conditional on unobserved true locations that reflects prior knowledge about constraints in the animal movement process. The observed telemetry data are modeled using a flexible distribution that accommodates extreme errors and complicated error structures. Although constraints to movement are often viewed as a nuisance, we use constraints to simultaneously estimate and account for telemetry error. We apply the model to simulated data, showing that it outperforms common ad hoc approaches used when confronted with measurement error and movement constraints. We then apply our framework to an Argos satellite telemetry data set on harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) in the Gulf of Alaska, a species that is constrained to move within the marine environment and adjacent coastlines.

Listening to Students: Customer Journey Mapping at Birmingham City University Library and Learning Resources

Science.gov (United States)

Andrews, Judith; Eade, Eleanor

2013-01-01

Birmingham City University's Library and Learning Resources' strategic aim is to improve student satisfaction. A key element is the achievement of the Customer Excellence Standard. An important component of the standard is the mapping of services to improve quality. Library and Learning Resources has developed a methodology to map these…

Diversified integration of practical teaching resources in ideological and political course in colleges and universities

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Jin; Chu, Biao

2018-03-01

To promote diversified integration and integrated use of practical teaching resources in ideological and political education in colleges and universities is helpful to extend the ideological and political teaching activities in colleges and universities, to update and supplement ideological and political knowledge, to build a harmonious learning environment for students and to comprehensively improve their ideological and political accomplishments. This article will analyze of ideological and political practical teaching resources diversified integration and the integration of programs by examples, and put forward personal opinions.

Activities, Animations, and Online Tools to Enable Undergraduate Student Learning of Geohazards, Climate Change, and Water Resources

Science.gov (United States)

Pratt-Sitaula, B. A.; Walker, B.; Douglas, B. J.; Cronin, V. S.; Funning, G.; Stearns, L. A.; Charlevoix, D.; Miller, M. M.

2017-12-01

The NSF-funded GEodesy Tools for Societal Issues (GETSI) project is developing teaching resources for use in introductory and majors-level courses, emphasizing a broad range of geodetic methods and data applied to societally important issues. The modules include a variety of hands-on activities, demonstrations, animations, and interactive online tools in order to facilitate student learning and engagement. A selection of these activities will be showcased at the AGU session. These activities and data analysis exercises are embedded in 4-6 units per module. Modules can take 2-3 weeks of course time total or individual units and activities can be selected and used over just 1-2 class periods. Existing modules are available online via serc.carleton.edu/getsi/ and include "Ice mass and sea level changes", "Imaging active tectonics with LiDAR and InSAR", "Measuring water resources with GPS, gravity, and traditional methods", "Surface process hazards", and "GPS, strain, and earthquakes". Modules, and their activities and demonstrations were designed by teams of faculty and content experts and underwent rigorous classroom testing and review using the process developed by the Science Education Resource Center's InTeGrate Project (serc.carleton.edu/integrate). All modules are aligned to Earth Science and Climate literacy principles. GETSI collaborating institutions are UNAVCO (which runs NSF's Geodetic Facility), Indiana University, and Mt San Antonio College. Initial funding came from NSF's TUES (Transforming Undergraduate Education in STEM). A second phase of funding from NSF IUSE (Improving Undergraduate STEM Education) is just starting and will fund another six modules (including their demonstrations, activities, and hands-on activities) as well as considerably more instructor professional development to facilitate implementation and use.

University-Firm Interactions in Brazil: Beyond Human Resources and Training Missions

Science.gov (United States)

Rapini, Marcia Siqueira; Chiarini, Tulio; Bittencourt, Pablo Felipe

2015-01-01

The motivation for this article comes from the proposition in the literature that Latin American universities are detached from the research needs of the productive sector and that they limit their role to the human resources and training missions. The authors investigated the Brazilian scenario, using data from a survey conducted in 2008-2009…

Human, animal and environmental contributors to antibiotic resistance in low-resource settings: integrating behavioural, epidemiological and One Health approaches.

Science.gov (United States)

Rousham, Emily K; Unicomb, Leanne; Islam, Mohammad Aminul

2018-04-11

Antibiotic resistance (ABR) is recognized as a One Health challenge because of the rapid emergence and dissemination of resistant bacteria and genes among humans, animals and the environment on a global scale. However, there is a paucity of research assessing ABR contemporaneously in humans, animals and the environment in low-resource settings. This critical review seeks to identify the extent of One Health research on ABR in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Existing research has highlighted hotspots for environmental contamination; food-animal production systems that are likely to harbour reservoirs or promote transmission of ABR as well as high and increasing human rates of colonization with ABR commensal bacteria such as Escherichia coli However, very few studies have integrated all three components of the One Health spectrum to understand the dynamics of transmission and the prevalence of community-acquired resistance in humans and animals. Microbiological, epidemiological and social science research is needed at community and population levels across the One Health spectrum in order to fill the large gaps in knowledge of ABR in low-resource settings. © 2018 The Author(s).

Establishing Network Interaction between Resource Training Centers for People with Disabilities and Partner Universities

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Panyukova S.V.,

2018-05-01

Full Text Available The paper focuses on the problem of accessibility and quality of higher education for students with disabilities. We describe our experience in organising network interaction between the MSUPE Resource and Training Center for Disabled People established in 2016-2017 and partner universities in ‘fixed territories’. The need for cooperation and network interaction arises from the high demand for the cooperation of efforts of leading experts, researchers, methodologists and instructors necessary for improving the quality and accessibility of higher education for persons with disabilities. The Resource and Training Center offers counseling for the partner universities, arranges advanced training for those responsible for teaching of the disabled, and offers specialized equipment for temporary use. In this article, we emphasize the importance of organizing network interactions with universities and social partners in order to ensure accessibility of higher education for students with disabilities.

Use of ITS2 region as the universal DNA barcode for plants and animals.

Science.gov (United States)

Yao, Hui; Song, Jingyuan; Liu, Chang; Luo, Kun; Han, Jianping; Li, Ying; Pang, Xiaohui; Xu, Hongxi; Zhu, Yingjie; Xiao, Peigen; Chen, Shilin

2010-10-01

The internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) region of nuclear ribosomal DNA is regarded as one of the candidate DNA barcodes because it possesses a number of valuable characteristics, such as the availability of conserved regions for designing universal primers, the ease of its amplification, and sufficient variability to distinguish even closely related species. However, a general analysis of its ability to discriminate species in a comprehensive sample set is lacking. In the current study, 50,790 plant and 12,221 animal ITS2 sequences downloaded from GenBank were evaluated according to sequence length, GC content, intra- and inter-specific divergence, and efficiency of identification. The results show that the inter-specific divergence of congeneric species in plants and animals was greater than its corresponding intra-specific variations. The success rates for using the ITS2 region to identify dicotyledons, monocotyledons, gymnosperms, ferns, mosses, and animals were 76.1%, 74.2%, 67.1%, 88.1%, 77.4%, and 91.7% at the species level, respectively. The ITS2 region unveiled a different ability to identify closely related species within different families and genera. The secondary structure of the ITS2 region could provide useful information for species identification and could be considered as a molecular morphological characteristic. As one of the most popular phylogenetic markers for eukaryota, we propose that the ITS2 locus should be used as a universal DNA barcode for identifying plant species and as a complementary locus for CO1 to identify animal species. We have also developed a web application to facilitate ITS2-based cross-kingdom species identification (http://its2-plantidit.dnsalias.org).

Computer Animations as Astronomy Educational Tool: Immanuel Kant and the Island Universes Hypothesis

Science.gov (United States)

Mijic, M.; Park, D.; Zumaeta, J.; Simonian, V.; Levitin, S.; Sullivan, A.; Kang, E. Y. E.; Longson, T.

2008-11-01

Development of astronomy is based on well defined, watershed moments when an individual or a group of individuals make a discovery or a measurement that expand, and sometimes dramatically improve our knowledge of the Universe. The purpose of the Scientific Visualization project at Cal State Los Angeles is to bring these moments to life with the use of computer animations, the medium of the 21st century that appeals to the generations which grew up in Internet age. Our first story describes Immanuel Kant's remarkable the Island Universes hypothesis. Using elementary principles of then new Newtonian mechanics, Kant made bold and ultimately correct interpretation of the Milky Way and the objects that we now call galaxies.

Economic principles for resource allocation decisions at national level to mitigate the effects of disease in farm animal populations.

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Howe, K S; Häsler, B; Stärk, K D C

2013-01-01

This paper originated in a project to develop a practical, generic tool for the economic evaluation of surveillance for farm animal diseases at national level by a state veterinary service. Fundamental to that process is integration of epidemiological and economic perspectives. Using a generalized example of epidemic disease, we show that an epidemic curve maps into its economic equivalent, a disease mitigation function, that traces the relationship between value losses avoided and mitigation resources expended. Crucially, elementary economic principles show that mitigation, defined as loss reduction achieved by surveillance and intervention, must be explicitly conceptualized as a three-variable process, and the relative contributions of surveillance and intervention resources investigated with regard to the substitution possibilities between them. Modelling the resultant mitigation surfaces for different diseases should become a standard approach to animal health policy analysis for economic efficiency, a contribution to the evolving agenda for animal health economics research.

Universal model for water costs of gas exchange by animals and plants

OpenAIRE

Woods, H. Arthur; Smith, Jennifer N.

2010-01-01

For terrestrial animals and plants, a fundamental cost of living is water vapor lost to the atmosphere during exchange of metabolic gases. Here, by bringing together previously developed models for specific taxa, we integrate properties common to all terrestrial gas exchangers into a universal model of water loss. The model predicts that water loss scales to gas exchange with an exponent of 1 and that the amount of water lost per unit of gas exchanged depends on several factors: the surface t...

A commentary on domestic animals as dual-purpose models that benefit agricultural and biomedical research.

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Ireland, J J; Roberts, R M; Palmer, G H; Bauman, D E; Bazer, F W

2008-10-01

Research on domestic animals (cattle, swine, sheep, goats, poultry, horses, and aquatic species) at land grant institutions is integral to improving the global competitiveness of US animal agriculture and to resolving complex animal and human diseases. However, dwindling federal and state budgets, years of stagnant funding from USDA for the Competitive State Research, Education, and Extension Service National Research Initiative (CSREES-NRI) Competitive Grants Program, significant reductions in farm animal species and in numbers at land grant institutions, and declining enrollment for graduate studies in animal science are diminishing the resources necessary to conduct research on domestic species. Consequently, recruitment of scientists who use such models to conduct research relevant to animal agriculture and biomedicine at land grant institutions is in jeopardy. Concerned stakeholders have addressed this critical problem by conducting workshops, holding a series of meetings with USDA and National Institutes of Health (NIH) officials, and developing a white paper to propose solutions to obstacles impeding the use of domestic species as dual-purpose animal models for high-priority problems common to agriculture and biomedicine. In addition to shortfalls in research support and human resources, overwhelming use of mouse models in biomedicine, lack of advocacy from university administrators, long-standing cultural barriers between agriculture and human medicine, inadequate grantsmanship by animal scientists, and a scarcity of key reagents and resources are major roadblocks to progress. Solutions will require a large financial enhancement of USDA's Competitive Grants Program, educational programs geared toward explaining how research using agricultural animals benefits both animal agriculture and human health, and the development of a new mind-set in land grant institutions that fosters greater cooperation among basic and applied researchers. Recruitment of

A Multi-Objective Method to Align Human Resource Allocation with University Strategy

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Bouillard, Philippe

2016-01-01

Universities are currently under considerable pressure to reach their stakeholders' expectations. Management tools that use strategic plans, key performance indicators and quality assurance methods are increasingly deployed. This paper aims to demonstrate how resource allocation can be aligned with institutional strategic plans with a very simple…

Development of the acquisition model of online information resources at Faculty of Medicine Library, Khon Kaen University.

Science.gov (United States)

Thanapaisal, Soodjai; Thanapaisal, Chaiwit

2013-09-01

Faculty of Medicine Library, Khon Kaen University started to acquire online information resources since 2001 with the subscriptions to 2 databases. Nowadays it has 29 items of subscriptions and the expenses on online information resources reach to 17 million baht, more than 70 percent of the information resources budget, serving the academic purposes of the Faculty of Medicine. The problems of online information resources acquisition fall into 4 categories, and lead to 4 aspects conforming the model of the acquisition, comparing or benchmarking with the 4 selected medical school libraries in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Songkhla, and discussion with some other Thai and foreign libraries. The acquisition model of online information resources is developed from those problems and proposed for Faculty of Medicine Library, Khon Kaen University as well as for any medical libraries which prefer.

Managing Selection for Electronic Resources: Kent State University Develops a New System to Automate Selection

Science.gov (United States)

Downey, Kay

2012-01-01

Kent State University has developed a centralized system that manages the communication and work related to the review and selection of commercially available electronic resources. It is an automated system that tracks the review process, provides selectors with price and trial information, and compiles reviewers' feedback about the resource. It…

Institutional training programs for research personnel conducted by laboratory-animal veterinarians.

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Dyson, Melissa C; Rush, Howard G

2012-01-01

Research institutions are required by federal law and national standards to ensure that individuals involved in animal research are appropriately trained in techniques and procedures used on animals. Meeting these requirements necessitates the support of institutional authorities; policies for the documentation and enforcement of training; resources to support and provide training programs; and high-quality, effective educational material. Because of their expertise, laboratory-animal veterinarians play an essential role in the design, implementation, and provision of educational programs for faculty, staff, and students in biomedical research. At large research institutions, provision of a training program for animal care and use personnel can be challenging because of the animal-research enterprise's size and scope. At the University of Michigan (UM), approximately 3,500 individuals have direct contact with animals used in research. We describe a comprehensive educational program for animal care and use personnel designed and provided by laboratory-animal veterinarians at UM and discuss the challenges associated with its implementation.

Researching into Learning Resources in Colleges and Universities. The Practical Research Series.

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Higgins, Chris; Reading, Judy; Taylor, Paul

This book examines issues and methods for conducting research into the educational resource environment in colleges and universities. That environment is defined as whatever is used to facilitate the learning process, including learning space, support staff, and teaching staff. Chapter 1 is an introduction to the series and lays out the process of…

STUDENTS’ EVALUATION OF EDUCATION QUALITY IN HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AREA: CASE OF PRIVATE CZECH UNIVERSITY

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VNOUČKOVÁ, Lucie

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The quality of education, lessons, subjects and teachers perceived by students is currently often discussed topic regarding strategic management of universities. Assessment of higher education learning outcomes represents internalization of a higher education competition. The aim of the article is to evaluate perception of education quality of lectures, subjects and teachers by university students in the area of human resource management in private Czech university and to identify main approaches to academic staff. The data were collected by quantitative survey by questionnaire data collection (n=218. Students state that subjects, lessons and teachers in the area of human resource management lessons mostly satisfied their expectations (average value between 1.09 and 1.97. The students emphasised that the staff creates positive atmosphere and gives the opportunity to express an opinion which is very important for students at the university. Research outcomes show there is a dependency between the effort of teacher, student understanding and teachers’s willingness to give students an opportunity to express an opinion. The paper is extension of conference paper presented on ERIE conference 2016.

Use and Cost of Electronic Resources in Central Library of Ferdowsi University Based on E-metrics

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Mohammad Reza Davarpanah

2012-07-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to investigate the usage of electronic journals in Ferdowsi University, Iran based on e-metrics. The paper also aimed to emphasize the analysis of cost-benefit and the correlation between the journal impact factors and the usage data. In this study experiences of Ferdowsi University library on licensing and usage of electronic resources was evaluated by providing a cost-benefit analysis based on the cost and usage statistics of electronic resources. Vendor-provided data were also compared with local usage data. The usage data were collected by tracking web-based access locally, and by collecting vender-provided usage data. The data sources were one-year of vendor-supplied e-resource usage data such as Ebsco, Elsevier, Proquest, Emerald, Oxford and Springer and local usage data collected from the Ferdowsi university web server. The study found that actual usage values differ for vendor-provided data and local usage data. Elsevier has got the highest usage degree in searches, sessions and downloads. Statistics also showed that a small number of journals satisfy significant amount of use while the majority of journals were used less frequent and some were never used at all. The users preferred the PDF rather than HTML format. The data in subject profile suggested that the provided e-resources were best suited to certain subjects. There was no correlation between IF and electronic journal use. Monitoring the usage of e-resources gained increasing importance for acquisition policy and budget decisions. The article provided information about local metrics for the six surveyed vendors/publishers, e.g. usage trends, requests per package, cost per use as related to the scientific specialty of the university.

Research and management of soil, plant, animal, and human resources in the Middle Rio Grande Basin

Science.gov (United States)

Deborah M. Finch

1996-01-01

The Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station initiated a research program in 1994 called. "Ecology, diversity, and sustainability of soil, plant, animal, and human resources of the Rio Grande Basin". This program is funded by an Ecosystem Management grant from Forest Service Research. Its mission focuses on the development and application of new...

Prospects and Challenges for the Conservation of Farm Animal Genomic Resources, 2015-2025

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Michael William Bruford

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Livestock conservation practice is changing rapidly in light of policy, climate change and market demands. The last decade saw a step change in technological and analytical approaches to define, manage and conserve Farm Animal Genomic Resources (FAnGR. These changes pose challenges for FAnGR conservation in terms of technological continuity, analytical capacity and the methodologies needed to exploit new, multidimensional data. The ESF Genomic Resources program final conference addressed these problems attempting to contribute to the development of the research and policy agenda for the next decade. We broadly identified four areas related to methodological and analytical challenges, data management and conservation. The overall conclusion is that there is a need for the use of current state-of-the-art tools to characterise the state of genomic resources in non-commercial and local breeds. The livestock genomic sector, which has been relatively well-organised in applying such methodologies so far, needs to make a concerted effort in the coming decade to enable to the democratisation of the powerful tools that are now at its disposal, and to ensure that they are applied in the context of breed conservation as well as development.

The Universal Protein Resource (UniProt): an expanding universe of protein information.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Cathy H; Apweiler, Rolf; Bairoch, Amos; Natale, Darren A; Barker, Winona C; Boeckmann, Brigitte; Ferro, Serenella; Gasteiger, Elisabeth; Huang, Hongzhan; Lopez, Rodrigo; Magrane, Michele; Martin, Maria J; Mazumder, Raja; O'Donovan, Claire; Redaschi, Nicole; Suzek, Baris

2006-01-01

The Universal Protein Resource (UniProt) provides a central resource on protein sequences and functional annotation with three database components, each addressing a key need in protein bioinformatics. The UniProt Knowledgebase (UniProtKB), comprising the manually annotated UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot section and the automatically annotated UniProtKB/TrEMBL section, is the preeminent storehouse of protein annotation. The extensive cross-references, functional and feature annotations and literature-based evidence attribution enable scientists to analyse proteins and query across databases. The UniProt Reference Clusters (UniRef) speed similarity searches via sequence space compression by merging sequences that are 100% (UniRef100), 90% (UniRef90) or 50% (UniRef50) identical. Finally, the UniProt Archive (UniParc) stores all publicly available protein sequences, containing the history of sequence data with links to the source databases. UniProt databases continue to grow in size and in availability of information. Recent and upcoming changes to database contents, formats, controlled vocabularies and services are described. New download availability includes all major releases of UniProtKB, sequence collections by taxonomic division and complete proteomes. A bibliography mapping service has been added, and an ID mapping service will be available soon. UniProt databases can be accessed online at http://www.uniprot.org or downloaded at ftp://ftp.uniprot.org/pub/databases/.

Use of Law Library resources by law students of Imo State University ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Academic law li braries are indispensable support for learning, research and general practice in the entire legal profession. This article sought to establish the level of usage students of Imo State University make of its law library and in particular, determine the leve l of organization of the resources, services available as well ...

Managing Quality Assurance in Higher Education: The Case of the University of Energy and Natural Resources, Ghana

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Anane, George Kwadwo; Addaney, Michael

2016-01-01

The paper discusses quality assurance in the University of Energy and Natural Resources in Ghana. The University is a public funded institution established by an act of parliament; Act 830, 2011. As a newly established public funded University, quality assurance plays a central role in satisfying the requirements of stakeholders on the supply and…

The relation between flexibility of human resources and performance indexes of selected hospitals of Tehran Medical Sciences University

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Noushin Alibakhshi

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Today, flexibility has turned to one of important issues in management theories and policies and most current discussions about flexibility patterns focus on management policies, so that these patterns are one of important aspects of human resources strategic management. This study was performed with the aim of assessing the flexibility rate of human resources and performance indexes of Tehran Medical Sciences University hospitals and determining the possible relation between these variables. The present study is descriptive – analytical which was conducted in cross-sectional form in 2015. The statistical population was selected by stratifies random sampling method as 317 persons from nursing, administrative and financial personnel of 5 hospitals of Tehran Medical Sciences University. Data collecting toll was hospitals performance indexes form and Wright & Snell flexibility questionnaire of human resources. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 18 software and with the aid of descriptive statistical indexes and linear regression analysis. The results showed that personnel ( human resources had high flexibility = 4.16.\tthere was a significant relation between total flexibility and the index of bed circulation so that by one unit increase in bed circulation space, normally, the average of total flexibility decreased 0.64 units ( p-value<0.05. The results showed that human resources of Tehran Medical Sciences University hospitals have high flexibility, so authorities and policy makers are suggested to adopt policies of human resources management for creating flexibility in human resources and improving hospitals performance and amending hospitals status.

The cell cycle: development of an eLearning animation.

Science.gov (United States)

Sala Ripoll, Cristina; Oparka, Richard; Campbell, Annie; Erolin, Caroline

2017-01-01

The use of eLearning resources is becoming increasingly widespread in medical education because of its numerous advantages. They awaken interest in students can be reused without loss of quality and give students added control over their own education by allowing them to review content in their own time. This article describes the development and evaluation of an innovative eLearning animation for the curriculum of the pathology class at the University of Dundee School of Medicine.

A new economic model for resource industries-implications for universities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Romig, P.R.

1993-01-01

The upheaval in the US petroleum industry has had repercussions in the university community. Geoscience enrollments have plummeted, financial support has declined, and there are rumors that some programs have reduced mathematical rigor to maintain enrollment. While the adverse affects have been widespread, there is disagreement about implications and expectations for the future. Some argue that emphasis on short-term profitability produces ill-conceived, precipitous reactions which perpetuate the turmoil. Others respond that the resource and environmental needs of a burgeoning global population will ensure long-term growth. Both arguments miss the point. The fundamental economic structure of the industry is changing from revenue-driven to marginal-return. In marginal-return industries, investments depend on quantitative assessments of risk and return, and the use of interdisciplinary teams is the norm. University programs must educate students in engineering design and structured decision-making processes, develop integrated numeric models and create infrastructures that support multidisciplinary collaboration. Educational programs must begin teaching principles of engineering design and structured decision-making, with increased emphasis on outreach to the experienced employee. Meeting those needs will require closer collaboration between industry and the universities. Universities that are successful will reap a fringe benefit; their graduate will be better-qualified to be leaders in the environmentally geoscience field, which one day may be bigger than the oil industry

Psychological Resources as Stress Buffers: Their Relationship to University Students' Anxiety and Depression

Science.gov (United States)

McCarthy, Christopher J.; Fouladi, Rachel T.; Juncker, Brian D.; Matheny, Kenneth B.

2006-01-01

The association of protective resources, personality variables, life events, and gender with anxiety and depression was examined with university students. Building on regression analyses, a structural equation model was generated with good fit, indicating that with respect to both anxiety and depression, negative life events and coping resources…

a New Animation of Subduction Processes for Undergraduates

Science.gov (United States)

Stern, R. J.; Lieu, W. K.; Mantey, A.; Ward, A.; Todd, F.; Farrar, E.; Sean, M.; Windler, J.

2015-12-01

The subduction of oceanic lithosphere beneath convergent plate margins is a fundamental plate tectonic concept and an important Earth process. It is responsible for some of Earth's most dangerous natural hazards including earthquakes and volcanic eruptions but also produced the continental crust and important mineral deposits. A range of geoscientific efforts including NSF MARGINS and GeoPRISMS initiatives have advanced our understanding of subduction zone processes. In spite the importance of subduction zones and our advancing understanding of how these function, there are few animations that clearly explain the subduction process to non-expert audiences. This deficiency reflects the disparate expertises between geoscientists who know the science but have weak animation skills and digital artists and animators who have strong skills in showing objects in motion but are not experts in natural processes like plate tectonics. This transdisciplinary gap can and should be bridged. With a small grant from NSF (DUE-1444954) we set about to generate a realistic subduction zone animation aimed at the university undergraduate audience by first working within our university to rough out a draft animation and then contract a professional to use this to construct the final version. UTD Geosciences faculty (Stern) and graduate student (Lieu) teamed up with faculty from UTD School of Arts, Technology, and Emerging Communication (ATEC)(Farrar, Fechter, and McComber) to identify and recruit talented ATEC undergraduate students (Mantey, Ward) to work on the project. Geoscientists assembled a storyboard and met weekly with ATEC undergraduates to generate a first draft of the animation, which guided development of an accompanying narrative. The draft animation with voice-over was then handed off to professional animator Windler (Archistration CG) to generate the final animation. We plan to show both the student-generated draft version and the final animation during our presentation

Designing of a Decision Support System (DSS for resource allocation with genetic algorithm approach (Case Study: Central Library of Tarbiat Modares University

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Alireza Hasanzadeh

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The allocation of information is one of the main responsibilities of a manager. In case there is a limitation in the available resources, the issue of resources allocation is raised. Universities and post graduate centers have faced limitations in accessing resources such as budget, human resources, physical space, etc. This problem results in inappropriate use of the approved budget in buying and sharing the different types of information resources, lack of easy access to information resources by users, and users’ dissatisfaction. This paper is intended to see whether the model of genetic algorithm can be used in helping library heads of university to develop a support system for the proper allocation of resources. The data of the central library of a university as the main core of DSS through using genetic algorithm in MATLAB was used in order to come up with a better distribution of effective resources. Research methodology used in this paper was field study and survey. The findings indicated that genetic algorithm was successful in achieving this end.

Conflict or convergence ? Perceptions of teachers and students about ethics in the use of animals in Zoology teaching

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Kênio E. C. Lima

2008-12-01

Full Text Available The use of animals in practical classes in university courses requires a bioethical approach so that zoological concepts are constructed along humanistic criteria. This is particularly relevant in Science teaching courses, since the approach will reflect in the graduates will teach in elementary levels. This work aimed to investigate the conceptions of teachers and undergraduate students from courses of Biological Sciences about the use of animals in didactic situations. Questionnaires were applied to students and teachers, regarding topics such as collection and killing of animals, alternative resources and guidelines for bioethical procedure. We noticed convergence and conflict among the perceptions and attitudes from teachers and students. Some of them agree with the replacement of animals for alternative resources, although orientations about the legal framework related to the topic are neglected. We propose an in-depth discussion about a multidisciplinary insertion of animal bioethics in the education of Biology teachers

Textbook animal breeding : animal breeding andgenetics for BSc students

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Oldenbroek, Kor; Waaij, van der Liesbeth

2014-01-01

This textbook contains teaching material on animal breeding and genetics for BSc students. The text book started as an initiative of the Dutch Universities for Applied (Agricultural) Sciences. The textbook is made available by the Animal Breeding and Genomics Centre (ABGC) of Wageningen UR

Utilization of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Resources and Job Effectiveness among Library Staff in the University of Calabar and Cross River University of Technology, Nigeria

Science.gov (United States)

Ntui, Aniebiet Inyang; Inyang, Comfort Linus

2015-01-01

This study investigated utilization of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) resources and job effectiveness among library staff in the University of Calabar and Cross River University of Technology, Nigeria. To achieve the purpose of this study, four hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. Ex-post facto research design was adopted…

A Digital Library Example in the Digital Age: İstanbul Bilgi University Library and e-Resources

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Banu Elçi

2015-06-01

Full Text Available This article describes the ongoing of the traditional library and service concept alteration to the library and service concept of the digital age and refers to an instance as İstanbul Bilgi University Library and e-Resources that pioneers technological advances and digital applications to be integrated into the library field. In this sense it involves services, developments, applications and projects provided by Bilgi Libraries.This article also accounts for a number of works which integrated digital resources and applications and social network interactions of the internet and the web of the digital age and how they are adjusted to the library area.In this context, it refers to an evolvement of a different approach of libraries and enhacements diverged from customary and adopted library service concepts and reveals through the medium of samples from İstanbul Bilgi University Library and e-Resources.

RESOURCE MOBILIZATION IN PUBLIC UNIVERSITY

African Journals Online (AJOL)

support, friends of the filiary and professional public relations prograins all of which are part of ... available resources for efficient provision of library and information service. In this paper ... One of the good examples of resource sharing in Tanzania is the .... proposal should have a detailed project description, including the.

University Mentoring with the Support of a Digital Pen and Hypermedia Resources

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Manuel Francisco Aguilar Tamayo

2014-12-01

Full Text Available This paper systematizes face-to-face tutoring experience and the use of technologies to make audio and written recordings of tutorial sessions with undergraduate, master’s and doctoral students available online. One hundred and three tutorial sessions with 26 students and a single tutor are analyzed; the sessions were recorded by means of a digital pen that recorded sound and writing synchronously. By means of this analysis students’ issues and problems were identified and a model for connecting teaching strategy and the production of hypermedia resources is presented. We contend that it is important to create learning resources to accompany the educational process of tutees. In conclusion the study presents a model for organizing and supporting university level tutoring.

Physics for Animation Artists

Science.gov (United States)

Chai, David; Garcia, Alejandro L.

2011-01-01

Animation has become enormously popular in feature films, television, and video games. Art departments and film schools at universities as well as animation programs at high schools have expanded in recent years to meet the growing demands for animation artists. Professional animators identify the technological facet as the most rapidly advancing…

Dairy farms typology and management of animal genetic resources in the peri-urban zone of Bamako (Mali

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Abdoulaye Toure

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Facing growth in demand, dairy production in peri-urban areas of developing countries is changing rapidly. To characterise this development around Bamako (Mali, this study establishes a typology of dairy production systems with a special focus on animal genetic resources. The survey included 52 dairy cattle farms from six peri-urban sites. It was conducted in 2011 through two visits, in the dry and harvest seasons. The median cattle number per farm was 17 (range 5–118 and 42% of farmers owned cropland (8.3± 7.3 ha, minimum 1 ha, maximum 25 ha. Feeding strategy was a crucial variable in farm characterisation, accounting for about 85% of total expenses. The use of artificial insemination and a regular veterinary follow-up were other important parameters. According to breeders’ answers, thirty genetic profiles were identified, from local purebreds to different levels of crossbreds. Purebred animals raised were Fulani Zebu (45.8 %, Maure Zebu (9.2 %, Holstein (3.0 %, Azawak Zebu (1.3 %, Mere Zebu (0.5% and Kuri taurine (0.1 %. Holstein crossbred represented 30.5% of the total number of animals (19.0% Fulani-Holstein, 11.2% Maure-Holstein and 0.3% Kuri-Holstein. Montbéliarde, Normande and Limousin crossbreds were also found (6.6 %, 0.7% and 0.3 %, respectively. A multivariate analysis helped disaggregate the diversity of management practices. The high diversity of situations shows the need for consideration of typological characteristics for an appropriate intervention. Although strongly anchored on local breeds, the peri-urban dairy systems included a diversity of exotic cattle, showing an uncoordinated quest of breeders for innovation. Without a public intervention, this dynamic will result in an irremediable erosion of indigenous animal genetic resources.

Animation company "Fast Forwards" production with HP Utility Data Center; film built using Adaptive Enterprise framework enabled by shared, virtual resource

CERN Multimedia

2003-01-01

Hewlett Packard have produced a commercial-quality animated film using an experimental rendering service from HP Labs and running on an HP Utility Data Center (UDC). The project demonstrates how computing resources can be managed virtually and illustrates the value of utility computing, in which an end-user taps into a large pool of virtual resources, but pays only for what is used (1 page).

Emotional Support Animals, Service Animals, and Pets on Campus

Science.gov (United States)

Von Bergen, C. W.

2015-01-01

For decades, universities have been accommodating physically disabled students who require guide dogs and other types of service animals. Within the past several years, however, mentally disabled students have increasingly petitioned colleges with no-pet policies to permit them to bring their animals on campus because they need a companion or…

Effects of the Use of Electronic Human Resource Management (EHRM Within Human Resource Management (HRM Functions at Universities

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Chux Gervase Iwu

2016-09-01

Full Text Available This study set out to examine the effect of e-hrm systems in assisting human resource practitioners to execute their duties and responsibilities. In comparison to developed economies of the world, information technology adoption in sub-Saharan Africa has not been without certain glitches. Some of the factors that are responsible for these include poor need identification, sustainable funding, and insufficient skills. Besides these factors, there is also the issue of change management and users sticking to what they already know. Although, the above factors seem negative, there is strong evidence that information systems such as electronic human resource management present benefits to an organization. To achieve this, a dual research approach was utilized. Literature assisted immensely in both the development of the conceptual framework upon which the study hinged as well as in the development of the questionnaire items. The study also made use of an interview checklist to guide the participants. The findings reveal a mix of responses that indicate that while there are gains in adopting e-hrm systems, it is wiser to consider supporting resources as well as articulate the needs of the university better before any investment is made.

First report on the state of the world's animal genetic resources. Views on biotechnology as expressed in country reports

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cardellino, R.; Hoffmann, I.; Tempelman, K.A.

2005-01-01

As part of the country-driven strategy for the management of farm animal genetic resources, FAO invited 188 counties to participate in the First Report on the State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources, with 145 consenting. Their reports are an important source of information on the use of biotechnology, particularly biotechnical products and processes. This paper analyses information from country reports so far submitted, and is therefore preliminary. There is clearly a big gap in biotechnology applications between developed and developing countries, with artificial insemination the most common technology used in developing countries, although not everywhere. More complex techniques, such as embryo transfer (ET) and molecular tools, are even less frequent in developing countries. Most developing countries wish to expand ET and establish gene banks and cryoconservation techniques. There are very few examples in developing countries of livestock breeding programmes capable of incorporating molecular biotechnologies in livestock genetic improvement programmes. (author)

THE MANAGEMENT AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE HUMAN RESOURCES IN THE PRE-UNIVERSITY EDUCATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luminita, ANDONE

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Through the management of the human resources it is provided the necessity of the workforce in an institution, on staff categories with the view of achieving the activities and the obtaining of the expected results. The descentralization of the budget institutions makes the obtaining of some principles of the human resources management to be essential so that they create the conditions of involving and participating in the institution activity, as we wish to live in a society where the fundamental values are creativity, liberty, pluralism and tolerance. The pre-university education institution(kindergartens, schools and high schools are not provided with a human resources manager. The descentralized management of the human resources level of the School County Inspectorate, the lack of a clear policy in the domain of the human resources ( at the level of the School County Inspectorate even if there is a management department of the human resources, those who work in this department do not have the necessary qualification, being selected teaching staff on certain criteria, and the unprofessional involvement of the local authorities, these being disruptive factors of the training-educational process.

THE MANAGEMENT AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE HUMAN RESOURCES IN THE PRE-UNIVERSITY EDUCATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luminita, ANDONE

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Through the management of the human resources it is provided the necessity of the workforce in an institution, on staff categories with the view of achieving the activities and the obtaining of the expected results. The descentralization of the budget institutions makes the obtaining of some principles of the human resources management to be essential so that they create the conditions of involving and participating in the institution activity, as we wish to live in a society where the fundamental values are creativity, liberty, pluralism and tolerance. The pre-university education institution(kindergartens, schools and high schools are not provided with a human resources manager. The descentralized management of the human resources level of the School County Inspectorate, the lack of a clear policy in the domain of the human resources ( at the level of the School County Inspectorate even if there is a management department of the human resources, those who work in this department do not have the necessary qualification, being selected teaching staff on certain criteria, and the unprofessional involvement of the local authorities, these being disruptive factors of the training-educational process.

The First Shared Online Curriculum Resources for Veterinary Undergraduate Learning and Teaching in Animal Welfare and Ethics in Australia and New Zealand

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jane Johnson

2015-05-01

Full Text Available The need for undergraduate teaching of Animal Welfare and Ethics (AWE in Australian and New Zealand veterinary courses reflects increasing community concerns and expectations about AWE; global pressures regarding food security and sustainability; the demands of veterinary accreditation; and fears that, unless students encounter AWE as part of their formal education, as veterinarians they will be relatively unaware of the discipline of animal welfare science. To address this need we are developing online resources to ensure Australian and New Zealand veterinary graduates have the knowledge, and the research, communication and critical reasoning skills, to fulfill the AWE role demanded of them by contemporary society. To prioritize development of these resources we assembled leaders in the field of AWE education from the eight veterinary schools in Australia and New Zealand and used modified deliberative polling. This paper describes the role of the poll in developing the first shared online curriculum resource for veterinary undergraduate learning and teaching in AWE in Australia and New Zealand. The learning and teaching strategies that ranked highest in the exercise were: scenario-based learning; a quality of animal life assessment tool; the so-called ‘Human Continuum’ discussion platform; and a negotiated curriculum.

Universal model for water costs of gas exchange by animals and plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Woods, H Arthur; Smith, Jennifer N

2010-05-04

For terrestrial animals and plants, a fundamental cost of living is water vapor lost to the atmosphere during exchange of metabolic gases. Here, by bringing together previously developed models for specific taxa, we integrate properties common to all terrestrial gas exchangers into a universal model of water loss. The model predicts that water loss scales to gas exchange with an exponent of 1 and that the amount of water lost per unit of gas exchanged depends on several factors: the surface temperature of the respiratory system near the outside of the organism, the gas consumed (oxygen or carbon dioxide), the steepness of the gradients for gas and vapor, and the transport mode (convective or diffusive). Model predictions were largely confirmed by data on 202 species in five taxa--insects, birds, bird eggs, mammals, and plants--spanning nine orders of magnitude in rate of gas exchange. Discrepancies between model predictions and data seemed to arise from biologically interesting violations of model assumptions, which emphasizes how poorly we understand gas exchange in some taxa. The universal model provides a unified conceptual framework for analyzing exchange-associated water losses across taxa with radically different metabolic and exchange systems.

Environmental chemistry of animal manure

Science.gov (United States)

Animal manure is traditionally regarded as a valuable resource of plant nutrients. However, there is an increasing environmental concern associated with animal manure utilization due to high and locally concentrated volumes of manure produced in modern intensified animal production. Although conside...

From Millennium ERM to Proquest 360 Resource Manager: Implementing a new Electronic Resources Management System ERMS in an International Graduate Research University in Saudi Arabia

KAUST Repository

Ramli, Rindra M.

2017-01-01

An overview of the Recommendation Study and the subsequent Implementation of a new Electronic Resources Management system ERMS in an international graduate research university in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It covers the timeline, deliverables

Criticizing animal experimentation, at my peril.

Science.gov (United States)

Eisenman, Stephen F

2016-01-01

Initiatives leading to even modest reduction in animal use at major U.S. universities are likely to continue to face strong opposition. At least, that's the conclusion the author draws from his efforts at Northwestern University. In fact, despite a growing body of evidence that animal-based research is flawed at best and misleading or un-scientific at worst its use is growing at Northwestern and elsewhere. Moreover, recent discoveries concerning animal consciousness and emotion have not led to notable improvements in the conditions in which AWA protected animals live at the Chicago vivarium. There, animals languish in featureless rooms or sterile cages without access to daylight and with little opportunity to express their natural behaviors and aptitudes. The writer's public exposure of these conditions led to a fierce backlash. Unless there is a significant change in laboratory and university culture, change will only come when the marketplace and funding agencies demand better and more reliable, non-animal models for the testing of drug toxicity and effectiveness.

An Assessment of Resource Availability for Problem Based Learning in a Ghanaian University Setting

Science.gov (United States)

Okyere, Gabriel Asare; Tawiah, Richard; Lamptey, Richard Bruce; Oduro, William; Thompson, Michael

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to assess the differences pertaining to the resources presently accessible for problem-based learning (PBL) among six colleges of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach: Data for the study are the cross-sectional type drawn from 1,020 students. Poisson…

COURSE : a new industry led consortium to focus and accelerate energy resources research at Alberta University

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rodgers, R.J. [Imperial Oil Resources Ltd., Calgary, AB (Canada); Bailey, R. [Alberta Oil Sands Technology and Research Authority, Edmonton, AB (Canada); Kirk, M. [Calgary Univ., AB (Canada); Luhning, R.W. [Petroleum Recovery Inst., Calgary, AB (Canada); Kratochvil, R. [Alberta Univ., Edmonton, AB (Canada)

2000-06-01

This paper described a new initiative entitled COURSE (Coordination of University Research for Synergy and Effectiveness) which has been created through the collaboration of the energy industry, universities and the Alberta government to promote research in the field of energy resources. Calls for research proposals went out in June 1999 and January 2000. The selected projects will be funded by the Alberta Ministry of Innovation and Science through the Alberta Oil Sands Technology and Research Authority (AOSTRA). The major objectives of COURSE are to increase and align fundamental breakthrough university research with the industry needs, and to provide results that exceed what would be achieved by one university alone. An agreement has been reached whereby the universities own the technology and are the exclusive license agents of the research.

Laboratory Animal Sciences Program (LASP)

Data.gov (United States)

Federal Laboratory Consortium — The Laboratory Animal Sciences Program (LASP) is a comprehensive resource for scientists performing animal-based research to gain a better understanding of cancer,...

Masteŕ s Programme at Stockholm University: Hydrology, Hydrogeology and Water Resources

Science.gov (United States)

Jarsjö, J.; Destouni, G.; Lyon, S. W.; Seibert, J.

2009-04-01

Many environmental risks and societal concerns are directly related to the way we manage our land and water environments. The two-year master's programme "Hydrology, Hydrogeology and Water Resources" at Stockholm University, Sweden, is based on a system perspective and provides extended knowledge about water and soil-rock-sediment systems and how these interact with each other and with land use, socio-economic and water resource policy and management systems. This water system perspective includes the spreading of dissolved substances and pollutants in various water systems and associated risks for society. Questions related to water resources are also covered: the management of water resources and conflicts as well as collaborations caused by shared water resources on local, regional and global scales. A common learning objective for the courses in the programme is to be able to identify, extract and combine relevant information from databases and scientific publications, and use the resulting dataset in hydrological, hydrogeological and water resources analyses, on local, regional or global levels. Traditional classroom teaching is to large extent complemented by case study analyses, performed as project assignments. The importance of water resources for both the society and the environment is emphasized through applications to practical water resources management challenges in society. The courses in this program include the following topics: · Hydrological and hydrogeological processes, main components of the water cycle (e.g., precipitation, evapotranspiration, discharge) and the spreading of dissolved substances and pollutants in various water systems. · Water resources and water quality, pollution spreading through surface, ground and coastal water systems, as well as vulnerability and resilience of water resources. · Regional analyses related to global water resource vulnerability and resilience. · Models and information systems as important tools for

The green, blue and grey water footprint of animals and animal products

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mekonnen, Mesfin; Hoekstra, Arjen Ysbert

2010-01-01

The projected increase in the production and consumption of animal products is likely to put further pressure on the globe’s freshwater resources. The size and characteristics of the water footprint vary across animal types and production systems. The current study provides a comprehensive account

Compression as a Universal Principle of Animal Behavior

Science.gov (United States)

Ferrer-i-Cancho, Ramon; Hernández-Fernández, Antoni; Lusseau, David; Agoramoorthy, Govindasamy; Hsu, Minna J.; Semple, Stuart

2013-01-01

A key aim in biology and psychology is to identify fundamental principles underpinning the behavior of animals, including humans. Analyses of human language and the behavior of a range of non-human animal species have provided evidence for a common pattern underlying diverse behavioral phenomena: Words follow Zipf's law of brevity (the…

Chapter 7. Radioactivity of animals and animal organs and factors influencing their value

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toelgyessy, J.; Harangozo, M.

2000-01-01

This is a chapter of textbook of radioecology for university students. In this chapter authors deal with radioactivity of animals and animal organs and factors influencing their value. Chapter consist of next parts: (1) Natural radioactivity of animals; (2) Radioactive contamination of animal tissues; (3) Connection of radioactive contamination with species of animals and discriminatingly ability of animal organism; (4) Connection of radioactive contamination with age of animal and with biological half-life T b ; (5) Factors influencing radioactive contamination of biological cycle: food - animal; (6) Possibilities of decreasing of radioactive contamination of foods with animal origin

Students' Perspectives on YouTube Video Usage as an E-Resource in the University Classroom

Science.gov (United States)

Jackman, W. Marc; Roberts, Patricia

2014-01-01

This study examined the perspectives of 70 prospective teachers about the use of YouTube videos as e-resources to supplement psychology lectures at a university in Trinidad & Tobago. A questionnaire designed for the study was used to collect both quantitative and qualitative data. The quantitative analysis included frequency distribution,…

DOD Future Energy Resources. Proceedings of Workshops Held at the National Defense University

Science.gov (United States)

2003-05-01

fermentation of the cellulosic and hemicellulosic sugars, lignin remains as a residue. ( Lignin does not contain any sulfur and is consequently called “clean...Patzek, “Ethanol From Corn : Clean Renewable Fuel for the Future, or Drain on Our Resources and Pockets?” Working paper , University of California...to DOD and national policy, nor did he address any of the concerns presented in the opening premise of this paper . Instead, he stated his views as

Perception of Stakeholders on Availability of Personnel Resources for Universal Basic Education Impementation in Nigeria

Science.gov (United States)

Suleiman, Habiba

2016-01-01

The aim of this research paper is to assess the implementation of Universal basic Education Programme in Nigeria from 1999-2009 on availability of personnel resources. A descriptive and survey method was adopted for the investigations, through random sampling technique, two (2) States each were selected from the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria…

Charting a Course through CORAL: Texas A&M University Libraries' Experience Implementing an Open-Source Electronic Resources Management System

Science.gov (United States)

Hartnett, Eric; Beh, Eugenia; Resnick, Taryn; Ugaz, Ana; Tabacaru, Simona

2013-01-01

In 2010, after two previous unsuccessful attempts at electronic resources management system (ERMS) implementation, Texas A&M University (TAMU) Libraries set out once again to find an ERMS that would fit its needs. After surveying the field, TAMU Libraries selected the University of Notre Dame Hesburgh Libraries-developed, open-source ERMS,…

Solidarity with Animals: Assessing a Relevant Dimension of Social Identification with Animals.

Science.gov (United States)

Amiot, Catherine E; Bastian, Brock

2017-01-01

Interactions with animals are pervasive in human life, a fact that is reflected in the burgeoning field of human-animal relations research. The goal of the current research was to examine the psychology of our social connection with other animals, by specifically developing a measure of solidarity with animals. In 8 studies using correlational, experimental, and longitudinal designs, solidarity with animals predicted more positive attitudes and behaviors toward animals, over and above existing scales of identification, and even when this implied a loss of resources and privileges for humans relative to animals. Solidarity with animals also displayed predicted relationships with relevant variables (anthropomorphism, empathy). Pet owners and vegetarians displayed higher levels of solidarity with animals. Correlational and experimental evidence confirmed that human-animal similarity heightens solidarity with animals. Our findings provide a useful measure that can facilitate important insights into the nature of our relationships with animals.

Politics, Markets, and University Costs: Financing Universities in the Current Era

OpenAIRE

Geiger, Roger L.

2000-01-01

The purpose of this study is to determine the factors shaping the financing of the principal universities of the United States, and to explore the consequences for institutions and for students. Revenues are the lifeblood of these or any other universities. The level of resources that universities command from society determines the level and scope of their activities, and who provides these resources greatly affects their behavior. Moreover, where resources are concerned, both inequality and...

From Millennium ERM to Proquest 360 Resource Manager: Implementing a new Electronic Resources Management System ERMS in an International Graduate Research University in Saudi Arabia

KAUST Repository

Ramli, Rindra M.

2017-05-17

An overview of the Recommendation Study and the subsequent Implementation of a new Electronic Resources Management system ERMS in an international graduate research university in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It covers the timeline, deliverables and challenges as well as lessons learnt by the Project Team.

Study of an investigation on factors influencing human resources productivity in Shiraz University of Medical Sciences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zahra Ghasemi

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Human resources development is one of the most important components of any organization and detecting important factors influencing human resources management plays an essential role in the success of the firms. In this study, we investigated different factors influencing human resources productivity of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences staff. Method: The present research was a cross-sectional study. Sample size was calculated 208 individuals. To access information about the human resource productivity, a valid and reliable questionnaire was used. The data were analyzed using SPSS software. Pearson correlation was used for statistical analysis of the data (p=0.05. Results:The results showed that there was a statistically significant relationship (p-value<0.001 between human resources productivity and factors affecting the productivity of human resources (motivational factors, leadership style, creativity and innovation, general and applied education, and competitive spirit. Motivational factors (r =0.89 and general education (r =0.65 had the most and the least effects on human resources productivity. Conclusion: Considering the fact that motivational factors were the most effective factors on human resource productivity, we recommend that managers should care more than before about this factor; also, in order to motivate the employees, they should consider the staff’s individual differences.

Development of the Animal Management and Husbandry Online Placement Tool.

Science.gov (United States)

Bates, Lucy; Crowther, Emma; Bell, Catriona; Kinnison, Tierney; Baillie, Sarah

2013-01-01

The workplace provides veterinary students with opportunities to develop a range of skills, making workplace learning an important part of veterinary education in many countries. Good preparation for work placements is vital to maximize learning; to this end, our group has developed a series of three computer-aided learning (CAL) packages to support students. The third of this series is the Animal Management and Husbandry Online Placement Tool (AMH OPT). Students need a sound knowledge of animal husbandry and the ability to handle the common domestic species. However, teaching these skills at university is not always practical and requires considerable resources. In the UK, the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) requires students to complete 12 weeks of pre-clinical animal management and husbandry work placements or extramural studies (EMS). The aims are for students to improve their animal handling skills and awareness of husbandry systems, develop communication skills, and understand their future clients' needs. The AMH OPT is divided into several sections: Preparation, What to Expect, Working with People, Professionalism, Tips, and Frequently Asked Questions. Three stakeholder groups (university EMS coordinators, placement providers, and students) were consulted initially to guide the content and design and later to evaluate previews. Feedback from stakeholders was used in an iterative design process, resulting in a program that aims to facilitate student preparation, optimize the learning opportunities, and improve the experience for both students and placement providers. The CAL is available online and is open-access worldwide to support students during veterinary school.

The optic pathway: the development of an eLearning animation.

Science.gov (United States)

Cooper, Claire; Erolin, Caroline

2018-04-01

The optic pathway is responsible for sending visual information from the eyes to the brain via electrical impulses. It is essential that a sound understanding of this pathway is established in order to determine an accurate diagnosis concerning visual field defects. Although easy for trained neurologists to understand, it is an area which medical students repeatedly struggle to visualise. It is proposed that audio-visual teaching resources can improve students understanding of complex areas of importance. This article describes the development and evaluation of a short animation created for use in the undergraduate neurology curriculum at the University of Dundee School of Medicine.

Animal damage management handbook.

Science.gov (United States)

Hugh C. Black

1994-01-01

This handbook treats animal damage management (ADM) in the West in relation to forest, range, and recreation resources; predator management is not addressed. It provides a comprehensive reference of safe, effective, and practical methods for managing animal damage on National Forest System lands. Supporting information is included in references after each chapter and...

The use of operant technology to measure behavioral priorities in captive animals.

Science.gov (United States)

Cooper, J J; Mason, G J

2001-08-01

Addressing the behavioral priorities of captive animals and the development of practical, objective measures of the value of environmental resources is a principal objective of animal welfare science. In theory, consumer demand approaches derived from human microeconomics should provide valid measures of the value of environmental resources. In practice, however, a number of empirical and theoretical problems have rendered these measures difficult to interpret in studies with animals. A common approach has been to impose a cost on access to resources and to use time with each resource as a measure of consumption to construct demand curves. This can be recorded easily by automatic means, but in a number of studies, it has been found that animals compensate for increased cost of access with longer visit time. Furthermore, direct observation of the test animals' behavior has shown that resource interaction is more intense once the animals have overcome higher costs. As a consequence, measures based on time with the resource may underestimate resource consumption at higher access costs, and demand curves derived from these measures may not be a true reflection of the value of different resources. An alternative approach to demand curves is reservation price, which is the maximum price individual animals are prepared to pay to gain access to resources. In studies using this approach, farmed mink (Mustela vison) paid higher prices for food and swimming water than for resources such as tunnels, water bowls, pet toys, and empty compartments. This indicates that the mink placed a higher value on food and swimming water than on other resources.

Expanding the Intellectual Property Knowledge Base at University Libraries: Collaborating with Patent and Trademark Resource Centers

Science.gov (United States)

Wallace, Martin; Reinman, Suzanne

2018-01-01

Patent and Trademark Resource Centers are located in libraries throughout the U.S., with 43 being in academic libraries. With the importance of incorporating a knowledge of intellectual property (IP) and patent research in university curricula nationwide, this study developed and evaluated a partnership program to increase the understanding of IP…

A Pathfinder for Animal Research and Animal Rights.

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, David C.

1992-01-01

This pathfinder was originally prepared for "Biomedical Research and Animal Rights," a session sponsored by the Veterinary Medical Libraries and Research Libraries Sections of the Medical Library Association. Current resources are described, from bibliographies to electronic bulletin boards, which relate to the issue of laboratory animal…

Utilization of Electronic Information Resources by Undergraduate Students of University of Ibadan: A Case Study of Social Sciences and Education

Science.gov (United States)

Owolabi, Sola; Idowu, Oluwafemi A.; Okocha, Foluke; Ogundare, Atinuke Omotayo

2016-01-01

The study evaluated utilization of electronic information resources by undergraduates in the Faculties of Education and the Social Sciences in University of Ibadan. The study adopted a descriptive survey design with a study population of 1872 undergraduates in the Faculties of Education and the Social Sciences in University of Ibadan, from which a…

The Problem of Evil in DC Universe Animated Movies, 2007–2016

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

El-Khoury, Toufic

2017-05-01

Full Text Available This article explores the question of evil and its metaphysical and moral implications in a series of animated movie adaptations of the DC Universe produced since 2006. The contemporary evolution of the medium, called the “Iron Age of comics”, has seen the auto-reflexive nature of comics produce problems and themes related to the main question discussed in Christian theodicy: how can we perceive and define the possibility of evil in a world where God’s omnipotence should have eliminated such a possibility? Moreover, why does evil seem to spread indefinitely in spite of all the efforts deployed by superheroes to stop evil? We will discuss the problem of evil as a natural narrative topic in light of comics’ mythological and religious roots and with a particular study case: DC Comics Multiverse as an illustration of Leibniz’s “best of all possible worlds” argument.

Animal-Assisted Therapy and Occupational Therapy

Science.gov (United States)

Andreasen, Gena; Stella, Tiffany; Wilkison, Megan; Szczech Moser, Christy; Hoelzel, Allison; Hendricks, Laura

2017-01-01

The use of animals for therapeutic purposes has been documented in the literature for centuries. This review will highlight evidence of the benefits of animal-assisted therapy as well as provide a plethora of resources for therapists interested in learning more about how animals can provide restorative benefits for their clients.

Social and study related stressors and resources among university entrants : Effects on well-being and academic performance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pluut, H.; Curseu, P.L.; Ilies, R.

2015-01-01

Stress is a prevalent phenomenon among university students. We extend research on academic consequences and outcomes of stress by exploring study–leisure conflict (interference between the study and social domains) in our study of student well-being and performance. Using the Job Demands-Resources

Users' Satisfaction with Library Information Resources and Services: A Case Study College of Health Sciences Library Niger Delta University, Amassoma, Nigeria

Science.gov (United States)

Tiemo, Pereware Aghwotu; Ateboh, Benedict Alaowei

2016-01-01

This study investigated users' satisfaction with library information resources and services at the College of Health Sciences (CHS) library Niger Delta University, Nigeria. The objective was to determine the level of users satisfaction with library information resources and services. 2 (two) research questions were formulated to guide the study.…

Character animation fundamentals developing skills for 2D and 3D character animation

CERN Document Server

Roberts, Steve

2012-01-01

Expand your animation toolkit and remain competitive in the industry with this leading resource for 2D and 3D character animation techniques. Apply the industry's best practices to your own workflows and develop 2D, 3D and hybrid characters with ease. With side by side comparisons of 2D and 3D character design, improve your character animation and master traditional principles and processes including weight and balance, timing and walks. Develop characters inspired by humans, birds, fish, snakes and four legged animals. Breathe life into your character and develop a characters personality w

Universities' expectations of pastoral care: trends, stressors, resource gaps and support needs for teaching staff.

Science.gov (United States)

Laws, Thomas A; Fiedler, Brenton A

2012-10-01

'emotion work' requiring a greater integration of resources that guide them toward more appropriate and timely student support. Staff require ongoing professional development on the nature of MH problems among students. There is a need for specific orientation programs that better define pastoral care and identify support services for staff and students. Universities need to focus on what is needed to create a well-being environment. Workload allocations must include 'emotion work', and mental health professionals must be employed to improve intervention and support not only for students but also for University staff. With better defined pastoral care roles, academics can more effectively balance their intrinsic and extrinsic motivations toward both personal and corporate objectives. Further research into the efficacy of university resourcing of programs and services is needed. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Meat, Milk and Eggs. Analysis of animal food environment relations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Elferink, E.

2009-09-25

This thesis aims at providing options for reduction of the consumption of natural resources by animal source food production and consumption. To formulate options for reducing the natural resource use of animal source food production systems, insight into how these systems function and knowledge of their natural resource use is required. The research goals of the thesis originate from this understanding: To gain insight into the natural resource use of animal source food production systems; To identify possibilities and options to reduce the natural resource use of animal source food production. The land requirements of beef, chicken and pork are determined in Chapter 2. Furthermore, the effect of system changes on the land requirement for meat is analyzed. The various factors that affect land requirements for meat production are identified.Chapter 3 analyses the energy use in the animal source food production systems for chicken, pork, eggs and milk. Results are compared on the basis of fresh weight and on their nutritional value as protein sources. The chapter identifies multiple options for reducing the energy use of animal source food products. A case study of how a change in policy (the banning of meat and bone meal in feed as a result of BSE) can affect the environmental impact of animal source food production is presented in Chapter 4. It also shows the global scale of the animal source food system and the trade-offs that can occur. The relationship between food consumption and the availability of human-inedible residues, feed composition and the environmental impact of meat is analysed in Chapter 5. This chapter shows the possible effect dietary changes can have on the environmental impact of meat. Chapter 6 compares organic and industrial pork production with respect to their natural resource use for different system settings. This chapter shows the factors that determine the natural resource use of feed. Finally, Chapter 7 provides an overview of the

Treatment of bovine cancer-eye (and other animal tumors) with heat

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doss, J.D.

1980-01-01

Hyperthermia appears to be an excellent technique for the treatment of a variety of animal tumors. While this report has emphasized the application of hyperthermia to bovine cancer-eye, there cannot be serious doubt about the potential for wider applications of the technique. We have collaborated with the Animal Resource Facility at the University of New Mexico in the successful treatment of a variety of tumors in small animals which would not be a particular interest to stockmen, but the program included the successful treatment of a number of sarcoids in horses. This investigation involving heat effects on sarcoids will continue, but early results appear to be promising. Other veterinarians are using the commercial hyperthermia instruments to treat a variety of small-animal tumors; these practitioners are enthusiastic about the results but no data have been published to date. We have treated an equine lid tumor with good results, and others are pursuing investigations in this area. Use of commercial hyperthermia instruments for treatment of any condition other than bovine cancer-eye or similar small tumors on animals cannot be justified. Like other therapeutic techniques, hyperthermia must be applied to appropriate cases and retreatment will be necessary in some instances

Academic Entrepreneurship and Exchange of Scientific Resources: Material Transfer in Life and Materials Sciences in Japanese Universities

Science.gov (United States)

Shibayama, Sotaro; Walsh, John P.; Baba, Yasunori

2012-01-01

This study uses a sample of Japanese university scientists in life and materials sciences to examine how academic entrepreneurship has affected the norms and behaviors of academic scientists regarding sharing scientific resources. Results indicate that high levels of academic entrepreneurship in a scientific field are associated with less reliance…

Water Resources Research Institute | Mississippi State University

Science.gov (United States)

Welcome The Mississippi Water Resources Research Institute provides a statewide center of expertise in water and associated land-use and serves as a repository of knowledge for use in education private interests in the conservation, development, and use of water resources; to provide training

The flaws and human harms of animal experimentation.

Science.gov (United States)

Akhtar, Aysha

2015-10-01

Nonhuman animal ("animal") experimentation is typically defended by arguments that it is reliable, that animals provide sufficiently good models of human biology and diseases to yield relevant information, and that, consequently, its use provides major human health benefits. I demonstrate that a growing body of scientific literature critically assessing the validity of animal experimentation generally (and animal modeling specifically) raises important concerns about its reliability and predictive value for human outcomes and for understanding human physiology. The unreliability of animal experimentation across a wide range of areas undermines scientific arguments in favor of the practice. Additionally, I show how animal experimentation often significantly harms humans through misleading safety studies, potential abandonment of effective therapeutics, and direction of resources away from more effective testing methods. The resulting evidence suggests that the collective harms and costs to humans from animal experimentation outweigh potential benefits and that resources would be better invested in developing human-based testing methods.

Conservation and sustainable use of animal genetic resources

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hiemstra, S.J.

2013-01-01

Genetic diversity is the basis of agriculture. Adapting populations of domestic animals through breeding is impossible withot genetic diversity. Genetic diversity is part of the history of mankind and is essential for future improvements in agricultural production.

Research resources for Drosophila: the expanding universe.

Science.gov (United States)

Matthews, Kathleen A; Kaufman, Thomas C; Gelbart, William M

2005-03-01

Drosophila melanogaster has been the subject of research into central questions about biological mechanisms for almost a century. The experimental tools and resources that are available or under development for D. melanogaster and its related species, particularly those for genomic analysis, are truly outstanding. Here we review three types of resource that have been developed for D. melanogaster research: databases and other sources of information, biological materials and experimental services. These resources are there to be exploited and we hope that this guide will encourage new uses for D. melanogaster information, materials and services, both by those new to flies and by experienced D. melanogaster researchers.

Activities of the Animal Production and Health Laboratory (Animal Production and Health Newsletter, No. 63, January 2016)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2016-01-01

This article provides information on: • Animal Genetics: Genetic variation on the control of resistance to internal parasites in small ruminants for improving animal productivity; Support to MSs for implementation of Global Plan of Action on animal genetic resources (AnGR); • Animal Health: Application of irradiation technology to develop a potential trypanosome vaccine; African swine fever; Study of pox diseases in Ethiopian camels; • Fellows/interns/consultants; • Field suppprt missions

Why Animal Agriculture is Unsustainable

OpenAIRE

Heppner, Janae

2017-01-01

Animal agriculture causes many unsustainable, destructive problems to individuals, the environment, and the economy. The amount of destruction that animal agriculture does to the planet, to environments and to species is devastating as animal agriculture is the root problem for the worlds increasing temperatures, species extinction, deforestation, and water quality. These issues should come to light when the University of California, Merced talks about its 2020 Project; however, these problem...

Ecosystem-learning blended training for enterprises and assist in the university. Assessment of student resource

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emilio ÁLVAREZ ARREGUI

2011-12-01

Full Text Available 0 0 1 134 740 Instituto Universitario de Ciencias de la Educación 6 1 873 14.0 Normal 0 21 false false false ES JA X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Tabla normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0cm; mso-para-margin-right:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-ansi-language:ES; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;} In this work we present the results obtained in an innovation project that is part of a longitudinal study on ecosystems Training we are developing in collaboration with the University of Algarve and other centers of innovation (Innobridge, Switzerland and Valnalón, Spain. This time we present the assessment of the resources employed students perform in various degrees and courses at the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education at the University of Oviedo. The sample consisted of 120 students and the methodology is quantitative. Results indicate a positive assessment of the context blended learning teaching and technological resources and human resources used because they facilitate knowledge management in a collaborative manner between the educational agents involved and the participation of outside professionals that ecosystem project training the workplace.

Professional Veterinary Programs' Perceptions and Experiences Pertaining to Emotional Support Animals and Service Animals, and Recommendations for Policy Development.

Science.gov (United States)

Schoenfeld-Tacher, Regina M; Kogan, Lori R

Given the unique nature of programs in professional veterinary medicine (PVM), the increasing numbers of students requesting accommodations for emotional support animals (ESAs) in higher education settings is of growing interest to student affairs and administrative staff in PVM settings. Since the legislation pertaining to this type of support animal differs from the laws governing disability service animals, colleges and universities now need to develop new policies and guidelines. Representatives from a sample of 28 PVM programs completed a survey about the prevalence of student requests for ESAs and service animals. PVM associate deans for academic affairs also reported their perceptions of this issue and the challenges these requests might pose within veterinary teaching laboratories and patient treatment areas. Responses indicated that approximately one third of PVM programs have received requests for ESAs (32.1%) in the last 2 years, 17.9% have had requests for psychiatric service animals, and 17.9% for other types of service animals. Despite this, most associate deans reported not having or not being aware of university or college policies pertaining to these issues. Most associate deans are interested in learning more about this topic. This paper provides general recommendations for establishing university or PVM program policies.

Experiments in Total Quality Management at the Autonomous University of Chihuahua’s School of Animal Husbandry. A Case Study

OpenAIRE

Heriberto Aranda Gutiérrez

2006-01-01

Presented here are experiments and results obtained by the School of Animal Husbandry of the Autonomous University of Chihuahua (UACH), Mexico, after implementing a quality-management system. The methodology was based on a process of strategic planning, with the use of models for the quality of official state, national, and international organizations. There was improvement in the performance of 25 indicators related with teaching, research, extension and administrative activities. It...

Opportunities for Fundamental University-Based Research in Energy and Resource Recovery

Science.gov (United States)

Zoback, M. D.; Hitzman, M.; Tester, J. W.

2012-12-01

In this talk we present, from a university perspective, a few examples of fundamental research needs related to improved energy and resource recovery. One example of such a research need is related to the fact that it is not widely recognized that meeting domestic and worldwide energy needs with renewables such as wind and solar will be materials intensive. If widely deployed, the elements required by renewable technologies will be needed in significant quantities and shortage of these "energy critical elements" could significantly inhibit the adoption of otherwise game changing energy technologies. It is imperative to better understand the geology, metallurgy, and mining engineering of critical mineral deposits if we are to sustainably develop these new technologies. Unfortunately, there is currently no consensus among federal and state agencies, the national and international mining industry, the public, and the U.S. academic community regarding the importance of economic geology in the context of securing sufficient energy critical elements to undertake large-scale renewable energy development. Another option for transitioning away from our current hydrocarbon-based energy system to non-carbon based sources, is geothermal energy - from both conventional hydrothermal resources and enhanced or engineered geothermal systems (EGS). Although geothermal energy is currently used for both electric and non-electric applications worldwide from conventional hydrothermal resources and in ground source heat pumps, most of the emphasis in the US has been generating electricity. To this end, there is a need for research, development and demonstration in five important areas - estimating the magnitude and distribution of recoverable geothermal resources, establishing requirements for extracting and utilizing energy from EGS reservoirs the including drilling, reservoir design and stimulation, exploring end use options for district heating, electricity generation and co

DETERMINANTS OF VISITORS' PREFERENCE FOR WILD ANIMAL ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Omotesho

Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, University of Ilorin, Ilorin,. Nigeria, PMB ... Key words: Determinants, wildlife preference, University of Ilorin, Zoo. INTRODUCTION ..... (1996).Regarding animals. Philadelphia: Temple University. Press. Bart, W.M. (1972). ... National Parks and Protected. Areas ...

Implementing a Universal Well-Being Assessment to Mitigate Barriers to Resident Utilization of Mental Health Resources.

Science.gov (United States)

Sofka, Sarah; Grey, Carl; Lerfald, Nathan; Davisson, Laura; Howsare, Janie

2018-02-01

Physician utilization of well-being resources remains low despite efforts to promote use of these resources. We implemented a well-being assessment for internal medicine residents to improve access and use of mental health services. We scheduled all postgraduate year 1 (PGY-1) and PGY-2 residents at West Virginia University for the assessment at our faculty and staff assistance program (FSAP). While the assessment was intended to be universal (all residents), we allowed residents to "opt out." The assessment visit consisted of an evaluation by a licensed therapist, who assisted residents with a wellness plan. Anonymous surveys were distributed to all residents, and means were compared by Student's t test. Thirty-eight of 41 PGY-1 and PGY-2 residents (93%) attended the scheduled appointments. Forty-two of 58 residents (72%, including PGY-3s) completed the survey. Of 42 respondents, 28 (67%) attended the assessment sessions, and 14 (33%) did not. Residents who attended the sessions gave mean ratings of 7.8 for convenience (1, not convenient, to 9, very convenient), and 7.9 for feeling embarrassed if colleagues knew they attended (1, very embarrassed, to 9, not embarrassed). Residents who attended the assessment sessions reported they were more likely to use FSAP services in the future, compared with those who did not attend ( P  barriers to using counseling resources. The majority of residents who participated had a positive view of the program and indicated they would return to FSAP if they felt they needed counseling.

Enhancing human-animal relationships through veterinary medical instruction in animal-assisted therapy and animal-assisted activities.

Science.gov (United States)

Schaffer, Caroline Brunsman

2008-01-01

Instruction in animal-assisted therapy (AAT) and animal-assisted activities (AAAs) teaches veterinary medical students to confidently and assertively maximize the benefits and minimize the risks of this union of animals and people. Instruction in AAT/AAA also addresses requirements by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education that accredited schools/colleges of veterinary medicine include in their standard curriculum the topics of the human-animal bond, behavior, and the contributions of the veterinarian to the overall public and professional health care teams. Entry-level veterinarians should be prepared to: (1) assure that animals who provide AAT/AAA are healthy enough to visit nursing homes, hospitals, or other institutions; (2) promote behavior testing that selects animals who will feel safe, comfortable, and connected; (3) advise facilities regarding infection control and ways to provide a safe environment where the animals, their handlers, and the people being visited will not be injured or become ill; and (4) advocate for their patients and show compassion for their clients when animals are determined to be inappropriate participants in AAT/AAA programs. This article presents AAT/AAA terminology, ways in which veterinarians can advocate for AAT/AAA, the advantages of being involved in AAT/AAA, a model AAT/AAA practicum from Tuskegee University's School of Veterinary Medicine (TUSVM), and examples of co-curricular activities in AAT/AAA by TUSVM's student volunteers.

Animal impacts

Science.gov (United States)

Norbert V. DeByle

1985-01-01

The aspen ecosystem is rich in number and species of animals, especially in comparison to associated coniferous forest types. This natural species diversity and richness has been both increased and influenced by the introduction of domestic livestock. The high value of the aspen type as a forage resource for livestock and as forage and cover for wildlife makes the...

Perceptions among university students in Seville (Spain of the rabbit as livestock and as a companion animal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pedro González-Redondo

2012-10-01

Full Text Available The rabbit has various utilities and roles, mainly as a meat-producing animal, game species, companion animal, laboratory animal or pest. Among these roles, rabbit breeding for meat has traditionally prevailed in the Mediterranean countries. However, in recent decades the practice of keeping this species as a companion animal has been on the rise; a factor that could be changing public perception of the rabbit. A survey of 492 university students from Seville, Andalusia, Spain, was conducted to determine young people’s perceptions of the rabbit as livestock and as a companion species. The rabbit received the lowest score when regarded as livestock compared to the pig, cow, goat, sheep and hen. Regarding companion animals, young Spanish people preferred the dog and cat, respectively. The rabbit and the hamster were rated at the same level as a pet, while the budgerigar was rated lower than these two mammals by women and higher by men. The goldfish occupied the last position among the pet species in the women’s perceptions. With regard to the perception of various rabbit breeds and varieties when evaluated as pets, it was found that the pet Lop Dwarf, Netherland Dwarf, Angora and Lionhead breeds were rated higher than a typical meat breed (New Zealand White and than the wild rabbit. The gender of the young people surveyed influenced their perception of the rabbit. Women rated the rabbit lower as livestock while they rated it higher as a pet, also rating the pet rabbit breeds higher than men did. It is proposed that, in keeping with the rabbit’s attributes related to its cuteness, conceptually linked with pets, young Andalusian people’s perception of the rabbit is ambivalent and this perception might partly be shifting from perceiving it as livestock to regarding it as a pet.

Ecological Resource and its realization in the Botanical Garden of the Voronezh State University

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Voronin Andrey Alekseevich

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The article considers components of environmental resource of the Botanical Garden of Voronezh State University in connection with its introductional activity and scientific and educational process. The components include collections, expositions, area of natural vegetation typical of forest-steppe zone. The article provides examples of ecological resource use that is study of vascular plants flora, mosses, lichens, fungi, fauna and of ecological and biological characteristics of collection plants, with priority for rare and endangered species. There is also description of field training and work practices, excursions, talks. Special attention is given to Botanical Garden potential in tourist and excursion arrangement as well as development of ecological vision. 13 items of environmental and educational path were identified and described which include all natural ecosystems and old dendrology collections, fallow lands. The excursions themes for all other collections of the Botanical Garden were named. Real perspectives for science research were defined.

Road-Killed Animals as Resources for Ecological Studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Adams, Clark E.

1983-01-01

Summarizes 19 literature sources identifying road-killed vertebrates and frequency of kill by numbers. Examples of how these animals can be incorporated into curricula (integrating biology, society, people, and values) are given, followed by an illustrated example of how a road-killed raccoon's skull demonstrated a human/wildlife interaction prior…

Russia: update on animal experiments and alternatives in education.

Science.gov (United States)

Jukes, Nick

2008-01-01

Progress continues in Russia with growing awareness and implementation of alternatives in education. Further outreach visits and negotiations for replacement have been made by InterNICHE campaigners. Russian language information resources have been complemented by the distribution of translated freeware physiology and pharmacology alternatives; and the InterNICHE Alternatives Loan Systems continue to provide valuable hands-on access to a range of learning tools. Donations of computers and alternatives have established exemplary multimedia laboratories, with software having directly replaced the annual use of several thousand animals. New agreements have been made with institutes to abandon animal experiments for teaching purposes. Work to consolidate the successes is being done, and Russian teachers have begun to present at conferences to share their experiences of implementation. Further development and implementation of alternatives is being achieved through grant funding from the InterNICHE Humane Education Award. Using a different approach, cases of determined conscientious objection have included a campaign against the use of stolen companion animals for surgery practice in the Russian Far East, and a continuing legal challenge to experiments at Moscow State University. This multi-pronged, decentralised and culturally appropriate campaigning strategy has proved to be an effective approach to achieving sustainable change in Russia.

Resource Endowments and Responses to Regulatory Pressure: Publications of Economics, Management, and Political Science Departments of Turkish Universities in Indexed Journals, 2000-2008

Science.gov (United States)

Onder, Cetin; Kasapoglu-Onder, Rana

2011-01-01

This paper investigates how differences in resource endowments of universities shape variation in their response to regulatory pressures. Earlier research on higher education institutions tends to conceive regulatory rules as the primary basis of action and does not attend to differences in the salient characteristics of universities. This paper…

Computer animation algorithms and techniques

CERN Document Server

Parent, Rick

2012-01-01

Driven by the demands of research and the entertainment industry, the techniques of animation are pushed to render increasingly complex objects with ever-greater life-like appearance and motion. This rapid progression of knowledge and technique impacts professional developers, as well as students. Developers must maintain their understanding of conceptual foundations, while their animation tools become ever more complex and specialized. The second edition of Rick Parent's Computer Animation is an excellent resource for the designers who must meet this challenge. The first edition establ

Becoming Sheep, Becoming Animal..

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grum, Charlotte; Svabo, Connie

reading of a particular historical subject and to explore the messy constituents of the very categories of women and animals. In general she is occupied with how to animate and perform the intra-active entanglement of subjectivity and materiality.The “Becoming Sheep” project produced a variety of visual......-acting and becoming with the heath habitat, the other by-passing human and non-human animals, the changing weather and their fluctuating biological needs. She wanted to explore the discursive and material effects of a site specific human-nonhuman animal intra-action, to challenge the gendered and anthropocentric...... practice.Continuing explorations of how to undo authorship, activate multiple subject positions and animate the very resources through which we practice and continuously become, for this conference artist Charlotte Grum has invited Connie Svabo, Associate Professor in Performance-Design at Roskilde...

Traditional products: Base for the sustainable development of Serbian animal origin products

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stevanović Jasna Lj.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Research results on the diversity of traditional products of animal origin from certain areas of the Republic of Serbia, provides an opportunity to become part of the sustainable quality development, which would be based on their promotion and protection of local resources. Traditional products of animal origin are different and inseparable from the local identity, typical for nation and its food culture. Through confidence-building, and protection from oblivion, the value of domestic products, had preserved trough centuries-old tradition. Nowadays, each domestic product has its own recognisable taste, representing climate of the Republic of Serbia, from which it comes. Universally accepted model of rural institutional structure does not exist. Instead it accommodates and develops in accordance to needs, possibilities and area specific characteristics. By the efficient protection rural models becomes an investment incentives and contribute to general economic and industrial prosperity of the society.

Gaps in US Animal Welfare Law for Laboratory Animals: Perspectives From an Animal Law Attorney.

Science.gov (United States)

Frasch, Pamela D

2016-05-01

The use of animals in biomedical, toxicological, and basic research has been common practice, and a tool for scientists and researchers, for many years. And yet, serious conflict continues to exist between those who believe that the use of animals in research will yield scientific results that benefit humans and those who believe such practices are unethical regardless of use or outcome. High-profile undercover cases have further raised public awareness and have put the entire industry under pressure to be transparent, accountable, and aggressive in its adoption of reduction, refinement, and replacement (3R) principles. Many animal law attorneys are deeply frustrated by what they see as weak US laws that are unevenly enforced, especially when compared with legal advances in other countries and regions. This article (1) explores those gaps in US animal welfare laws with an emphasis on the Animal Welfare Act, (2) argues in favor of stronger laws and rigorous enforcement, and (3) suggests steps to advance these goals. These steps include (1) expanding the definition of "animal" in the Animal Welfare Act (AWA), (2) improving and expanding minimum care requirements in USDA regulations, (3) instituting mandatory reporting requirements, improving Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees, and allowing easier accessibility to laboratory reports and plans, (4) adding a citizen suit provision to the AWA, and (5) continuing education about the emotional and social capacities of animals and a stronger commitment to 3R principles. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Institute for Laboratory Animal Research. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Animal Bodies, Colonial Subjects: (ReLocating Animality in Decolonial Thought

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Billy-Ray Belcourt

2014-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper, I argue that animal domestication, speciesism, and other modern human-animal interactions in North America are possible because of and through the erasure of Indigenous bodies and the emptying of Indigenous lands for settler-colonial expansion. That is, we cannot address animal oppression or talk about animal liberation without naming and subsequently dismantling settler colonialism and white supremacy as political machinations that require the simultaneous exploitation and/or erasure of animal and Indigenous bodies. I begin by re-framing animality as a politics of space to suggest that animal bodies are made intelligible in the settler imagination on stolen, colonized, and re-settled Indigenous lands. Thinking through Andrea Smith’s logics of white supremacy, I then re-center anthropocentrism as a racialized and speciesist site of settler coloniality to re-orient decolonial thought toward animality. To critique the ways in which Indigenous bodies and epistemologies are at stake in neoliberal re-figurings of animals as settler citizens, I reject the colonial politics of recognition developed in Sue Donaldson and Will Kymlicka’s recent monograph, Zoopolis: A Political Theory of Animal Rights (Oxford University Press 2011 because it militarizes settler-colonial infrastructures of subjecthood and governmentality. I then propose a decolonized animal ethic that finds legitimacy in Indigenous cosmologies to argue that decolonization can only be reified through a totalizing disruption of those power apparatuses (i.e., settler colonialism, anthropocentrism, white supremacy, and neoliberal pluralism that lend the settler state sovereignty, normalcy, and futurity insofar as animality is a settler-colonial particularity.

Invited review: Resource inputs and land, water and carbon footprints from the production of edible protein of animal origin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Flachowsky

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of this review is to analyze crucial factors in the output from the production of proteins in food of animal origin, such as milk, meat and eggs. We then consider inputs such as land, water, fuel, minerals and feed, as well as characterize emissions. Finally, we estimate footprints for land (land footprint, LF, water (water footprint, WF and greenhouse gas emissions (i.e., carbon footprint, CF during the production process. The wide range of different land and water inputs per unit feed between various studies largely influences the results. Further influencing factors are species and categories of animals that produce edible protein, their yields and the feeding of animals. Coproducts with no or low humanly edible fractions and grassland as feed contribute to a lower need for arable land and lower LF, WF and CF. The most efficient land use or the lowest LF per kilogram of edible protein was estimated for higher milk and egg yields; the highest LF values were calculated for beef, followed by pork. The lowest WF and CF were calculated for edible protein of chicken meat and eggs. Edible protein from ruminants is mostly characterized by a higher CF because of the high greenhouse gas potential of methane produced in the rumen. A key prerequisite for further progress in this field is the harmonization of data collection and calculation methods. Alternatives to partial or complete replacement of protein of terrestrial animals, such as marine animals, insects, cell cultures, single-cell proteins or simulated animal products from plants, as well as changing eating patterns and reducing food losses are mentioned as further potential ways for more efficient feed production. For all those dealing with plant or animal breeding and cultivation and all those who are working along the whole food production chain, it is a major challenge to enhance the production of more food for more people with, at the same time, less, limited resources and

Overview of the advances in environmental chemistry of animal manure

Science.gov (United States)

There is an increasing environmental concern over animal manure due to the volumes produced in modern intensified animal production. However, animal manure is traditionally regarded as a valuable resource of plant nutrients. Although research on environmental impacts of animal manure and associated...

A resource for discovering specific and universal biomarkers for distributed stem cells.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Minsoo Noh

Full Text Available Specific and universal biomarkers for distributed stem cells (DSCs have been elusive. A major barrier to discovery of such ideal DSC biomarkers is difficulty in obtaining DSCs in sufficient quantity and purity. To solve this problem, we used cell lines genetically engineered for conditional asymmetric self-renewal, the defining DSC property. In gene microarray analyses, we identified 85 genes whose expression is tightly asymmetric self-renewal associated (ASRA. The ASRA gene signature prescribed DSCs to undergo asymmetric self-renewal to a greater extent than committed progenitor cells, embryonic stem cells, or induced pluripotent stem cells. This delineation has several significant implications. These include: 1 providing experimental evidence that DSCs in vivo undergo asymmetric self-renewal as individual cells; 2 providing an explanation why earlier attempts to define a common gene expression signature for DSCs were unsuccessful; and 3 predicting that some ASRA proteins may be ideal biomarkers for DSCs. Indeed, two ASRA proteins, CXCR6 and BTG2, and two other related self-renewal pattern associated (SRPA proteins identified in this gene resource, LGR5 and H2A.Z, display unique asymmetric patterns of expression that have a high potential for universal and specific DSC identification.

Local and Regional Authorities as Resources for Implementing Universal Design Policy in Norway.

Science.gov (United States)

Lund, Einar

2016-01-01

The municipalities and regional authorities are in general resources for achieving national goals. Their management and works are crucial to the development and implementation of Universal Design. Through several programmes, national authorities have worked for activating the local and regional levels. The results are visible. We can see a long-term national strategy to help make society accessible to everyone and prevent discrimination. Participating municipalities and regional authorities are now able to create their own policy and strategies and implement solutions. The national programs have involved interested and motivated municipalities. All the 18 counties in Norway have been involved more or less in different periods and the same with up to a third of the about good 400 municipalities.

the iniprovement and application of genetic resources in animal

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Animal and Dairy Science Reseorch Instiute, Irene, 1675. In the process of abandoning ... genetic improvement of the industry on a national basis. Quantitatively the ..... rapidly developing, challenging and competitive world with its modern ...

Achieving equity within universal health coverage: a narrative review of progress and resources for measuring success.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodney, Anna M; Hill, Peter S

2014-10-10

Equity should be implicit within universal health coverage (UHC) however, emerging evidence is showing that without adequate focus on measurement of equity, vulnerable populations may continue to receive inadequate or inferior health care. This study undertakes a narrative review which aims to: (i) elucidate how equity is contextualised and measured within UHC, and (ii) describe tools, resources and lessons which will assist decision makers to plan and implement UHC programmes which ensure equity for all. A narrative review of peer-reviewed literature published in English between 2005 and 2013, retrieved from PubMed via the search words, 'universal health coverage/care' and 'equity/inequity' was performed. Websites of key global health organizations were also searched for relevant grey literature. Papers were excluded if they failed to focus on equity (of access, financial risk protection or health outcomes) as well as focusing on one of the following: (i) the impact of UHC programmes, policies or interventions on equity (ii) indicators, measurement, monitoring and/or evaluation of equity within UHC, or (iii) tools or resources to assist with measurement. Eighteen journal articles consisting mostly of secondary analysis of country data and qualitative case studies in the form of commentaries/reviews, and 13 items of grey literature, consisting largely of reports from working groups and expert meetings focusing on defining, understanding and measuring inequity in UHC (including recent drafts of global/country monitoring frameworks) were included. The literature advocates for progressive universalism addressing monetary and non-monetary barriers to access and strengthening existing health systems. This however relies on countries being effectively able to identify and reach disadvantaged populations and estimate unmet need. Countries should assess the new WHO/WB-proposed framework for its ability to adequately track the progress of disadvantaged populations in terms

36 CFR 2.16 - Horses and pack animals.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Horses and pack animals. 2.16... RESOURCE PROTECTION, PUBLIC USE AND RECREATION § 2.16 Horses and pack animals. The following are prohibited: (a) The use of animals other than those designated as “pack animals” for purposes of transporting...

Information resources in toxicology--Italy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Preziosi, Paolo; Dracos, Adriana; Marcello, Ida

2003-01-01

The purpose of the present paper is to provide an overview of current resources in the field of toxicology in Italy. The discussion will begin with a brief history of toxicology in this country, which includes the study of the toxicity of plants and other natural substances, and the birth of industrial and forensic toxicology. We will also provide information on research, education, and hazard control in the field of toxicology. Within this context we will examine the public bodies responsible for surveillance and regulatory activities, state-owned and private structures involved in toxicological research, and the educational programs and research activities of universities. Particular emphasis will be placed on the activities of the National Health Service, which plays an important role in areas such as clinical toxicology, food safety, and animal health, as well as those of national and regional agencies dedicated to the protection of the environment. The presentation will be organized as follows: - A Brief History of Toxicology in Italy; - Professional Societies; - National Health Service; - National Bodies; - Resources for the Environment; - Biomedical Websites; - Recent Publications; - Research Structures; - Graduate and Postgraduate Programs; - Legislation

Principles of optimizing animal production from rangeland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stubbendieck, J.; Waller, S.S.

1983-01-01

Increasing world population is one of the dominant factors escalating demands for the world's natural resources. Range and forage resources, which are used primarily for food and fibre, could be more efficiently used if management techniques were improved. The principles of managing forage resources are directly associated with both the growth and development of plants and the actions and needs of the grazing animal. An understanding of the effects of environmental factors and herbage removal (frequency, intensity and season of defoliation) on growth and regrowth of plants is the first step towards optimizing animal productivity from rangelands. Most potential changes will fit into three categories: (1) increase the quantity of forage, (2) improve the quality of forage, and (3) improve use of forage. The principles of grazing management can be separated into four intricately related categories: (1) proper degree of grazing, (2) proper season of grazing, (3) proper kind of livestock, and (4) proper distribution of grazing. Grazing management is affected by the manner in which both improvements and manipulation of vegetation affect forage yield and quality. The adaptation and application of existing knowledge to individual locations will be one step towards optimizing animal production from rangeland. Some of the problems may be solved through better dissemination of present knowledge through existing educational programmes, while others will require expanded programmes of information dissemination. A third group of problems may also be solved with present technology, but the solutions are not currently economical. Some of the problems will be solved only through expanded research. These research efforts need to be directed towards grazing or browsing animals, plant resources and the interaction between plants and animals. Application of nuclear techniques will be an integral part of this research. (author)

The improvement and application of genetic resources in animal ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

South African Journal of Animal Science. Journal Home · ABOUT THIS JOURNAL · Advanced Search · Current Issue · Archives · Journal Home > Vol 8, No 1 (1978) >. Log in or Register to get access to full text downloads.

Development of a Centralized Human Resource Information System of Cavite State University

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeffrey F. Papa

2016-08-01

Full Text Available This study focused in the automation and improvement of the Human Resource services. This includes managing of employees’ records, facilitating requests and processing of leave credits in accordance to the Civil Service Commission (CSC rules and regulation, tracking the employees' performance and skills, generating reports needed, and analyzing of employee information that will help in the decision making. This also includes attendance monitoring using biometrics, calculation of tardiness and absences of employees, and processing and printing of payroll. The system is developed using Visual Basic.Net, as the main programming language, SQL Server 2008 for back end database, MS Word and MS Excel for all needed reports. Two (2 units of computers that served as server and client, network devices and finger print biometric scanner completed the set-up of the developed system. The developed system consists of three (3 major application software or modules such as the Human Resource Information System, the Fingerprint Attendance System and the Payroll Alert System. The Human Resource Information System is used in the processing of employee records of the HR office. The Fingerprint Attendance System is used for getting the employee’s time-in and time-out for their attendance. The Payroll Alert System is used in notifying the accounting staff to generate the payroll on time. Test results based on efficiency in terms of CPU and memory usage, processing speed and accuracy of data, and consistency of outputs turned out favorable to the system. Forty respondents composed of faculty and administrative personnel of Cavite State University rated the system as “Excellent” with an overall mean of 4.73. It signifies that the developed system is acceptable and functions according to its preferred specifications.

Hybrid animation integrating 2D and 3D assets

CERN Document Server

O'Hailey, Tina

2010-01-01

Artist imaginations continue to grow and stretch the boundaries of traditional animation. Successful animators adept and highly skilled in traditional animation mediums are branching out beyond traditional animation workflows and will often use multiple forms of animation in a single project. With the knowledge of 3D and 2D assets and the integration of multiple animation mediums into a single project, animators have a wealth of creative resources available for a project that is not limited to a specific animation medium, software package or workflow processs. Enhance a poignant scene by choos

How much we know about university internationalization and university autonomy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Turcan, Romeo V.; Gullieva, Valeria

2013-01-01

in their mission statements and strategic plans. Conventional wisdom suggests that universities should adapt their strategies, resources, and structures and organizations to international environments. However, recent examples of university internationalization failures and withdrawals from international markets...

Animal Research, the 3Rs, and the "Internet of Things": Opportunities and Oversight in International Pharmaceutical Development.

Science.gov (United States)

Niemi, Steven M; Davies, Gail F

2016-12-01

Stages of drug (and vaccine) discovery and evaluation that involve laboratory animals increasingly occur via scientific collaborations across national borders and continents. Many of these research collaborations are between asset-rich institutions and others in less wealthy parts of the world. The care and use of laboratory animals in geographically disparate locations introduces new complexities, such as different oversight requirements and available resources, as well as diverse organizational and cultural milieus. These complexities can hamper the effectiveness of local animal welfare committees and regulatory compliance, as well as compromise good science and animal welfare. At the same time, new technologies are becoming available that offer greater transparency in how these collaborations and their animal subjects are faring in real time that, in turn, can enable progress towards the 3 Rs. The focus of this essay is to identify potential rewards and risks stemming from new techniques for producing and connecting data in preclinical pharmaceutical development and consider how further social scientific investigations have the potential to enhance the benefits of international research collaborations for both human health and animal welfare. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Institute for Laboratory Animal Research. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Introducing forensic entomology in cases of suspected animal neglect.

Science.gov (United States)

McGarry, John; Ratsep, Emily; Ressel, Lorenzo; Leeming, Gail; Ricci, Emanuele; Verin, Ranieri; Blundell, Richard; Kipar, Anja; Hetzel, Udo; Yeates, James

2018-02-03

Cases of arthropod-infested, abandoned or abused animals are sometimes brought to the attention of veterinarians by animal welfare authorities, with the requirement for a full postmortem examination towards criminal or civil proceedings. In these situations, entomology is an important support tool for the pathologists' investigation since the presence of arthropod life cycle stages serve as reliable forensic markers, especially for blowflies which form the first waves of activity following death. In the present study, 70 cadavers from a total of 544 referred to the Institute of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool, between 2009 and 2014 displayed evidence of infestation. Here, the authors introduce principles of applied entomology and simplified approaches for estimating the minimum time since death, relevant in the context of routine submissions and the broad remit of individual cases. Despite often limited availability of scene of the crime and local thermal data, the interpretation of the minimum postmortem interval has nonetheless proved valuable as an adjunct to the expert pathology report. However, future developments and enhanced accuracy in this area of animal welfare require resource and training in expertise, and agreed standardisation of both laboratory and field procedures. © British Veterinary Association (unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Epidemiologic Study of Animal Bites and Rabies Referring to Rabies Prevention and Treatment Center of Jahrom University of Medical Sciences in 2011-2016

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tayebeh Rakhshani

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Background: The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiological characteristics of animal bite during 2011 -2016 years in Jahrom city. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed using data from the Jahrom University of Medical Sciences. For analytical statistics, Chi-square test and multiple regression test were used. SPSS software version 21 was used for statistical analysis. Results: In total, 2010 people with an average age of 31.4 ±1.7 in the years 2011 to 2016 in the were biting. Of these, 429 were female (21.3% and 1581 were male (78.7%. The results multiple showed that there was a positive correlation between (animal bites; Beta = 0.05, age; Beta = 0.02, location of ulcer; Beta = 0.01 with animal bites positive and direct correlation with animal bites. Animal type variables (Beta = -0.06, primary measures (Beta = -0.03, gender (Beta = -0.03, nationality (Beta = -0.03, wound size (Beta = -0.02 and location (Beta = 0.05 had a negative correlation with animal bites. Conclusion: Most cases of biting have been related to dogs, pets and rural areas. Therefore, the vaccination of dogs and cats is essential by preventing dogs from being exposed to humans.

Fundamentals of universality in one-way quantum computation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nest, M van den; Duer, W; Miyake, A; Briegel, H J

2007-01-01

In this paper, we build a framework allowing for a systematic investigation of the fundamental issue: 'Which quantum states serve as universal resources for measurement-based (one-way) quantum computation?' We start our study by re-examining what is exactly meant by 'universality' in quantum computation, and what the implications are for universal one-way quantum computation. Given the framework of a measurement-based quantum computer, where quantum information is processed by local operations only, we find that the most general universal one-way quantum computer is one which is capable of accepting arbitrary classical inputs and producing arbitrary quantum outputs-we refer to this property as CQ-universality. We then show that a systematic study of CQ-universality in one-way quantum computation is possible by identifying entanglement features that are required to be present in every universal resource. In particular, we find that a large class of entanglement measures must reach its supremum on every universal resource. These insights are used to identify several families of states as being not universal, such as one-dimensional (1D) cluster states, Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) states, W states, and ground states of non-critical 1D spin systems. Our criteria are strengthened by considering the efficiency of a quantum computation, and we find that entanglement measures must obey a certain scaling law with the system size for all efficient universal resources. This again leads to examples of non-universal resources, such as, e.g. ground states of critical 1D spin systems. On the other hand, we provide several examples of efficient universal resources, namely graph states corresponding to hexagonal, triangular and Kagome lattices. Finally, we consider the more general notion of encoded CQ-universality, where quantum outputs are allowed to be produced in an encoded form. Again we provide entanglement-based criteria for encoded universality. Moreover, we present a

Improving the use of economics in animal health - Challenges in research, policy and education.

Science.gov (United States)

Rushton, Jonathan

2017-02-01

The way that an economist and an animal health professional use economics differs and creates frustrations. The economist is in search of optimizing resource allocation in the management of animal health and disease problems with metrics associated with the productivity of key societal resources of labour and capital. The animal health professional have a strong belief that productivity can be improved with the removal of pathogens. These differences restrict how well economics is used in animal health, and the question posed is whether this matters. The paper explores the question by looking at the changing role of animals in society and the associated change of the animal health professional's activities. It then questions if the current allocation of scarce resources for animal health are adequately allocated for societies and whether currently available data are sufficient for good allocation. A rapid review of the data on disease impacts - production losses and costs of human reaction - indicate that the data are sparse collected in different times and geographical regions. This limits what can be understood on the productivity of the economic resources used for animal health and this needs to be addressed with more systematic collection of data on disease losses and costs of animal health systems. Ideally such a process should learn lessons from the way that human health has made estimates of the burden of diseases and their capture of data on the costs of human health systems. Once available data on the global burden of animal diseases and the costs of animal health systems would allow assessments of individual disease management processes and the productivity of wider productivity change. This utopia should be aimed at if animal health is to continue to attract and maintain adequate resources. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Systems Biology in Animal Production and Health

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

for improved animal production and health. The book will contain online resources where additional data and programs can be accessed. Some chapters also come with computer programming codes and example datasets to provide readers hands-on (computer) exercises. This second volume deals with integrated modeling...... and analyses of multi-omics datasets from theoretical and computational approaches and presents their applications in animal production and health as well as veterinary medicine to improve diagnosis, prevention and treatment of animal diseases. This book is suitable for both students and teachers in animal...

Classical Cosmology Through Animation Stories

Science.gov (United States)

Mijic, Milan; Kang, E. Y. E.; Longson, T.; State LA SciVi Project, Cal

2010-05-01

Computer animations are a powerful tool for explanation and communication of ideas, especially to a younger generation. Our team completed a three part sequence of short, computer animated stories about the insight and discoveries that lead to the understanding of the overall structure of the universe. Our principal characters are Immanuel Kant, Henrietta Leavitt, and Edwin Hubble. We utilized animations to model and visualize the physical concepts behind each discovery and to recreate the characters, locations, and flavor of the time. The animations vary in length from 6 to 11 minutes. The instructors or presenters may wish to utilize them separately or together. The animations may be used for learning classical cosmology in a visual way in GE astronomy courses, in pre-college science classes, or in public science education setting.

Utilization of electronic information resources by academic staff at ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The study investigated the utilization of Electronic Information resources by the academic staff of Makerere University in Uganda. It examined the academic staff awareness of the resources available, the types of resources provided by the Makerere University Library, the factors affecting resource utilization. The study was ...

Economic analysis and costing of animal health: a literature review of methods and importance.

Science.gov (United States)

Dehove, A; Commault, J; Petitclerc, M; Teissier, M; Macé, J

2012-08-01

Myriads of data, a host of methods, but no single universal indicator. The Performance of Veterinary Services (PVS) Gap Analysis helps to quantify the needs of national Veterinary Services. In a world of scarce public financial resources and heightened transparency and accountability, official Veterinary Services (national Veterinary Authorities) must be able to justify their needs in economic and budgetary terms to their line minister, national parliament and the public at large, or in negotiations with donors. Animal health and Veterinary Service activities are a global public good. It is the responsibility of governments to maintain animal health systems, including networks for the surveillance and control of animal diseases to ensure the early detection of suspected animal disease outbreaks, a rapid response and, where possible, eradication of animal disease outbreaks 'at source'. The establishment of animal health systems is a core responsibility of the State, and it requires the use of public funds, although it does not preclude public-private partnerships and strategies for ensuring complementarity between the partners concerned. The PVS Gap Analysis mission of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) is a method for analysing and quantifying disparities between a baseline situation (determined by PVS Evaluation using the OIE PVS Tool) and the target levels set by the country itself in accordance with its priorities. An added advantage is that the method can be used for training and awareness raising.

In vitro meat: A future animal-free harvest.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhat, Zuhaib Fayaz; Kumar, Sunil; Bhat, Hina Fayaz

2017-03-04

In vitro meat production is a novel idea of producing meat without involving animals with the help of tissue engineering techniques. This biofabrication of complex living products by using various bioengineering techniques is a potential solution to reduce the ill effects of current meat production systems and can dramatically transform traditional animal-based agriculture by inventing "animal-free" meat and meat products. Nutrition-related diseases, food-borne illnesses, resource use and pollution, and use of farm animals are some serious consequences associated with conventional meat production methods. This new way of animal-free meat production may offer health and environmental advantages by reducing environmental pollution and resource use associated with current meat production systems and will also ensure sustainable production of designer, chemically safe, and disease-free meat as the conditions in an in vitro meat production system are controllable and manipulatable. Theoretically, this system is believed to be efficient enough to supply the global demand for meat; however, establishment of a sustainable in vitro meat production would face considerably greater technical challenges and a great deal of research is still needed to establish this animal-free meat culturing system on an industrial scale.

Optimal Foraging for Multiple Resources in Several Food Species

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hengeveld, G.M.; Langevelde, van F.; Groen, T.A.; Knegt, de H.J.

2009-01-01

The concentrations of resources in forage are not perfectly balanced to the needs of an animal, and food species differ in these concentrations. Under many circumstances, animals should thus forage on multiple food species to attain the maximum and most balanced intake of several resources. In this

Optimal foraging for multiple resources in several food species

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hengeveld, G.M.; van Langevelde, F.; Groen, T.A.; de Knegt, H.J.

2009-01-01

The concentrations of resources in forage are not perfectly balanced to the needs of an animal, and food species differ in these concentrations. Under many circumstances, animals should thus forage on multiple food species to attain the maximum and most balanced intake of several resources. In this

Physiology, propaganda, and pound animals: medical research and animal welfare in mid-twentieth century America.

Science.gov (United States)

Parascandola, John

2007-07-01

In 1952, the University of Michigan physiologist Robert Gesell shocked his colleagues at the business meeting of the American Physiological Society by reading a prepared statement in which he claimed that some of the animal experimentation being carried out by scientists was inhumane. He especially attacked the National Society for Medical Research (NSMR), an organization that had been founded to defend animal experimentation. This incident was part of a broader struggle taking place at the time between scientists and animal welfare advocates with respect to what restrictions, if any, should be placed on animal research. A particularly controversial issue was whether or not pound animals should be made available to laboratories for research. Two of the prominent players in this controversy were the NSMR and the Animal Welfare Institute, founded and run by Gesell's daughter, Christine Stevens. This article focuses on the interaction between these two organizations within the broader context of the debate over animal experimentation in the mid-twentieth century.

Grant Patents on Animals? An Ethical and Legal Battle Looms.

Science.gov (United States)

Wheeler, David L.

1987-01-01

Rulings on applications for animal patents being considered by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office could profoundly influence university patent and research income. Many animal-rights advocates have expressed philosophical objections to genetic engineering of animals. (MLW)

Growing an Emerging Research University

Science.gov (United States)

Birx, Donald L.; Anderson-Fletcher, Elizabeth; Whitney, Elizabeth

2013-01-01

The emerging research college or university is one of the most formidable resources a region has to reinvent and grow its economy. This paper is the first of two that outlines a process of building research universities that enhance regional technology development and facilitate flexible networks of collaboration and resource sharing. Although the…

To eat and not be eaten: modelling resources and safety in multi-species animal groups.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Umesh Srinivasan

Full Text Available Using mixed-species bird flocks as an example, we model the payoffs for two types of species from participating in multi-species animal groups. Salliers feed on mobile prey, are good sentinels and do not affect prey capture rates of gleaners; gleaners feed on prey on substrates and can enhance the prey capture rate of salliers by flushing prey, but are poor sentinels. These functional types are known from various animal taxa that form multi-species associations. We model costs and benefits of joining groups for a wide range of group compositions under varying abundances of two types of prey-prey on substrates and mobile prey. Our model predicts that gleaners and salliers show a conflict of interest in multi-species groups, because gleaners benefit from increasing numbers of salliers in the group, whereas salliers benefit from increasing gleaner numbers. The model also predicts that the limits to size and variability in composition of multi-species groups are driven by the relative abundance of different types of prey, independent of predation pressure. Our model emphasises resources as a primary driver of temporal and spatial group dynamics, rather than reproductive activity or predation per se, which have hitherto been thought to explain patterns of multi-species group formation and cohesion. The qualitative predictions of the model are supported by empirical patterns from both terrestrial and marine multi-species groups, suggesting that similar mechanisms might underlie group dynamics in a range of taxa. The model also makes novel predictions about group dynamics that can be tested using variation across space and time.

Developing and Evaluating Animations for Teaching Quantum Mechanics Concepts

Science.gov (United States)

Kohnle, Antje; Douglass, Margaret; Edwards, Tom J.; Gillies, Alastair D.; Hooley, Christopher A.; Sinclair, Bruce D.

2010-01-01

In this paper, we describe animations and animated visualizations for introductory and intermediate-level quantum mechanics instruction developed at the University of St Andrews. The animations aim to help students build mental representations of quantum mechanics concepts. They focus on known areas of student difficulty and misconceptions by…

Impact of Electronic Resources and Usage in Academic Libraries in Ghana: Evidence from Koforidua Polytechnic & All Nations University College, Ghana

Science.gov (United States)

Akussah, Maxwell; Asante, Edward; Adu-Sarkodee, Rosemary

2015-01-01

The study investigates the relationship between impact of electronic resources and its usage in academic libraries in Ghana: evidence from Koforidua Polytechnic & All Nations University College, Ghana. The study was a quantitative approach using questionnaire to gather data and information. A valid response rate of 58.5% was assumed. SPSS…

Irradiation effect on animal feeds and feedstuffs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kume, Tamikazu

1983-10-01

Aiming to secure the safety of animal feeds and develop the new resources, the effect of γ-irradiation on disinfection and the changes in components were investigated. Salmonellae and coliforms contaminating in animal feeds and feedstuffs were eliminated by 0.5 -- 0.6 Mrad and 0.5 -- 0.8 Mrad, and osmophilic moulds were sterilized by 0.7 -- 0.75 Mrad. From these results, it is concluded that the dose for disinfection of animal feeds is 0.8 Mrad. The main components were hardly changed by irradiation up to 5 Mrad, and the component changes in irradiated samples could be suppressed during storage while the components in unirradiated samples were markedly changed with the growth of osmophilic moulds. Histamine and lysinoalanine, which may cause the feed poisoning, were never accumulated in feedstuffs by irradiation. The nutritional value of chick feeds was not changed by 1.0 Mrad irradiation. From these results, it is considered that no problem for wholesomeness of animal feeds occurs by irradiation. Therefore, the irradiation is effective for disinfection and keeping the nutritional value of animal feeds during storage. Irradiation promotes the recovery of proteins in the wastewater by coagulation of proteins and improves the property of coagulants due to the degradation of polysaccharides. These results indicate that irradiation is effective to develop the new resources for animal feeds. (author)

Implementing CORAL: An Electronic Resource Management System

Science.gov (United States)

Whitfield, Sharon

2011-01-01

A 2010 electronic resource management survey conducted by Maria Collins of North Carolina State University and Jill E. Grogg of University of Alabama Libraries found that the top six electronic resources management priorities included workflow management, communications management, license management, statistics management, administrative…

Social Capital of Non-Traditional Students at a German University. Do Traditional and Non-Traditional Students Access Different Social Resources?

Science.gov (United States)

Brändle, Tobias; Häuberer, Julia

2015-01-01

Social capital is of particular value for the acquisition of education. Not only does it prevent scholars from dropping out but it improves the educational achievement. The paper focuses on access to social resources by traditional and non-traditional students at a German university and asks if there are group differences considering this…

University of Maryland MRSEC - Education: Resources

Science.gov (United States)

operation. This site remains as a history of the center, but will not be actively maintained. University of . Crystals are made up of layers, or "planes" of atoms, perfectly stacked in an ordered pattern . Because this surface has been cut at a slight angle to the crystal planes, it appears "stepped"

Animal behavior and well-being symposium: Farm animal welfare assurance: science and application.

Science.gov (United States)

Rushen, J; Butterworth, A; Swanson, J C

2011-04-01

Public and consumer pressure for assurances that farm animals are raised humanely has led to a range of private and public animal welfare standards, and for methods to assess compliance with these standards. The standards usually claim to be science based, but even though researchers have developed measures of animal welfare and have tested the effects of housing and management variables on welfare within controlled laboratory settings, there are challenges in extending this research to develop on-site animal welfare standards. The standards need to be validated against a definition of welfare that has broad support and which is amenable to scientific investigation. Ensuring that such standards acknowledge scientific uncertainty is also challenging, and balanced input from all scientific disciplines dealing with animal welfare is needed. Agencies providing animal welfare audit services need to integrate these scientific standards and legal requirements into successful programs that effectively measure and objectively report compliance. On-farm assessment of animal welfare requires a combination of animal-based measures to assess the actual state of welfare and resource-based measures to identify risk factors. We illustrate this by referring to a method of assessing welfare in broiler flocks. Compliance with animal welfare standards requires buy-in from all stakeholders, and this will be best achieved by a process of inclusion in the development of pragmatic assessment methods and the development of audit programs verifying the conditions and continuous improvement of farm animal welfare.

The Inspiring Science Education project and the resources for HEP analysis by university students

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fassouliotis, Dimitris; Kourkoumelis, Christine; Vourakis, Stylianos

2016-01-01

The Inspiring Science Education outreach project has been running for more than two years, creating a large number of inquiry based educational resources for high-school teachers and students. Its goal is the promotion of science education in schools though new methods built on the inquiry based education techniques, involving large consortia of European partners and implementation of large-scale pilots in schools. Recent hands-on activities, developing and testing the above mentioned innovative applications are reviewed. In general, there is a lack for educational scenaria and laboratory courses earmarked for more advanced, namely university, students. At the University of Athens for the last four years, the HYPATIA on-line event analysis tool has been used as a lab course for fourth year undergraduate physics students, majoring in HEP. Up to now, the course was limited to visual inspection of a few tens of ATLAS events. Recently the course was enriched with additional analysis exercises, which involve large samples of events. The students through a user friendly interface can analyse the samples and optimize the cut selection in order to search for new physics. The implementation of this analysis is described

Bayesian inference for identifying interaction rules in moving animal groups.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Richard P Mann

Full Text Available The emergence of similar collective patterns from different self-propelled particle models of animal groups points to a restricted set of "universal" classes for these patterns. While universality is interesting, it is often the fine details of animal interactions that are of biological importance. Universality thus presents a challenge to inferring such interactions from macroscopic group dynamics since these can be consistent with many underlying interaction models. We present a Bayesian framework for learning animal interaction rules from fine scale recordings of animal movements in swarms. We apply these techniques to the inverse problem of inferring interaction rules from simulation models, showing that parameters can often be inferred from a small number of observations. Our methodology allows us to quantify our confidence in parameter fitting. For example, we show that attraction and alignment terms can be reliably estimated when animals are milling in a torus shape, while interaction radius cannot be reliably measured in such a situation. We assess the importance of rate of data collection and show how to test different models, such as topological and metric neighbourhood models. Taken together our results both inform the design of experiments on animal interactions and suggest how these data should be best analysed.

Environmental Science Education at Sinte Gleska University

Science.gov (United States)

Burns, D.

2004-12-01

At Sinte Gleska University, basically we face two problems 1. The lack of natural resources/environmental education instructors and students. 2. High turnover in the drinking water (and waste water / environmental monitoring) jobs. As soon as people are trained, they typically leave for better paying jobs elsewhere. To overcome these In addition to regular teaching we conduct several workshops year around on environmental issues ranging from tree plantation, preserving water resources, sustainable agriculture and natural therapy (ayurvedic treatment- the Lakota way of treating illness) etc. We offer workshops about the negative impacts brought about by the development and use of hydropower, fossil fuel and nuclear energy (but include topics like reclamation of land after mining). Not only does the harvest and consumption of these energy forms devastate the land and its plants, animals, water and air, but the mental, spiritual, and physical health and culture of Native peoples suffer as well. In contrast, wind power offers an environmentally friendly source of energy that also can provide a source of income to reservations.

Eagle-i: Making Invisible Resources, Visible

Science.gov (United States)

Haendel, M.; Wilson, M.; Torniai, C.; Segerdell, E.; Shaffer, C.; Frost, R.; Bourges, D.; Brownstein, J.; McInnerney, K.

2010-01-01

RP-134 The eagle-i Consortium – Dartmouth College, Harvard Medical School, Jackson State University, Morehouse School of Medicine, Montana State University, Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU), the University of Alaska, the University of Hawaii, and the University of Puerto Rico – aims to make invisible resources for scientific research visible by developing a searchable network of resource repositories at research institutions nationwide. Now in early development, it is hoped that the system will scale beyond the consortium at the end of the two-year pilot. Data Model & Ontology: The eagle-i ontology development team at the OHSU Library is generating the data model and ontologies necessary for resource indexing and querying. Our indexing system will enable cores and research labs to represent resources within a defined vocabulary, leading to more effective searches and better linkage between data types. This effort is being guided by active discussions within the ontology community (http://RRontology.tk) bringing together relevant preexisting ontologies in a logical framework. The goal of these discussions is to provide context for interoperability and domain-wide standards for resource types used throughout biomedical research. Research community feedback is welcomed. Architecture Development, led by a team at Harvard, includes four main components: tools for data collection, management and curation; an institutional resource repository; a federated network; and a central search application. Each participating institution will populate and manage their repository locally, using data collection and curation tools. To help improve search performance, data tools will support the semi-automatic annotation of resources. A central search application will use a federated protocol to broadcast queries to all repositories and display aggregated results. The search application will leverage the eagle-i ontologies to help guide users to valid queries via auto

Transmission of antibiotic resistance from animals to humans

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Huijbers, P.M.C.

2016-01-01

Huijbers, P.M.C. (2016). Transmission of antibiotic resistance from animals to humans: Broilers as a reservoir of ESBL-producing bacteria. PhD thesis, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands.

Antibiotic resistance in animals becomes a public health issue when there is

Availability, Use and Constraints to Use of Electronic Information Resources by Postgraduates Students at the University of Ibadan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dare Samuel Adeleke

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Availability, awareness and use of electronic resources provide access to authoritative, reliable, accurate and timely access to information. The use of electronic information resources (EIRs can enable innovation in teaching and increase timeliness in research of postgraduate students which will eventual result into encouragement of the expected research-led enquiry in this digital age. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. Samples of 300 of postgraduate students within seven out 13 Faculties were randomly selected. Data were collected using questionnaire designed to elicit response from respondents and data were analyzed using descriptive statistics methods percentages, mean, and standard deviation. Results indicated that internet was ranked most available and used in the university. Low level of usage of electronic resources, in particular, full texts data bases is linked to a number of constraints: Interrupted power supply was ranked highest among other factors as speed and capacity of computers, retrieval of records with high recall and low precision, retrieving records relevant to information need, lack of knowledge of search techniques to retrieve information effectively, non possession of requisite IT skills and problems accessing the internet. The study recommended that usage of electronic resources be made compulsory, intensifying awareness campaigns concerning the availability, training on use of electronic resources and the problem of power outage be addressed.

A global assessment of the Water Footprint of Farm Animal Products

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mekonnen, Mesfin; Hoekstra, Arjen Ysbert

2012-01-01

The increase in the consumption of animal products is likely to put further pressure on the world’s freshwater resources. This paper provides a comprehensive account of the water footprint of animal products, considering different production systems and feed composition per animal type and country.

Improving Innovation in University Spin-Offs. The Fostering Role of University and Region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antonio Prencipe

2016-06-01

Full Text Available University spin-offs (USOs are companies created to commercialize knowledge or technology developed in academia; thus, their major contribution to the knowledge economy is their ability to generate innovation. Following the Resource-Based View of the Firm and the Knowledge Spillover Theory of Entrepreneurship, it was stated that fostering mechanisms at university level and at regional level may positively influence the USOs innovation. Based on a sample of 621 Italian USOs, we show that the positive impact of the university context is more crucial compared with those of the regional context. In particular, the university affiliated business incubators and Science Parks, jointly with the university financial resources, seem to promote the innovation efforts of USOs. These evidences rise the need of a resilient partnership among all the contextual players involved in the spillover processes, mainly at regional level, in order to effectively exploit the potential innovative efforts of the university start-ups.

Animal production and health newsletter, No. 49, January 2009

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2009-01-01

This issue of the Newsletter highlights the upcoming International Symposium on 'Sustainable Improvement of Animal Production and Health' from 8 to 11 June 2009 in Vienna, Austria. The Symposium will address: The early and rapid diagnosis and control methods for transboundary animal diseases including those of a zoonotic nature; Improved reproduction technologies and breeding strategies; The efficient and sustainable use of locally available resources for animal production

Human resources department in crisis: A case of a university in South Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bethuel Sibongiseni Ngcamu

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Human Resources (HR departments in previously disadvantaged higher education institutions (HEI in South Africa have contributed to the crisis that has led them to be governed by appointed Administrators assigned by the Ministry of Higher Education and Training. The malfunctioning of HR departments persists even in the post-Administrator’s era, with a prevalence of personal, interpersonal and operational challenges. This study aimed at interrogating challenges faced by the HR Department of the university concerned post the appointed Administrator era and its negative effects. This study adopted a qualitative research approach whereby in-depth interviews were conducted with a sample of 10 HR Department staff members. Focus group discussions were also carried out with 20 academic and non-academic university leaders. Further data was also collected through ethnographic observation and secondary data was also used. The non-probability purposive sampling was used for qualitative analysis and NVivo was used for organizing and analyzing data gleaned from the in-depth interviews. The study findings consistently revealed unclear roles and responsibilities, outmoded recruitment and selection processes and poor interpersonal relations amongst the HR department staff members as some of the challenges that still persist post the Administrator’s era, all of which have contributed to the paralysis of organizational culture. University leaders can use the study findings as a tool to devise and implement radical change management interventions aiming at re-engineering HR departments that are operating abnormally, as well as for designing a responsive HR Strategic Architect. This study will contribute to the body of knowledge in the HR fraternity as there is a dearth of published studies on the internal challenges faces by HR Departments (both interpersonal and operational, which have the potential to hamper smooth operations of higher education institutions.

The University as an Open Laboratory

Science.gov (United States)

Birx, Donald L.; Ford, Ralph M.; Payne, Carrie A.

2013-01-01

Colleges and universities are two of the most formidable resources a country has to reinvent and grow its economy. This is the second of two papers that outlines a process of building and strengthening research universities that enhances regional technology development and facilitates flexible networks of collaboration and resource sharing. In the…

A geoethical approach in higher education: the project RUSSADE in cooperation with Sahelian Universities

Science.gov (United States)

Semita, Carlo; Ferrero, Elena; Calvo, Angela; Trucchi, Gabriella

2014-05-01

and a common introductory part. Three curricula follow (environmental protection, animal and vegetal productions) with the aim of giving students new opportunities in key work sectors of their countries. Innovative teaching strategies will be prepared and proposed in order to introduce items related to the Earth Sciences, like transformation and degradation of the physical environment, soil management, water resources supply and protection, solid wastes and pollutants handling and processing. These items are also strictly connected to other key themes: agro-livestock production (preservation of local animal and vegetal biodiversity), modernization of agriculture, use of technologies for storage and processing of animal and vegetal food products, implementation of systems using solar energy (solar cookers and photovoltaic systems). An active network between the four involved universities is provided to ensure mutual exchange of expertise and to establish theoretical, practical and experimental knowledge with special focus on local and regional issues. As a result, the Project will improve geoeducation activities to spread new models and sustainable methods, but also to inform population and to influence decision makers for risk reduction programs and a socially compatible use of natural resources.

Rainforest Depiction in Children's Resources

Science.gov (United States)

Dove, Jane

2011-01-01

This article analyses how rainforests are portrayed in children's resources. Twenty books and 12 websites on rainforests, designed for pupils aged between 9 and 14 years, were examined to determine the types and range of animals depicted and how plant life in general is portrayed. The most commonly depicted animal was the orang-utan and other…

Standardized phenology monitoring methods to track plant and animal activity for science and resource management applications

Science.gov (United States)

Denny, Ellen G.; Gerst, Katharine L.; Miller-Rushing, Abraham J.; Tierney, Geraldine L.; Crimmins, Theresa M.; Enquist, Carolyn A.F.; Guertin, Patricia; Rosemartin, Alyssa H.; Schwartz, Mark D.; Thomas, Kathryn A.; Weltzin, Jake F.

2014-01-01

Phenology offers critical insights into the responses of species to climate change; shifts in species’ phenologies can result in disruptions to the ecosystem processes and services upon which human livelihood depends. To better detect such shifts, scientists need long-term phenological records covering many taxa and across a broad geographic distribution. To date, phenological observation efforts across the USA have been geographically limited and have used different methods, making comparisons across sites and species difficult. To facilitate coordinated cross-site, cross-species, and geographically extensive phenological monitoring across the nation, the USA National Phenology Network has developed in situ monitoring protocols standardized across taxonomic groups and ecosystem types for terrestrial, freshwater, and marine plant and animal taxa. The protocols include elements that allow enhanced detection and description of phenological responses, including assessment of phenological “status”, or the ability to track presence–absence of a particular phenophase, as well as standards for documenting the degree to which phenological activity is expressed in terms of intensity or abundance. Data collected by this method can be integrated with historical phenology data sets, enabling the development of databases for spatial and temporal assessment of changes in status and trends of disparate organisms. To build a common, spatially, and temporally extensive multi-taxa phenological data set available for a variety of research and science applications, we encourage scientists, resources managers, and others conducting ecological monitoring or research to consider utilization of these standardized protocols for tracking the seasonal activity of plants and animals.

Land Use for Edible Protein of Animal Origin—A Review

Science.gov (United States)

Flachowsky, Gerhard; Meyer, Ulrich; Südekum, Karl-Heinz

2017-01-01

Simple Summary The growing world population has led to a higher demand for more and better quality food. In the future, there will be increasingly strong competition for arable land and other non-renewable resources. Proteins of animal origin are very valuable sources of essential nutrients, but their production consumes resources and causes emissions. The aim of this study was to calculate exemplarily the land use for production of edible animal protein from different animal species and categories in consideration of important influencing factors. Large differences were found with the highest amounts per kilogram of body weight produced by broiler chickens and the lowest yields in edible protein and the highest land need observed for beef cattle. Abstract The present period is characterized by a growing world population and a higher demand for more and better quality food, as well as other products for an improved standard of living. In the future, there will be increasingly strong competition for arable land and non-renewable resources such as fossil carbon-sources, water, and some minerals, as well as between food, feed, fuel, fiber, flowers, and fun (6 F’s). Proteins of animal origin like milk, meat, fish, eggs and, probably, insects are very valuable sources of essential amino acids, minerals and vitamins, but their production consumes some non-renewable resources including arable land and causes considerable emissions. Therefore, this study´s objective was to calculate some examples of the land use (arable land and grassland) for production of edible animal protein taking into consideration important animal species/categories, levels of plant and animal yields, the latter estimated with and without co-products from agriculture, and the food/biofuel industry in animal feeding. There are large differences between animal species/categories and their potential to produce edible protein depending on many influencing variables. The highest amounts per kilogram

How do HIV and AIDS impact the use of natural resources by poor rural populations? The case of wild animal products

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Charles M. Shackleton

2012-01-01

Full Text Available As a result of heightened financial and food insecurity, populations adversely affected by HIV and/or AIDS may be more likely to utilise wild natural resources to supplement their diet and livelihoods. Should this effect be pronounced, HIV and AIDS may pose a serious environmental threat. We explored the hypothesis that the presence of factors in the household, such as chronic illness in and recent mortality of individuals in a high HIV-risk age group, as well as the fostering of orphans, are associated with increased utilisation of wild animal products (WAPs at the household level. We randomly surveyed 519 households from four sites in rural South Africa, recording household socio-economic status, the utilisation of wild animal products and health and demographic factors attributed to HIV or AIDS. Binary logistic regressions were used to test if households with markers of HIV and/or AIDS affliction were more likely to have a higher incidence and frequency of WAP utilisation relative to non-afflicted households, after adjusting for socio-economic and demographic variables. We found that, although households with markers of HIV and/or AIDS were generally poorer and had higher dependency ratios, there was no evidence to support the hypothesis that WAP harvesting was associated with either poverty, or markers of HIV and/or AIDS affliction. Our findings suggest that generalisations about a possible interaction between HIV and/or AIDS and the environment may not uniformly apply to all categories of natural resources or to all user groups.

Analyzing animal movements using Brownian bridges.

Science.gov (United States)

Horne, Jon S; Garton, Edward O; Krone, Stephen M; Lewis, Jesse S

2007-09-01

By studying animal movements, researchers can gain insight into many of the ecological characteristics and processes important for understanding population-level dynamics. We developed a Brownian bridge movement model (BBMM) for estimating the expected movement path of an animal, using discrete location data obtained at relatively short time intervals. The BBMM is based on the properties of a conditional random walk between successive pairs of locations, dependent on the time between locations, the distance between locations, and the Brownian motion variance that is related to the animal's mobility. We describe two critical developments that enable widespread use of the BBMM, including a derivation of the model when location data are measured with error and a maximum likelihood approach for estimating the Brownian motion variance. After the BBMM is fitted to location data, an estimate of the animal's probability of occurrence can be generated for an area during the time of observation. To illustrate potential applications, we provide three examples: estimating animal home ranges, estimating animal migration routes, and evaluating the influence of fine-scale resource selection on animal movement patterns.

Inside out: modern imaging techniques to reveal animal anatomy.

OpenAIRE

Henrik Lauridsen; Kasper Hansen; Tobias Wang; Peter Agger; Jonas L Andersen; Peter S Knudsen; Anne S Rasmussen; Lars Uhrenholt; Michael Pedersen

2011-01-01

Animal anatomy has traditionally relied on detailed dissections to produce anatomical illustrations, but modern imaging modalities, such as MRI and CT, now represent an enormous resource that allows for fast non-invasive visualizations of animal anatomy in living animals. These modalities also allow for creation of three-dimensional representations that can be of considerable value in the dissemination of anatomical studies. In this methodological review, we present our experiences using MRI,...

Resource allocation to reproduction in animals.

Science.gov (United States)

Kooijman, Sebastiaan A L M; Lika, Konstadia

2014-11-01

The standard Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB) model assumes that a fraction κ of mobilised reserve is allocated to somatic maintenance plus growth, while the rest is allocated to maturity maintenance plus maturation (in embryos and juveniles) or reproduction (in adults). All DEB parameters have been estimated for 276 animal species from most large phyla and all chordate classes. The goodness of fit is generally excellent. We compared the estimated values of κ with those that would maximise reproduction in fully grown adults with abundant food. Only 13% of these species show a reproduction rate close to the maximum possible (assuming that κ can be controlled), another 4% have κ lower than the optimal value, and 83% have κ higher than the optimal value. Strong empirical support hence exists for the conclusion that reproduction is generally not maximised. We also compared the parameters of the wild chicken with those of races selected for meat and egg production and found that the latter indeed maximise reproduction in terms of κ, while surface-specific assimilation was not affected by selection. We suggest that small values of κ relate to the down-regulation of maximum body size, and large values to the down-regulation of reproduction. We briefly discuss the ecological context for these findings. © 2014 The Authors. Biological Reviews © 2014 Cambridge Philosophical Society.

Excellence in teaching for promotion and tenure in animal and dairy sciences at doctoral/research universities: a faculty perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Wattiaux, M A; Moore, J A; Rastani, R R; Crump, P M

2010-07-01

In this study, animal or dairy sciences faculty from doctoral/research universities were surveyed to clarify teaching performance expectations for the purpose of promotion and tenure of assistant professors. A survey tool including 15 evaluation criteria was available online and at the registration desk of the 2005 Joint Annual Meeting of the American Dairy Science Association and the American Society of Animal Science. The analyzed data set included 47 faculty (41 tenured and 6 tenure-track) with a substantial teaching responsibility from 27 different departments in 25 states. Four criteria were perceived as currently overemphasized: student evaluation of the instructor, student evaluation of the course, authoring peer-reviewed publications, and authoring an undergraduate textbook or book chapter. Nevertheless, more than 50% of respondents reported that these criteria should be used. One criterion emerged as being currently underemphasized: documentation of personal assessment of one's own teaching by preparing a portfolio. The lack of consensus for the remaining 10 items may have reflected substantial differences in institutional practices. The significance of overemphasis or underemphasis of certain criteria varied substantially depending on the respondent's perceived institutional mission. When asked about recognition within their department, 68% of respondents indicated that efforts in teaching improvement were properly rewarded. Respondents doubted the meaningfulness and appropriateness of student ratings tools as currently used. Results also suggested that animal and dairy science faculty placed a higher value on criteria recognizing excellence in teaching based on intradepartmental recognition (e.g., interactions with close-up peers and students) rather than recognition within a broader community of scholars as evidenced by authorship or success in generating funding for teaching. Proposed improvements in the evaluation of teaching for promotion and tenure

Annual progress report, 1 January 1975--31 December 1975. [Information center on laboratory animals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1975-01-01

The Institute of Laboratory Animal Resources (ILAR) was founded in 1952 under the auspices of the National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council (NAS-NRC). Located within the Division of Biological Sciences, Assembly of Life Sciences, ILAR serves as a coordinating agency to disseminate information, survey existing and required resources, establish standards and guidelines, promote education, hold conferences, and, generally, upgrade laboratory animal resources within the United States. Activities during 1976 are reported.

Facial Animations: Future Research Directions & Challenges

Science.gov (United States)

Alkawaz, Mohammed Hazim; Mohamad, Dzulkifli; Rehman, Amjad; Basori, Ahmad Hoirul

2014-06-01

Nowadays, computer facial animation is used in a significant multitude fields that brought human and social to study the computer games, films and interactive multimedia reality growth. Authoring the computer facial animation, complex and subtle expressions are challenging and fraught with problems. As a result, the current most authored using universal computer animation techniques often limit the production quality and quantity of facial animation. With the supplement of computer power, facial appreciative, software sophistication and new face-centric methods emerging are immature in nature. Therefore, this paper concentrates to define and managerially categorize current and emerged surveyed facial animation experts to define the recent state of the field, observed bottlenecks and developing techniques. This paper further presents a real-time simulation model of human worry and howling with detail discussion about their astonish, sorrow, annoyance and panic perception.

Sustainability of animal production systems: an ecological perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Vavra, M

1996-06-01

The question of sustainability of agricultural production and the use of natural resources has become a popular topic. Most scientists agree that current systems are generally non-sustainable. Current rates of resource extraction will lead us to a depleted earth in the future. Sustainability is defined in many ways. For this paper sustainability should be considered the overlap of what is wanted and what is ecologically possible. Attempts have been made to place a quantitative measure on sustainability. However, it should be considered a trajectory or goal, a direction that guides constructive change, rather than a single quantitative measure. Research and extension personnel may have to take a broader look at their efforts and expand their knowledge base in order to address the issue of sustainable production systems. Both natural events and those caused by humans bring about changes in production potential that require shifts in management. Uncertainty and change should be incorporated into adaptive management strategies. Interdisciplinary efforts are needed to confront these issues. Animal scientists need to formulate management systems that are environmentally compatible or face restrictive legislation that will force change. Members of the American Society of Animal Science seem to agree: efficient and sustainable use of natural resources appears in the draft of the Strategic Plan of the Society, and a poll of members revealed that environmental concerns about animal agriculture was a primary issue facing animal scientists.

Industry, university and government partnership to address research, education and human resource challenges for nuclear industry in Canada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mathur, R.M.

2004-01-01

Full text: This paper describes the outcome of an important recent initiative of Canadian nuclear industry to reinvigorate interest in education and collaborative research in prominent Canadian universities. This initiative has led to the formation of the University Network of Excellence in Nuclear Engineering (UNENE), incorporated in 2002. During the recent past, the slowdown in nuclear power development in Canada has curtailed the demand for new nuclear professionals down to a trickle. Without exciting job opportunities in sight the interest of prospective students in nuclear education and research has plunged. Consequently, with declining enrolment in nuclear studies and higher demand from competing disciplines, most universities have found it difficult to sustain nuclear programs. As such the available pool of graduating students is small and insufficient to meet emerging industry demand. With nuclear industry employees' average age hovering around mid-forties and practically no younger cohort to back up, nuclear industry faces the risk of knowledge loss and significant difficulty in recruiting new employees to replenish its depleting workforce. It is, therefore, justifiably concerned. Also, since nuclear generation is now the purview of smaller companies, their in-house capability for mid- to longer-term research is becoming inadequate. Recognizing the above challenges, Ontario Power Generation, Bruce Power and Atomic Energy of Canada Limited have formed an alliance with prominent Canadian universities and undertaken to invest money and offer in-kind support to accomplish three main objectives: Reinvigorate university-based nuclear engineering research by augmenting university resources by creating new industry supported research professorships and supporting research of other professors; Promote enrolment in graduate programs by supporting students and making use of a course-based Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) Program that is taught collectively by

The global one health paradigm: challenges and opportunities for tackling infectious diseases at the human, animal, and environment interface in low-resource settings.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wondwossen A Gebreyes

Full Text Available Zoonotic infectious diseases have been an important concern to humankind for more than 10,000 years. Today, approximately 75% of newly emerging infectious diseases (EIDs are zoonoses that result from various anthropogenic, genetic, ecologic, socioeconomic, and climatic factors. These interrelated driving forces make it difficult to predict and to prevent zoonotic EIDs. Although significant improvements in environmental and medical surveillance, clinical diagnostic methods, and medical practices have been achieved in the recent years, zoonotic EIDs remain a major global concern, and such threats are expanding, especially in less developed regions. The current Ebola epidemic in West Africa is an extreme stark reminder of the role animal reservoirs play in public health and reinforces the urgent need for globally operationalizing a One Health approach. The complex nature of zoonotic diseases and the limited resources in developing countries are a reminder that the need for implementation of Global One Health in low-resource settings is crucial. The Veterinary Public Health and Biotechnology (VPH-Biotec Global Consortium launched the International Congress on Pathogens at the Human-Animal Interface (ICOPHAI in order to address important challenges and needs for capacity building. The inaugural ICOPHAI (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2011 and the second congress (Porto de Galinhas, Brazil, 2013 were unique opportunities to share and discuss issues related to zoonotic infectious diseases worldwide. In addition to strong scientific reports in eight thematic areas that necessitate One Health implementation, the congress identified four key capacity-building needs: (1 development of adequate science-based risk management policies, (2 skilled-personnel capacity building, (3 accredited veterinary and public health diagnostic laboratories with a shared database, and (4 improved use of existing natural resources and implementation. The aim of this review is to

The global one health paradigm: challenges and opportunities for tackling infectious diseases at the human, animal, and environment interface in low-resource settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Gebreyes, Wondwossen A; Dupouy-Camet, Jean; Newport, Melanie J; Oliveira, Celso J B; Schlesinger, Larry S; Saif, Yehia M; Kariuki, Samuel; Saif, Linda J; Saville, William; Wittum, Thomas; Hoet, Armando; Quessy, Sylvain; Kazwala, Rudovick; Tekola, Berhe; Shryock, Thomas; Bisesi, Michael; Patchanee, Prapas; Boonmar, Sumalee; King, Lonnie J

2014-01-01

Zoonotic infectious diseases have been an important concern to humankind for more than 10,000 years. Today, approximately 75% of newly emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) are zoonoses that result from various anthropogenic, genetic, ecologic, socioeconomic, and climatic factors. These interrelated driving forces make it difficult to predict and to prevent zoonotic EIDs. Although significant improvements in environmental and medical surveillance, clinical diagnostic methods, and medical practices have been achieved in the recent years, zoonotic EIDs remain a major global concern, and such threats are expanding, especially in less developed regions. The current Ebola epidemic in West Africa is an extreme stark reminder of the role animal reservoirs play in public health and reinforces the urgent need for globally operationalizing a One Health approach. The complex nature of zoonotic diseases and the limited resources in developing countries are a reminder that the need for implementation of Global One Health in low-resource settings is crucial. The Veterinary Public Health and Biotechnology (VPH-Biotec) Global Consortium launched the International Congress on Pathogens at the Human-Animal Interface (ICOPHAI) in order to address important challenges and needs for capacity building. The inaugural ICOPHAI (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2011) and the second congress (Porto de Galinhas, Brazil, 2013) were unique opportunities to share and discuss issues related to zoonotic infectious diseases worldwide. In addition to strong scientific reports in eight thematic areas that necessitate One Health implementation, the congress identified four key capacity-building needs: (1) development of adequate science-based risk management policies, (2) skilled-personnel capacity building, (3) accredited veterinary and public health diagnostic laboratories with a shared database, and (4) improved use of existing natural resources and implementation. The aim of this review is to highlight

Citation Styles For Internet Resources : A Webliography

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

2004-12-01

Full Text Available A Webliography collects resources about citation Styles For internet resources, it divided by the styles: Chicago University style, MLA style, APA style, ISO style, and some articles about internet resources citation.

Factors Affecting University Library Website Design

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yongi-Mi Kim

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Existing studies have extensively explored factors that affect users’ intentions to use university library website resources (ULWR; yet little attention has been given to factors affecting university library website design. This paper investigates factors that affect university library website design and assesses the success of the university library website from both designers’ and users’ perspectives. The findings show that when planning a website, university web designers consider university guidelines, review other websites, and consult with experts and other divisions within the library; however, resources and training for the design process are lacking. While website designers assess their websites as highly successful, user evaluations are somewhat lower. Accordingly, use is low, and users rely heavily on commercial websites. Suggestions for enhancing the usage of ULWR are provided.

Resource Alignment ANADP

OpenAIRE

Grindley, Neil; Cramer, Tom; Schrimpf, Sabine; Wilson, Tom

2014-01-01

Aligning National Approaches to Digital Preservation: An Action Assembly Biblioteca de Catalunya (National Library of Catalonia) November 18-20, 2013, Barcelona, Spain Auburn University Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) Digital Curation Centre (DCC) Digital Preservation Network (DPN) Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) University of North Texas Virginia Tech Interuniversity Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) Innovative Inte...

Changing values of farm animal genomic resources. from historical breeds to the Nagoya Protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Tamminen, Sakari

2015-01-01

The paper reviews the history of Animal genetic resources (AnGRs) and claims that over the course of history they have been conceptually transformed from economic, ecologic and scientific life forms into political objects, reflecting in the way in which any valuation of AnGRs is today inherently imbued with national politics and its values enacted by legally binding global conventions. Historically, the first calls to conservation were based on the economic, ecological and scientific values of the AnGR. While the historical arguments are valid and still commonly proposed values for conservation, the AnGR have become highly politicized since the adoption of the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD), the subsequent Interlaken Declaration, the Global Plan for Action (GPA) and the Nagoya Protocol. The scientific and political definitions of the AnGRs were creatively reshuffled within these documents and the key criteria by which they are now identified and valued today were essentially redefined. The criteria of "in situ condition" has become the necessary starting point for all valuation efforts of AnGRs, effectively transforming their previous nature as natural property and global genetic commons into objects of national concern pertaining to territorially discrete national genetic landscapes, regulated by the sovereign powers of the parties to the global conventions.

Blender production creating short animations from start to finish

CERN Document Server

Hess, Roland

2012-01-01

Blender has become one of the most popular 3D animation tools on the market because it is robust and absolutely free. Blender Production is the definitive resource for anyone who wants to create short animations from scratch. With this book, and Blender, you have the ideal platform to make it happen.  Blender expert and author Roland Hess walks you through the entire process of creating a short animation including: writing, storyboarding, blocking, character creation, animation, rendering, and production. The associated web site includes the full Blender software kit and a compl

Prevalence and pattern of small animal orthopaedic conditions at ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Small animal orthopaedic case records of a 20-year period were surveyed to obtain the prevalence and pattern of orthopaedic conditions presented to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital (VTH), University of Ibadan, Nigeria, with the objective of providing data for planning on small animal healthcare facilities, policy ...

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus colonization and infection risks from companion animals: current perspectives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Petinaki E

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Efthimia Petinaki,1 Iris Spiliopoulou21Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Thessalia, Larissa, 2Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Patras, Patras, GreeceAbstract: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA remains one of the most virulent human pathogens and has also recently been recognized as such in the veterinary settings. Companion animals, including dogs, cats, horses, small exotic animals, wildlife animals, and livestock, may constitute a reservoir for MRSA transmission to humans and vice versa. The evolution, emergence, and risk factors for MRSA transmission among colonized or infected animals are reviewed in the present paper, and infection control practices are discussed.Keywords: methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, companion animals, close contacts

COMADRE: a global data base of animal demography.

Science.gov (United States)

Salguero-Gómez, Roberto; Jones, Owen R; Archer, C Ruth; Bein, Christoph; de Buhr, Hendrik; Farack, Claudia; Gottschalk, Fränce; Hartmann, Alexander; Henning, Anne; Hoppe, Gabriel; Römer, Gesa; Ruoff, Tara; Sommer, Veronika; Wille, Julia; Voigt, Jakob; Zeh, Stefan; Vieregg, Dirk; Buckley, Yvonne M; Che-Castaldo, Judy; Hodgson, David; Scheuerlein, Alexander; Caswell, Hal; Vaupel, James W

2016-03-01

The open-data scientific philosophy is being widely adopted and proving to promote considerable progress in ecology and evolution. Open-data global data bases now exist on animal migration, species distribution, conservation status, etc. However, a gap exists for data on population dynamics spanning the rich diversity of the animal kingdom world-wide. This information is fundamental to our understanding of the conditions that have shaped variation in animal life histories and their relationships with the environment, as well as the determinants of invasion and extinction. Matrix population models (MPMs) are among the most widely used demographic tools by animal ecologists. MPMs project population dynamics based on the reproduction, survival and development of individuals in a population over their life cycle. The outputs from MPMs have direct biological interpretations, facilitating comparisons among animal species as different as Caenorhabditis elegans, Loxodonta africana and Homo sapiens. Thousands of animal demographic records exist in the form of MPMs, but they are dispersed throughout the literature, rendering comparative analyses difficult. Here, we introduce the COMADRE Animal Matrix Database, an open-data online repository, which in its version 1.0.0 contains data on 345 species world-wide, from 402 studies with a total of 1625 population projection matrices. COMADRE also contains ancillary information (e.g. ecoregion, taxonomy, biogeography, etc.) that facilitates interpretation of the numerous demographic metrics that can be derived from its MPMs. We provide R code to some of these examples. We introduce the COMADRE Animal Matrix Database, a resource for animal demography. Its open-data nature, together with its ancillary information, will facilitate comparative analysis, as will the growing availability of databases focusing on other aspects of the rich animal diversity, and tools to query and combine them. Through future frequent updates of COMADRE, and

Human resource development progress to sustain nuclear science and technology applications in Cameroon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simo, A.; Nyobe, J.B.

2004-01-01

Full text: Cameroon as a Member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has made full use of the Agency's Technical Co-operation Programme in his effort to promote peaceful applications of nuclear science and technology at national level. This paper presents the progress made in the development of reliable human resources. Results obtained have been achieved through national and regional technical co-operation projects. Over the past twenty years, the development of human resources in nuclear science and technology has focused on the training of national scientists and engineers in various fields such as crop and animal production, human and animal nutrition, human health applications, medical physics, non-destructive testing in industry, groundwater management, maintenance of medical and scientific equipment, radiation protection and radioactive waste management. Efforts made also involve the development of graduate teaching in nuclear sciences at the national universities. However, the lack of adequate training facilities remains a major concern. The development of new training/learning methods is being considered at national level through network linking of national training centres with existing international training institutions, and the use of Information Communication Technologies (ICT) which offer great flexibility with regard to the number of trainees and the actual needs. (author)

Human resource development progress to sustain nuclear science and technology applications in Cameroon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simo, A.; Nyobe, J.B.

2004-01-01

Cameroon as a Member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has made full use of the Agency's Technical Co-operation Programme in his effort to promote peaceful applications of nuclear science and technology at national level. This paper presents the progress made in the development of reliable human resources. Results obtained have been achieved through national and regional technical co-operation projects. Over the past twenty years, the development of human resources in nuclear science and technology has focussed on the training of national scientists and engineers in various fields such as crop and animal production, human and animal nutrition, human health applications, medical physics, non destructive testing in industry, groundwater management, maintenance of medical and scientific equipment, radiation protection and radioactive waste management. Efforts made also involve the development of graduate teaching in nuclear sciences at the national universities. However, the lack of adequate training facilities remains a major concern. The development of new training/learning methods is being considered at national level through network linking of national training centres with existing international training institutions, and the use of Information Communication Technologies (ICT) which offer great flexibility with regard to the number of trainees and the actual needs. (author)

Animal health care seeking behavior of pets or livestock owners and knowledge and awareness on zoonoses in a university community.

Science.gov (United States)

Awosanya, Emmanuel J; Akande, H O

2015-07-01

We investigated the attitude of pets or livestock owning households in a university community to animal health care services and assessed the knowledge and awareness level of the residents on zoonoses. Structured questionnaire was used to obtain information on demography, pet or livestock ownership, animal health care seeking behavior, awareness and knowledge of zoonoses from 246 households. We did descriptive statistics and bivariate analysis to determine the level of association in discrete variables between owners and non-owners of pets or livestock at a significant level of panimal health care seeking behavior of the 80 pets or livestock owners in terms of treatment and vaccination was 70%. Of the 56 (70%) who provided health care services for their animals, about 48 (85.7%) engaged the services of a veterinarian. Dog owning households (42) had the highest frequency of treating their pets against endoparasites (97.6%); ectoparasites (81%) and vaccination against diseases (73.8%). Of the 246 respondents, only 47 (19.1%) have heard of the term zoonoses. Of the considered zoonoses; their awareness of rabies (79.3%) was the highest, followed by Lassa fever (66.3%), the least was pasteurellosis with 18.7%. Having pets or livestock was significantly associated (p=0.04) with rabies awareness. However, there is no significant difference in the level of awareness of zoonoses; knowledge of zoonoses, knowledge of prevention of zoonoses and knowledge of risk of zoonoses between owners and non-owners of pets or livestock. The animal health care seeking behavior of households with pets or livestock is good and should be encouraged. Public education should be created for other zoonoses aside from rabies, Lassa fever, and avian influenza.

Affinity Strings: Enterprise Data for Resource Recommendations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shane Nackerud

2008-12-01

Full Text Available The University of Minnesota Libraries have created a MyLibrary portal, with databases and e-journals targeted to users, based on their affiliations. The University's enterprise authentication system provides an "affinity string", now used to personalize the MyLibrary portal. This affinity string automates discovery of a user's relationship to the University--describing a user's academic department and degree program or position at the University. Affinity strings also provide the Libraries with an anonymized view of resource usage, allowing data collection that respects users' privacy and lays the groundwork for automated recommendation of relevant resources based on the practices and habits of their peers.

Direct and indirect effects of wastewater use and herd environment on the occurrence of animal diseases and animal health in Pakistan.

Science.gov (United States)

Elahi, Ehsan; Zhang, Liqin; Abid, Muhammad; Javed, Muhammad Tariq; Xinru, Han

2017-03-01

The use of wastewater for rearing domestic animals is a common phenomenon in most of the developing countries like Pakistan that face a serious shortage of freshwater resources. However, most of the literature has only focused on the indirect effects of wastewater use on animal health or productivity, and literature on the direct effects of wastewater use is rare. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the direct and indirect effects of wastewater usage on the prevalence of animal diseases and animal health in Pakistan. The study is based on a household-level survey of 360 domestic water buffalo herds collected from 12 districts of Punjab Province, Pakistan. We tested the prevalence of the animal's diseases, animal's health, and wastewater-use preference with various econometric tools, such as the Poisson, negative binomial, and logistic regressions. The findings of the study show that the majority of the farmers use wastewater for buffalo bathing due to the shortage of freshwater resources. Results explore the prevalence of diseases such as clinical mastitis, tick infestation, and foot and mouth disease at the farm level significantly associated with buffalo bathing in the wastewater. Moreover, bathing in wastewater pre- and post-milking also plays a role in the occurrence of diseases. Particularly, if the buffalo's access to wastewater for bathing is within 60 min after milking, the probability of the animals being exposed to mastitis is higher. Furthermore, on investigation, a number of factors are found, such as the distance to the water source, power shortage, groundwater availability, and the education of farmers that influence farmers' behavior of letting their animals take a bath in wastewater. Moreover, the use of different preventive measures improves the animal's health.

Forensic DNA barcoding and bio-response studies of animal horn products used in traditional medicine.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dan Yan

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Animal horns (AHs have been applied to traditional medicine for more than thousands of years, of which clinical effects have been confirmed by the history. But now parts of AHs have been listed in the items of wildlife conservation, which limits the use for traditional medicine. The contradiction between the development of traditional medicine and the protection of wild resources has already become the common concern of zoophilists, traditional medical professionals, economists, sociologists. We believe that to strengthen the identification for threatened animals, to prevent the circulation of them, and to seek fertile animals of corresponding bioactivities as substitutes are effective strategies to solve this problem. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A powerful technique of DNA barcoding based on the mitochondrial gene cytochrome c oxidase I (COI was used to identify threatened animals of Bovidae and Cervidae, as well as their illegal adulterants (including 10 species and 47 specimens. Meanwhile, the microcalorimetric technique was used to characterize the differences of bio-responses when those animal specimens acted on model organism (Escherichia coli. We found that the COI gene could be used as a universal primer to identify threatened animals and illegal adulterants mentioned above. By analyzing 223 mitochondrial COI sequences, a 100% identification success rate was achieved. We further found that the horns of Mongolian Gazelle and Red Deer could be exploited as a substitute for some functions of endangered Saiga Antelope and Sika Deer in traditional medicine, respectively. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Although it needs a more comprehensive evaluation of bioequivalence in order to completely solve the problem of substitutes for threatened animals, we believe that the identification (DNA barcoding of threatened animals combined with seeking substitutions (bio-response can yet be regarded as a valid strategy for establishing a balance

(Re)Discovering University Autonomy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

This book challenges traditional approach to university autonomy which is based on four pillars: organisational, financial, human resource, and academic. The main thesis is that a fuller understanding of university autonomy can only be obtained through a more holistic view of the complex inter-re...

Assessing the satisfaction and burden within an academic animal care and use program.

Science.gov (United States)

Norton, John N; Reynolds, Randall P; Chan, Cliburn; Valdivia, Raphael H; Staats, Herman F

2017-09-01

Although animal research requires adherence to various regulations and standards, the manner in which compliance is maintained and the degree of additional constraints varies between institutions. Regulatory burden, particularly if institutionally imposed, has become a concern for institutions as increased regulatory expectations result in decreased resources available for research efforts. Faculty, research staff, and support staff engaged in animal research were surveyed to determine what institutional animal care and use committee (IACUC) processes were considered burdensome, the perceived value of some suggested modifications, and satisfaction with the IACUC administrative office and the animal resource unit. Although the results revealed overwhelming satisfaction with the IACUC administrative office and the animal resource unit, several IACUC processes were deemed burdensome, and therefore there would be value in modifying IACUC processes. When comparing the value of modifying IACUC processes, different groups within the animal care and use program (ACUP) tended to have different responses on many of the topics. This survey identified several perceived burdensome IACUC processes that would likely benefit individuals if modified. In today's environment of shrinking budgets for biomedical research, minimizing regulatory burden-particularly unnecessary, self-imposed burden-in the ACUP is particularly important to ensure that costs, time, and effort are appropriate to achieve animal welfare and quality of research endeavors.-Norton, J. N., Reynolds, R. P., Chan, C., Valdivia, R. H., Staats, H. F. Assessing the satisfaction and burden within an academic animal care and use program. © FASEB.

Utilization of agro-resources by radiation treatment -production of animal feed and mushroom from oil palm wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kume, Tamikazu; Matsuhashi, Shinpei; Hashimoto, Shoji

1993-01-01

The production of animal feeds and mushrooms from oil palm cellulosic wastes by radiation and fermentation has been investigated in order to utilize the agro-resources and to reduce the smoke pollution. The process is as follows: decontamination of microorganisms in fermentation media of empty fruit bunch of oil palm (EBF) by irradiation, inoculation of useful fungi, and subsequently production of proteins and edible mushrooms. The dose of 25 kGy was required for the sterilization of contaminating bacteria whereas the dose of 10 kGy was enough to eliminate the fungi. Among many kinds of fungi tested, C. cinereus and P. sajor-caju were selected as the most suitable microorganism for the fermentation of EFB. The protein content of the product increased to 13% and the crude fiber content decreased to 20% after 30 days of incubation with C. cinereus at 30 o C in solid state fermentation. P. sajor-caju was suitable for the mushroom production on EFB with rice bran. (author)

Utilization of agro-resources by radiation treatment -production of animal feed and mushroom from oil palm wastes

Science.gov (United States)

Kume, Tamikazu; Matsuhashi, Shinpei; Hashimoto, Shoji; Awang, Mat Rasol; Hamdini, Hassan; Saitoh, Hideharu

1993-10-01

The production of animal feeds and mushrooms from oil palm cellulosic wasres by radiation and fermentation has been investigated in order to utilize the agro-resources and to reduce the smoke pollution. The process is as follows: decontamination of microorganisms in fermentation media of empty fruit bunch of oil palm (EFB) by irradiation, inoculation of useful fungi, and subsequently production of proteins and edible mushrooms. The dose of 25 kGy was required for the sterilization of contaminating bacteria whereas the dose of 10 kGy was enough to eliminate the fungi. Among many kinds of fungi tested, C. cinereus and P. sajor-caju were selected as the most suitable microorganism for the fermentation of EFB. The protein content of the product increased to 13 % and the crude fiber content decreased to 20% after 30 days of incubation with C. cinereus at 30°C in solid state fermentation. P. sajor-caju was suitable for the mushroom production on EFB with rice bran.

The need for econometric research in laboratory animal operations.

Science.gov (United States)

Baker, David G; Kearney, Michael T

2015-06-01

The scarcity of research funding can affect animal facilities in various ways. These effects can be evaluated by examining the allocation of financial resources in animal facilities, which can be facilitated by the use of mathematical and statistical methods to analyze economic problems, a discipline known as econometrics. The authors applied econometrics to study whether increasing per diem charges had a negative effect on the number of days of animal care purchased by animal users. They surveyed animal numbers and per diem charges at 20 research institutions and found that demand for large animals decreased as per diem charges increased. The authors discuss some of the challenges involved in their study and encourage research institutions to carry out more robust econometric studies of this and other economic questions facing laboratory animal research.

Animal Research International: Editorial Policies

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Focus and Scope. Animal Research International is an online Journal inaugurated in University of Nigeria to meet the growing need for an indigenous and authoritative organ for the dissemination of the results of scientific research into the fauna of Africa and the world at large. Concise contributions on investigations on ...

Animal breeding in the age of biotechnology: the investigative pathway behind the cloning of Dolly the sheep.

Science.gov (United States)

García-Sancho, Miguel

2015-09-01

This paper addresses the 1996 cloning of Dolly the sheep, locating it within a long-standing tradition of animal breeding research in Edinburgh. Far from being an end in itself, the cell-nuclear transfer experiment from which Dolly was born should be seen as a step in an investigative pathway that sought the production of medically relevant transgenic animals. By historicising Dolly, I illustrate how the birth of this sheep captures a dramatic redefinition of the life sciences, when in the 1970s and 1980s the rise of neo-liberal governments and the emergence of the biotechnology market pushed research institutions to show tangible applications of their work. Through this broader interpretative framework, the Dolly story emerges as a case study of the deep transformations of agricultural experimentation during the last third of the twentieth century. The reorganisation of laboratory practice, human resources and institutional settings required by the production of transgenic animals had unanticipated consequences. One of these unanticipated effects was that the boundaries between animal and human health became blurred. As a result of this, new professional spaces emerged and the identity of Dolly the sheep was reconfigured, from an instrument for livestock improvement in the farm to a more universal symbol of the new cloning age.

Ruminant production systems in developing countries: Resource utilization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Devendra, C.

1989-01-01

Ruminant production systems are discussed with specific reference to the resource utilization required to support them. Particular focus is placed on the main production resources (animals and feeds) and their underutilization. The ruminant animals include buffaloes, cattle, goats, sheep and camels. With the exception of cattle and sheep, their numbers in developing countries account for between 94 and 100% of total world population. Their biological attributes, including inherent characteristics, feeding behaviour and metabolism, are summarized. The extent and availability of feed resources are considered; resources include permanent pastures, crop residues, agroindustrial by-products and non-conventional feeds. The prevailing ruminant production systems are classified into three main categories: extensive systems, systems incorporating arable cropping (roadside, communal and arable grazing systems; tethering and cut-and-carry feeding), and systems integrated with tree cropping. Their genesis and endurance with patterns of crop production and farming systems are discussed. Integrated systems, involving animals and tree crops, are potentially important. Prevailing ruminant production systems are unlikely to change in the foreseeable future, unless there are major shifts in resource use and the proposed new systems are demonstrably superior. Factors likely to influence future ruminant production systems are market requirements, available feed resources and growth in human populations. Two associated strategies for improvement are proposed: increased priority to buffaloes, goats, sheep and camels, consistent with their potential contribution to meat, milk and fibre supplies and draught power; and more complete utilization of the available feed ingredients and increased feed supplies

Fantastic animals as an experimental model to teach animal adaptation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Veronesi Paola

2007-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Science curricula and teachers should emphasize evolution in a manner commensurate with its importance as a unifying concept in science. The concept of adaptation represents a first step to understand the results of natural selection. We settled an experimental project of alternative didactic to improve knowledge of organism adaptation. Students were involved and stimulated in learning processes by creative activities. To set adaptation in a historic frame, fossil records as evidence of past life and evolution were considered. Results The experimental project is schematized in nine phases: review of previous knowledge; lesson on fossils; lesson on fantastic animals; planning an imaginary world; creation of an imaginary animal; revision of the imaginary animals; adaptations of real animals; adaptations of fossil animals; and public exposition. A rubric to evaluate the student's performances is reported. The project involved professors and students of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia and of the "G. Marconi" Secondary School of First Degree (Modena, Italy. Conclusion The educational objectives of the project are in line with the National Indications of the Italian Ministry of Public Instruction: knowledge of the characteristics of living beings, the meanings of the term "adaptation", the meaning of fossils, the definition of ecosystem, and the particularity of the different biomes. At the end of the project, students will be able to grasp particular adaptations of real organisms and to deduce information about the environment in which the organism evolved. This project allows students to review previous knowledge and to form their personalities.

Fantastic animals as an experimental model to teach animal adaptation

Science.gov (United States)

Guidetti, Roberto; Baraldi, Laura; Calzolai, Caterina; Pini, Lorenza; Veronesi, Paola; Pederzoli, Aurora

2007-01-01

Background Science curricula and teachers should emphasize evolution in a manner commensurate with its importance as a unifying concept in science. The concept of adaptation represents a first step to understand the results of natural selection. We settled an experimental project of alternative didactic to improve knowledge of organism adaptation. Students were involved and stimulated in learning processes by creative activities. To set adaptation in a historic frame, fossil records as evidence of past life and evolution were considered. Results The experimental project is schematized in nine phases: review of previous knowledge; lesson on fossils; lesson on fantastic animals; planning an imaginary world; creation of an imaginary animal; revision of the imaginary animals; adaptations of real animals; adaptations of fossil animals; and public exposition. A rubric to evaluate the student's performances is reported. The project involved professors and students of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia and of the "G. Marconi" Secondary School of First Degree (Modena, Italy). Conclusion The educational objectives of the project are in line with the National Indications of the Italian Ministry of Public Instruction: knowledge of the characteristics of living beings, the meanings of the term "adaptation", the meaning of fossils, the definition of ecosystem, and the particularity of the different biomes. At the end of the project, students will be able to grasp particular adaptations of real organisms and to deduce information about the environment in which the organism evolved. This project allows students to review previous knowledge and to form their personalities. PMID:17767729

The Opportunities Map at Cornell University: finding direction in dairy production medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Mitchell, Hilda M; Nydam, Daryl V; Reyher, Kristen; Gilbert, Robert O

2004-01-01

Discussion between faculty and interested students revealed the existence of a multitude of opportunities in dairy production medicine at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University. Many of these were not well known to students, or even to some of the faculty, and the means of accessing specific learning experiences were sometimes obscure. Together, an informal group of faculty, students, and alumni set about cataloging available educational opportunities, resulting in a 31-page publication referred to as the "Opportunities Map." Essentially a student handbook for production medicine students, the Opportunities Map at Cornell helps guide the travel of food animal-interested students through the curriculum without missing the important highlights along the way. The map was originally developed to chronicle the opportunities and resources available to students, but it has also been used to foster face-to-face communications between students and faculty, to welcome incoming students with production animal interests, and to provide a baseline description for further discussion about the curriculum.

California Institute for Water Resources - California Institute for Water

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Resources Skip to Content Menu California Institute for Water Resources Share Print Site Map Resources Publications Keep in Touch QUICK LINKS Our Blog: The Confluence Drought & Water Information University of California California Institute for Water Resources California Institute for Water Resources

The Animal Sciences Academic Quadrathlon: history, current status, and recommendations.

Science.gov (United States)

Kauffman, R G; Jobsis, C T; Onan, G; Day, B N

2011-07-01

The Animal Sciences Academic Quadrathlon (AQ) provides opportunities for teams of undergraduate animal and dairy science students to participate in regional American Society of Animal Science (ASAS)/American Dairy Science Association (ADSA) meetings and to collectively exhibit their knowledge and talents competitively in 4 categories: 1) solving practical, hands-on, laboratory-type problems; 2) providing written answers to essay-type questions about principles and concepts; 3) preparing and communicating orally and extemporaneously topics of current animal science interest; and 4) quickly responding to short-answer questions provided in the form of double-elimination quiz bowls. Each team is selected by winning the local AQ at their university. Overall and individual category winning teams are recognized, but team rankings are not emphasized. The ASAS/ADSA members provide leadership for organizing and conducting the AQ, and ASAS and each university provide travel expenses for students. The ultimate purpose is to stimulate academic excellence among undergraduate students and for the students to attend ASAS/ADSA regional scientific meetings to meet faculty and students and to attend scientific research presentations. The purpose of this document was to provide a history of the event and to make recommendations for its improvement. The AQ was conceived in 1967. During the next 10 yr, an ASAS committee developed procedures for a trial AQ held in 1980 at the ASAS Midwestern Section, Kansas State University-Manhattan, and in the next year the first official AQ was held at the ASAS Midwestern Section at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Starting in 1985, AQ programs were initiated at the other 3 ASAS sectional meetings, and an estimated 50,000 students representing 60 universities have participated in AQ programs since that time. If the AQ is to continue its improvement over time, it will greatly depend on sustained ASAS/ADSA faculty interest and support, as well as

Bridge resource program.

Science.gov (United States)

2013-09-01

The mission of Rutgers Universitys Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation (CAIT) Bridge Resource Program (BRP) is to provide bridge engineering support to the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT)s Bridge Engineering an...

Stabilizing Dog Populations and Improving Animal and Public Health Through a Participatory Approach in Indigenous Communities.

Science.gov (United States)

Schurer, J M; Phipps, K; Okemow, C; Beatch, H; Jenkins, E

2015-09-01

Free-roaming dog populations are a global concern for animal and human health including transmission of infectious disease (e.g. rabies, distemper and parasites), dog bite injuries/mortalities, animal welfare and adverse effects on wildlife. In Saskatchewan (SK), Canada, veterinary care is difficult to access in the remote and sparsely inhabited northern half of the province, where the population is predominately Indigenous. Even where veterinary clinics are readily available, there are important barriers such as cost, lack of transportation, unique cultural perspectives on dog husbandry and perceived need for veterinary care. We report the effects of introducing a community action plan designed to improve animal and human health, increase animal health literacy and benefit community well-being in two Indigenous communities where a dog-related child fatality recently occurred. Initial door-to-door dog demographic surveys indicated that most dogs were sexually intact (92% of 382 dogs), and few had ever been vaccinated (6%) or dewormed (6%). Approximately three animal-related injuries requiring medical care were reported in the communities per 1000 persons per year (95% CL: 1.6-6.6), and approximately 86% of 145 environmentally collected dog faecal samples contained parasites, far above levels reported in other urban or rural settings in SK. Following two subsidized spay/neuter clinics and active rehoming of dogs, parasite levels in dog faeces decreased significantly (P important changes were observed in the dog demographic profile. This project demonstrates the importance of engaging people using familiar, local resources and taking a community specific approach. As well, it highlights the value of integrated, cross-jurisdictional cooperation, utilizing the resources of university researchers, veterinary personnel, public health, environmental health and community-based advocates to work together to solve complex issues in One Health. On-going surveillance on dog

Love, Safety, and Companionship: The Human-Animal Bond and Latino Families

Science.gov (United States)

Faver, Catherine A.; Cavazos, Alonzo M., Jr.

2008-01-01

A survey found that 69.2% of a sample of 208 Latino university students in south Texas owned companion animals. Dogs were the most commonly owned companion animals, and 92% of dog and cat guardians regarded their companion animals as family members. Over 80% of the dog and cat guardians specified companionship and unconditional love as benefits…

Animating the Discussion about Climate Change

Science.gov (United States)

Ratner, A.

2016-12-01

Abstract concepts such as climate change are extremely difficult for both students and adults to grasp. Given that many of these concepts involve issues at global scales or at a microscopic level, photos and video are simply insufficient much of the time. Through an innovative partnership between The Marine Mammal Center, a marine mammal hospital and education facility, and the California College of the Arts Animation Department, we have been able to provide animation students real-world experience in producing scientific animations, and the Center has been able to create an animated video highlighting the science of climate change and effects on marine mammals. Using the science direct from our veterinary and research teams, along with scientifically tested communication strategies related to climate change from the National Network of Ocean and Climate Change Interpretation and Frameworks Institute, this video enables us to teach students and adults of all ages these complex scientific concepts in a fun, engaging, and easily understandable way. Utilizing the skill set and expertise of the College professor as director (currently a lead animator at Pixar Animation), this video provided animation students critical experience in the animation field, exposure and engagement in a critical environmental issue, and an understanding of the opportunities available within the field of animation for educational and scientific purposes. This presentation will highlight the opportunities to utilize animation for educational purposes and provide resources surrounding climate change that could be beneficial to educators at their own organizations.

Electronic resources access and usage among the postgraduates of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... and usage among the postgraduates of a Nigerian University of Technology. ... faced by postgraduates in using e-resources include takes too much time to find, ... Resources, Access, Use, Postgraduat, Students, University, Technology, Nigeria ... By Country · List All Titles · Free To Read Titles This Journal is Open Access.

Mapping farm animal welfare research in an enlarged Europe

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kirchner, Marlene K.; Košťál, Ľubor; Bilčík, Boris

2017-01-01

)’ was moderately correlated with the input factors for FAW research such as the average number of PhDs currently employed in the institutions (rs = 0.66; p researchers (rs = 0.56; p ...Against the background of divergent political developments across Europe, farm animal welfare (FAW) science has evolved during the last three decades as an inter-disciplinary research area. Recent achievements include pan-European research projects and the implementation of animal welfare...... assessment systems on-farm. The aim of this study was mapping activities for FAW science and investigating geographical differences in FAW research in Europe (EU28 + candidate countries and the European Economic Area) with regard to available resources (e.g. human resources, infrastructure, funding...

Dynamic Capabilities of Universities in the Knowledge Economy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ruxandra BEJINARU

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to analyze how universities can develop dynamic capabilities based on their strategic resources in order to increase their competitiveness in the knowledge economy. ”Dynamic capabilities” is a concept introduced by Teece, Pisano, and Shuen (1997 to emphasize the managerial capacity of a given organization of using efficiently its strategic resources in transforming opportunities in business success. They reflect the capacity of the organization to sense, seize, adapt to the changing environment. For a university, the most important strategic resources are information, knowledge, and ideas which constitute its intellectual capital. The present paper is analyzing critically these strategic resources of a university and the necessary conditions to develop dynamic capabilities in order to use efficiently these resources in a turbulent economic environment. Universities are in the knowledge economy the most important hubs for knowledge creation and its transfer to the students, as well as to their communities. At the same time, professors contribute to the development of the generic thinking skills of their students to help them for employability in a future with many new jobs and new business activities.

Mapping farm animal welfare research in an enlarged Europe

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kirchner, Marlene K.; Košťál, Ľubor; Bilčík, Boris

2017-01-01

Against the background of divergent political developments across Europe, farm animal welfare (FAW) science has evolved during the last three decades as an inter-disciplinary research area. Recent achievements include pan-European research projects and the implementation of animal welfare...... on questionnaires sent out to a wide researcher network in regions of an enlarged Europe, we found differences with regard to ‘input factors’ such as human resources, animal and laboratory facilities and national and international research funding and ‘output factors’ such as inter/national collaboration...

Talent Management for Universities

Science.gov (United States)

Bradley, Andrew P.

2016-01-01

This paper explores human resource management practices in the university sector with a specific focus on talent pools and talent management more generally. The paper defines talent management in the context of the university sector and then explores its interdependence with organisational strategy, the metrics used to measure academic performance…

Development and Validation of a Scale to Assess Students' Attitude towards Animal Welfare

Science.gov (United States)

Mazas, Beatriz; Rosario Fernández Manzanal, Mª; Zarza, Francisco Javier; Adolfo María, Gustavo

2013-07-01

This work presents the development of a scale of attitudes of secondary-school and university students towards animal welfare. A questionnaire was drawn up following a Likert-type scale attitude assessment model. Four components or factors, which globally measure animal welfare, are proposed to define the object of the attitude. The components are animal abuse for pleasure or due to ignorance (C1), leisure with animals (C2), farm animals (C3) and animal abandonment (C4). The final version of the questionnaire contains 29 items that are evenly distributed among the four components indicated, guaranteeing that each component is one-dimensional. A sample of 329 students was used to validate the scale. These students were aged between 11 and 25, and were from secondary schools in Aragon and the University in Zaragoza (Aragon's main and largest city, located in NE Spain). The scale shows good internal reliability, with a Cronbach's alpha value of 0.74. The questionnaire was later given to 1,007 students of similar levels and ages to the sample used in the validation, the results of which are presented in this study. The most relevant results show significant differences in gender and level of education in some of the components of the scale, observing that women and university students rate animal welfare more highly.

The opportunity cost of animal based diets exceeds all food losses.

Science.gov (United States)

Shepon, Alon; Eshel, Gidon; Noor, Elad; Milo, Ron

2018-04-10

Food loss is widely recognized as undermining food security and environmental sustainability. However, consumption of resource-intensive food items instead of more efficient, equally nutritious alternatives can also be considered as an effective food loss. Here we define and quantify these opportunity food losses as the food loss associated with consuming resource-intensive animal-based items instead of plant-based alternatives which are nutritionally comparable, e.g., in terms of protein content. We consider replacements that minimize cropland use for each of the main US animal-based food categories. We find that although the characteristic conventional retail-to-consumer food losses are ≈30% for plant and animal products, the opportunity food losses of beef, pork, dairy, poultry, and eggs are 96%, 90%, 75%, 50%, and 40%, respectively. This arises because plant-based replacement diets can produce 20-fold and twofold more nutritionally similar food per cropland than beef and eggs, the most and least resource-intensive animal categories, respectively. Although conventional and opportunity food losses are both targets for improvement, the high opportunity food losses highlight the large potential savings beyond conventionally defined food losses. Concurrently replacing all animal-based items in the US diet with plant-based alternatives will add enough food to feed, in full, 350 million additional people, well above the expected benefits of eliminating all supply chain food waste. These results highlight the importance of dietary shifts to improving food availability and security. Copyright © 2018 the Author(s). Published by PNAS.

Online to offline teaching model in optics education: resource sharing course and flipped class

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xiaotong; Cen, Zhaofeng; Liu, Xiangdong; Zheng, Zhenrong

2016-09-01

Since the platform "Coursera" is created by the professors of Stanford University Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller, more and more universities have joined in it. From the very beginning, online education is not only about education itself, but also connected with social equality. This is especially significant for the economic transformation in China. In this paper the research and practice on informatization of optical education are described. Online to offline (O2O) education activities, such as online learning and offline meeting, online homework and online to offline discussion, online tests and online to offline evaluation, are combined into our teaching model in the course of Applied Optics. These various O2O strategies were implemented respectively in the autumn-winter small class and the spring-summer middle class according to the constructivism and the idea of open education. We have developed optical education resources such as videos of lectures, light transmission or ray trace animations, online tests, etc. We also divide the learning procedure into 4 steps: First, instead of being given a course offline, students will learn the course online; Second, once a week or two weeks, students will have a discussion in their study groups; Third, students will submit their homework and study reports; Fourth, they will do online and offline tests. The online optical education resources have been shared in some universities in China, together with new challenges to teachers and students when facing the revolution in the e-learning future.

Adaptive radar resource management

CERN Document Server

Moo, Peter

2015-01-01

Radar Resource Management (RRM) is vital for optimizing the performance of modern phased array radars, which are the primary sensor for aircraft, ships, and land platforms. Adaptive Radar Resource Management gives an introduction to radar resource management (RRM), presenting a clear overview of different approaches and techniques, making it very suitable for radar practitioners and researchers in industry and universities. Coverage includes: RRM's role in optimizing the performance of modern phased array radars The advantages of adaptivity in implementing RRMThe role that modelling and

Training human resource for NPP in Vietnam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nguyen, Trung Tinh; Dam, Xuan Hiep

2008-01-01

Vietnam will establish the first NPP in the near future. With us the first important thing is the human resource, but now there is no university in Vietnam training nuclear engineers. In EPU (Electric Power University), now we are preparing for training nuclear engineers. In this paper, we review the nuclear man power and the way to train the high quality human resource for NPP and for other nuclear application in Vietnam. (author)

Spirulina as a livestock supplement and animal feed.

Science.gov (United States)

Holman, B W B; Malau-Aduli, A E O

2013-08-01

Spirulina (Athrospira sp.) is an edible microalga and a highly nutritious potential feed resource for many agriculturally important animal species. Research findings have associated Spirulina to improvements in animal growth, fertility, aesthetic and nutritional product quality. Spirulina intake has also been linked to an improvement in animal health and welfare. Its influence over animal development stems from its nutritive and protein-rich composition, thus leading to an increased commercial production to meet consumer demand. Consequently, Spirulina is emerging as a cost-effective means of improving animal productivity for a sustainable and viable food security future. However, our present knowledge of animal response to dietary Spirulina supplementation is relatively scanty and largely unknown. Therefore, the primary objective of this paper was to review past and current findings on the utilisation of Spirulina as a feed supplement and its impact on animal productivity and health. Only animals deemed to be of agricultural significance were investigated; hence, only ruminants, poultry, swine and rabbits and their responses to dietary Spirulina supplementation are covered. © 2012 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Open- and Closed-Formula Laboratory Animal Diets and Their Importance to Research

OpenAIRE

Barnard, Dennis E; Lewis, Sherry M; Teter, Beverly B; Thigpen, Julius E

2009-01-01

Almost 40 y ago the scientific community was taking actions to control environmental factors that contribute to variation in the responses of laboratory animals to scientific manipulation. Laboratory animal diet was recognized as an important variable. During the 1970s, the American Institute of Nutrition, National Academy of Science, Institute of Laboratory Animal Resources, and Laboratory Animals Centre Diets Advisory Committee supported the use of ‘standard reference diets’ in biomedical r...

Using STELLA Simulation Models to Teach Natural Resource Economics

Science.gov (United States)

Dissanayake, Sahan T. M.

2016-01-01

In this article, the author discusses how graphical simulation models created using STELLA software can be used to present natural resource systems in an intuitive way in undergraduate natural resource economics classes based on his experiences at a leading research university, a state university, and a leading liberal arts college in the United…

FOOD HYPERSENSITIVITY AND PRODUCTS OF ANIMAL ORIGIN RESOURCES

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A. B. Lisitsyn

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The number of people with food hypersensitivity, namely food intolerance and food allergies, grows every year. Food intolerance is classified into following types: enzymopathy; leaky gut syndrome; psychogenic food intolerance; detoxification insufficiency and true food intolerance. Food allergens mainly are glycoproteins, haptensor polypeptides. Most cases of food allergy are IgE-mediated allergic reactions. Recent discoveries in medicine, detailing and classification of food hypersensitivity require further researches to develop modern techniques and product recipes with specified propertiesfor consumers with food hypersensitivity. Existing technologies are based on the elimination and or reduction of the content of the allergenic substance in food. The article provides an overview of causes of food intolerance and food allergy, legislative background, a list of food allergens and methods of control, market profile of hypoallergenic produce and scientific approaches to creating hypoallergenic food products based on raw materials of animal origin.

Factors Affecting University Library Website Design

OpenAIRE

Kim, Yongi-Mi; University of Oklahoma

2011-01-01

Existing studies have extensively explored factors that affect users’ intentions to use university library website resources (ULWR); yet little attention has been given to factors affecting university library website design. This paper investigates factors that affect university library website design and assesses the success of the university library website from both designers’ and users’ perspectives. The findings show that when planning a website, university web designers consider univers...

Man-animal relationships in Central Nepal

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Lohani Usha

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Nepal is small in size but rich in bio-cultural diversity. The rugged terrain of the country is home to a number of unique assemblages of fauna, some of which are endemic. Not only faunal resources the country also harbors some very ancient populations whose interrelationship with these diverse faunal resources is very intimate and thus demands scientific study. Animals play important role in both material and spiritual spheres of their life. There are more than hundred groups of such populations in the country and the group Tamang is one of these. The present paper studies Tamang-animal relationships in central Nepal. There is a growing trend of scientific ethnozoological studies all across the globe, but this field is yet in its infancy in Nepal. The country is losing important fauna as well as ancient human cultures at the advent of development processes. As a result, ethnozoological knowledge is also teetering on the brink of extinction. Methods Ethnozoological data were collected by applying different participatory approaches techniques such as semi-structured interviews, participatory rural appraisal, key informant interviews and focus group discussions. Quantitative data were obtained by employing a household level questionnaire survey. Data were collected from the period of September 2004 to August 2005. Most of the animals were identified up to the species level with the help of standard taxonomic keys. Results The Tamang community treasures knowledge on various uses of 41 genera belonging to 28 families. Out of total number of animals, 14.6% belong to the Invertebrate group and the rest to the Vertebrate group. Of the total uses 58% fall in the food and medicinal use category, 16% in the magico-religious use category, 18% in the category of omen indication, and 2% each in the categories such as weather forecasting, trophy, ethnomusical and taboos. Conclusions The Tamang maintain strong ties with animals both at a

Thermoradiation treatment of sewage sludge to eliminate pathogens for safe use as fertilizer and animal feed supplement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sivinski, H.D.; Whitfield, W.J.

1975-01-01

This paper describes a research program titled ''Waste Resources Utilization'' using a new technique called thermoradiation to destroy pathogenic organisms in sewage sludge. The thermoradiated sewage sludge will be used to study the feasibility of use for safe land application as fertilizer and soil conditioner and use as a feed supplement for ruminant animals. Experiments to date have shown good results for sludge disinfection of resistant bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Thermoradiation experiments are being carried out at a temperature of 65 0 C combined with 160 krad gamma dose for a total of 2000 pounds of dried treated sludge. The sludge will be shipped to New Mexico State University for the feeding studies and land application studies. (auth)

(Re)Discovering University Autonomy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

This book challenges traditional approach to university autonomy which is based on four pillars: organisational, financial, human resource, and academic. The main thesis is that a fuller understanding of university autonomy can only be obtained through a more holistic view of the complex inter......-relationships between stakeholders and policies which can reinforce and equally pull in opposite directions. The holistic view is expressed in a model of institutional university autonomy that brings together the traditional basic four pillars of autonomy, and five interfaces: government–university; university......–university staff; academic staff–students; university–business; and university–internationalisation. This model is explored through international case studies that give new insights and reinforce our understanding that the issues relating to institutional university autonomy are complex, interactive and genuinely...

Animal models of asthma: utility and limitations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aun MV

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Marcelo Vivolo Aun,1,2 Rafael Bonamichi-Santos,1,2 Fernanda Magalhães Arantes-Costa,2 Jorge Kalil,1 Pedro Giavina-Bianchi1 1Clinical Immunology and Allergy Division, Department of Internal Medicine, University of São Paulo School of Medicine, São Paulo, Brazil, 2Laboratory of Experimental Therapeutics (LIM20, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil Abstract: Clinical studies in asthma are not able to clear up all aspects of disease pathophysiology. Animal models have been developed to better understand these mechanisms and to evaluate both safety and efficacy of therapies before starting clinical trials. Several species of animals have been used in experimental models of asthma, such as Drosophila, rats, guinea pigs, cats, dogs, pigs, primates and equines. However, the most common species studied in the last two decades is mice, particularly BALB/c. Animal models of asthma try to mimic the pathophysiology of human disease. They classically include two phases: sensitization and challenge. Sensitization is traditionally performed by intraperitoneal and subcutaneous routes, but intranasal instillation of allergens has been increasingly used because human asthma is induced by inhalation of allergens. Challenges with allergens are performed through aerosol, intranasal or intratracheal instillation. However, few studies have compared different routes of sensitization and challenge. The causative allergen is another important issue in developing a good animal model. Despite being more traditional and leading to intense inflammation, ovalbumin has been replaced by aeroallergens, such as house dust mites, to use the allergens that cause human disease. Finally, researchers should define outcomes to be evaluated, such as serum-specific antibodies, airway hyperresponsiveness, inflammation and remodeling. The present review analyzes the animal models of asthma, assessing differences between species, allergens and routes

Wildfires and animal extinctions at the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary

Science.gov (United States)

Adair, Robert K.

2010-06-01

Persuasive models of the ejection of material at high velocities from the Chicxulub asteroid impact marking the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary have led to the conclusion that upon return, that material, heated in passage through the upper atmosphere, generated a high level of infrared energy density over the Earth's surface. That radiant energy has been considered to be a direct source of universal wildfires, which were presumed to be a major cause of plant and animal species extinctions. The extinction of many animal species, especially the dinosaurs, has also been attributed to the immediate lethal effects of the radiation. I find that the absorption of the radiation by the atmosphere, by cloud formations, and by ejecta drifting in the lower atmosphere reduced the radiation at the surface to a level that cannot be expected to have generated universal fires. Although the reduced radiation will have likely caused severe injuries to many animals, such insults alone seem unlikely to have generated the overall species extinctions that have been deduced.

Development and evaluation of online video teaching resources to enhance student knowledge of livestock handling.

Science.gov (United States)

Klupiec, C; Pope, S; Taylor, R; Carroll, D; Ward, M H; Celi, P

2014-07-01

To evaluate the effectiveness of online audiovisual materials to support the acquisition of animal handling skills by students of veterinary and animal science. A series of video clips (Livestock Handling modules) demonstrating livestock handling procedures was created and delivered online to students enrolled in the Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney. The effectiveness of these modules for supporting student learning was evaluated via an online survey. The survey also sought feedback on how students could be better prepared for handling livestock. The survey indicated that students found the videos a useful part of their learning experience, particularly by familiarising them with correct handling procedures and emphasising the importance of safety when handling livestock. Students also highlighted that online delivery supported flexible learning. Suggested improvements of the Livestock Handling modules centred around broadening the content of the videos and improving the user-friendliness of online access. Student feedback regarding how the Faculty could better prepare them for livestock handling was dominated by requests for more opportunities to practise animal handling using live animals. The Livestock Handling audiovisual tool is a valuable supplementary resource for developing students' proficiency in safe and effective handling of livestock. However, the results also clearly reveal a perception by students that more hands-on experience is required for acquisition of animal handling skills. These findings will inform future development of the Faculty's animal handling program. © 2014 Australian Veterinary Association.

Guide for the care and use of laboratory animals

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Committee for the Update of the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals; National Research Council; Division on Earth and Life Studies; National Research Council

"A respected resource for decades, the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals has been updated by a committee of experts, taking into consideration input from the scientific and laboratory...

International Animal Protection Society Leadership: The Right People for the Right Issues.

Science.gov (United States)

Sinclair, Michelle; Phillips, Clive J C

2018-06-07

As the increasing body of scientific information about the experiences of other species and their ability to suffer becomes available to those working within the field of animal welfare, the amount of potential issues to address also increases. Carefully choosing issues to address, and indeed leaders to drive the cause forward, has the potential to significantly increase the efficacy of the international animal welfare movement. Within this study 15 leaders of major international animal welfare organizations were interviewed about their experiences, thoughts and strategies, which have been primarily acquired through long-term exposure to the movement, and endeavors of trial and error. After thematic analysis, key themes are presented, along with strategies and cautions that may be beneficial to the animal welfare movement. Animal welfare leaders suggested a focus on issues that fitted well with their organizations' remit and were not too broad, to avoid spreading resources and expertise too thin. A utilitarian framework was also considered important, aiming to improve the lives of as many animals as possible for the resources deployed. Good leaders were believed to have passion for their cause, not just for animals, and an ability to build and lead good teams, hence good interpersonal human skills were also perceived as essential. It is concluded that establishing what makes a good animal welfare leader could offer useful direction for future engagement of successful leaders in this field.

Electronic Information Access and Utilization by Makerere University Students in Uganda

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elisam Magara

2008-09-01

Full Text Available Objectives – The objectives of this study were to establish the level of computer utilization skills of Makerere University (Uganda Library and Information Science (LIS students; to determine the use of electronic information resources by LIS students; to determine the attitudes of LIS students towards electronic information resources; and to establish the problems faced by LIS students in accessing electronic information resources.Methods – A questionnaire survey was used for data collection.Results – The majority of Library and Information Science students at Makerere University depend on university computers for their work, and very few of them access the library’s e-resources. The few who access e-resources are self-taught. The majority of students surveyed were unaware of Emerald and EBSCO databases relevant to Library and Information Science students, and they found accessing eresources time-consuming. Conclusion – The study concluded that a concerted effort is needed by both LIS lecturers and university librarians in promoting use of the library’s electronic resources.

Animal models for the study of arterial hypertension

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

1Research in Biological Sciences - NUPEB, 2Department of Foods, School of Nutrition, Ouro Preto University, ..... ical (large) doses of drug required, (2) the requirement for .... Animal models can lead to understanding of the interactions.

Entrepreneurial universities in a world educational system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iryna Kalenyuk

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This article analyzes modern development tendencies of university activities, it proved establishing of a global educational system, which shows increase of university education role, competition escalating and transformation of modern universities functions. It comprehensively studies the process when universities, both traditional and modern – business ones, are extending their functions. The article studied the development of scientists’ beliefs related to the essence and forms of entrepreneurial universities. On a basis of generalization of existing approaches, the authors give definition of the essence of entrepreneurial university as a subject of educational, scientific and other allied activities, which receives financial resources from diversified sources, extends fields of its activities and services. The foundation of the system of extended and main criteria for definition of entrepreneurial universities was laid. The main ones are the following: considerable financial autonomy and receiving of significant funding from non-governmental and diversified sources. Amounts and financial funding structure of the world leading universities were analyzed. It was proved that income from activities, which are allied with the main one (educational activity, increase. The article provides the amounts and the significance of international grants that ensure financial firmness, financial motivation of personnel, upgrades of facilities and resources, initiation and effectiveness of scientific-research activities of universities. Special attention was paid to research of such financial resources of the world leading universities as endowment funds, their scales, features and importance to boost economic capacities of higher education establishments. It was proved that it is important to consider world experience of entrepreneurial universities’ work within development and improving of competitive performance of Ukrainian higher education

The impact of animal source food products on human nutrition and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

FBDG

Associates of the Institute of Food, Nutrition and Well-being, University of ... nutrition), the role of animal source foods as part of a healthy diet requires continuous investment ... Keywords: Animal source foods, livestock products, nutrition, health ..... sensation of fullness that persists after eating until hunger returns (Benelam, ...

promoting integrated water resources management in south west

African Journals Online (AJOL)

eobe

1, 2 SOUTH WEST REGIONAL CENTRE FOR NATIONAL WATER RESOURCES CAPACITY BUILDING NETWORK,. FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF ... that an integrated approach to water resource development and management offers the best ...

Reuleaux models at St. Petersburg State University

Science.gov (United States)

Kuteeva, G. A.; Sinilshchikova, G. A.; Trifonenko, B. V.

2018-05-01

Franz Reuleaux (1829 - 1905) is a famous mechanical engineer, a Professor of the Berlin Royal Technical Academy. He became widely known as an engineer-scientist, a Professor and industrial consultant, education reformer and leader of the technical elite of Germany. He directed the design and manufacture of over 300 models of simple mechanisms. They were sold to many famous universities for pedagogical and scientific purposes. Today, the most complete set is at Cornell University, College of Engineering. In this article we discuss the history, the modern state and our using the Reuleaux models that survived at St. Petersburg State University for educational purposes. We present description of certain models and our electronic resource with these models. We provide the information of similar electronic resources from other universities.

Land Use for Edible Protein of Animal Origin—A Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gerhard Flachowsky

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The present period is characterized by a growing world population and a higher demand for more and better quality food, as well as other products for an improved standard of living. In the future, there will be increasingly strong competition for arable land and non-renewable resources such as fossil carbon-sources, water, and some minerals, as well as between food, feed, fuel, fiber, flowers, and fun (6 F’s. Proteins of animal origin like milk, meat, fish, eggs and, probably, insects are very valuable sources of essential amino acids, minerals and vitamins, but their production consumes some non-renewable resources including arable land and causes considerable emissions. Therefore, this study´s objective was to calculate some examples of the land use (arable land and grassland for production of edible animal protein taking into consideration important animal species/categories, levels of plant and animal yields, the latter estimated with and without co-products from agriculture, and the food/biofuel industry in animal feeding. There are large differences between animal species/categories and their potential to produce edible protein depending on many influencing variables. The highest amounts per kilogram body weight are produced by growing broiler chicken followed by laying hens and dairy cows; the lowest yields in edible protein and the highest land need were observed for beef cattle. This review clearly indicates that the production of food of animal origin is a very complex process, and selective considerations, i.e., focusing on single factors, do not provide an assessment that reflects the complexity of the subject.

Bulletin of Animal Health and Production in Africa: Submissions

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Socio economics and economics of animal resources development ... Book Reviews: are accepted and should provide an overview of the work's contents ... Cite only textbooks and published article references to support your choices of tests.

"Global Human Resource Development" and Japanese University Education: "Localism" in Actor Discussions

Science.gov (United States)

Yoshida, Aya

2017-01-01

The aim of this paper is to analyse the actions of various actors involved in "global human resource development" and to clarify whether discussions on global human resources are based on local perspectives. The results of the analysis are as follows: 1) after the year 2000 began, industry started discussions on global human resources in…

University Performance Management

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

For the last two decades the Danish Universities have felt the impact of the international trend towards implementation of New Public Management. The results are seen in the implementation of new hierarchical governance structures and contractual governance system including market based quantitat......For the last two decades the Danish Universities have felt the impact of the international trend towards implementation of New Public Management. The results are seen in the implementation of new hierarchical governance structures and contractual governance system including market based...... quantitative measurement systems for resource allocation and performance evaluation. Compared to other countries the changes in performance measurements and governance of the Danish universities are radical and the Minister of Science heralded them as "the greatest change in university management since...... the founding of Copenhagen University in 1479". The changes took place with surprisingly little resistance from university scholars. The articles in this anthology investigate the origins and rationales for the silent managerial revolution at Danish Universities and the radical implications for the identity...

Memory Effects on Movement Behavior in Animal Foraging.

Science.gov (United States)

Bracis, Chloe; Gurarie, Eliezer; Van Moorter, Bram; Goodwin, R Andrew

2015-01-01

An individual's choices are shaped by its experience, a fundamental property of behavior important to understanding complex processes. Learning and memory are observed across many taxa and can drive behaviors, including foraging behavior. To explore the conditions under which memory provides an advantage, we present a continuous-space, continuous-time model of animal movement that incorporates learning and memory. Using simulation models, we evaluate the benefit memory provides across several types of landscapes with variable-quality resources and compare the memory model within a nested hierarchy of simpler models (behavioral switching and random walk). We find that memory almost always leads to improved foraging success, but that this effect is most marked in landscapes containing sparse, contiguous patches of high-value resources that regenerate relatively fast and are located in an otherwise devoid landscape. In these cases, there is a large payoff for finding a resource patch, due to size, value, or locational difficulty. While memory-informed search is difficult to differentiate from other factors using solely movement data, our results suggest that disproportionate spatial use of higher value areas, higher consumption rates, and consumption variability all point to memory influencing the movement direction of animals in certain ecosystems.

CURRENT SITUATION OF HUMAN RESOURCES IN ROMANIAN PRE-UNIVERSITY EUCATION CONTEXT OF E.U. INTEGRATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luminita Claudia CORBU

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The paper aims to present development of human resource in the process of accession to the European Union took into account the standards proposed by the European Union, as formulated at the level of principles and objectives, the Single European Act and the Treaty on European Union, including the Treaty Amsterdam, then the sequence of documents developed by the European Commission. It is expected that documents the evolution of education and training in the European Union around concepts such as: further education, knowledge society, knowledge - skills - competitiveness, globalization, discrimination and inequality etc. Around this concept formulated a strategy for workforce training to meet European standards and to escape from captivity regional. But this process of convergent evolution of the labor force for the European market has gone from multiple realities. One of these areas, with its own legacy in terms of human resources and how to perceive its specific educational objectives proposed by Europe was Romania. Knowing one of the toughest centralized systems, the labor market was absorbing all graduates of vocational education, high school and university, after 1989, Romania was confronted with a massive disturbance of the labor market. This dimension has been linked to a certain inadequacies supply training system Romanian, which itself on the one hand, a transformation natural caused by seclusion has been maintained for several years, on the other hand, in a process of adaptation to European standards.

Animal movement in the absence of predation: environmental drivers of movement strategies in a partial migration system

Science.gov (United States)

Bastille-Rousseau, Guillaume; Gibbs, James P.; Yackulic, Charles B.; Frair, Jacqueline L.; Cabrera, Fredy; Rousseau, Louis-Philippe

2016-01-01

Animal movement strategies including migration, dispersal, nomadism, and residency are shaped by broad-scale spatial-temporal structuring of the environment, including factors such as the degrees of spatial variation, seasonality and inter-annual predictability. Animal movement strategies, in turn, interact with the characteristics of individuals and the local distribution of resources to determine local patterns of resource selection with complex and poorly understood implications for animal fitness. Here we present a multi-scale investigation of animal movement strategies and resource selection. We consider the degree to which spatial variation, seasonality, and inter-annual predictability in resources drive migration patterns among different taxa and how movement strategies in turn shape local resource selection patterns. We focus on adult Galapagos giant tortoises Chelonoidis spp. as a model system since they display many movement strategies and evolved in the absence of predators of adults. Specifically, our analysis is based on 63 individuals among four taxa tracked on three islands over six years and almost 106 tortoise re-locations. Tortoises displayed a continuum of movement strategies from migration to sedentarism that were linked to the spatio-temporal scale and predictability of resource distributions. Movement strategies shaped patterns of resource selection. Specifically, migratory individuals displayed stronger selection toward areas where resources were more predictable among years than did non-migratory individuals, which indicates a selective advantage for migrants in seasonally structured, more predictable environments. Our analytical framework combines large-scale predictions for movement strategies, based on environmental structuring, with finer-scale analysis of space-use. Integrating different organizational levels of analysis provides a deeper understanding of the eco-evolutionary dynamics at play in the emergence and maintenance of

Human Benefits of Animal Interventions for Zoonosis Control

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

Industrialized countries have contained recent zoonotic disease outbreaks, but countries with limited resources cannot respond adequately. Dr. Nina Marano, veterinarian and Chief, Geographic Medicine and Health Promotion Branch, CDC, comments on the focus on animal reservoirs to prevent outbreaks in developing nations.

Nuclear Human Resources Development Program using Educational Core Simulator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Yu Sun; Hong, Soon Kwan

2015-01-01

KHNP-CRI(Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co.-Central Research Institute) has redesigned the existing Core Simulator(CoSi) used as a sort of training tools for reactor engineers in operating nuclear power plant to support Nuclear Human Resources Development (NHRD) Program focusing on the nuclear department of Dalat university in Vietnam. This program has been supported by MOTIE in Korea and cooperated with KNA(Korea Nuclear Association for International Cooperation) and HYU(Hanyang University) for enhancing the nuclear human resources of potential country in consideration with Korean Nuclear Power Plant as a next candidate energy sources. KHNP-CRI has provided Edu-CoSi to Dalat University in Vietnam in order to support Nuclear Human Resources Development Program in Vietnam. Job Qualification Certificates Program in KHNP is utilized to design a training course for Vietnamese faculty and student of Dalat University. Successfully, knowhow on lecturing the ZPPT performance, training and maintaining Edu-CoSi hardware are transferred by several training courses which KHNP-CRI provides

Nuclear Human Resources Development Program using Educational Core Simulator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Choi, Yu Sun; Hong, Soon Kwan [KHNP-CRI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2015-10-15

KHNP-CRI(Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co.-Central Research Institute) has redesigned the existing Core Simulator(CoSi) used as a sort of training tools for reactor engineers in operating nuclear power plant to support Nuclear Human Resources Development (NHRD) Program focusing on the nuclear department of Dalat university in Vietnam. This program has been supported by MOTIE in Korea and cooperated with KNA(Korea Nuclear Association for International Cooperation) and HYU(Hanyang University) for enhancing the nuclear human resources of potential country in consideration with Korean Nuclear Power Plant as a next candidate energy sources. KHNP-CRI has provided Edu-CoSi to Dalat University in Vietnam in order to support Nuclear Human Resources Development Program in Vietnam. Job Qualification Certificates Program in KHNP is utilized to design a training course for Vietnamese faculty and student of Dalat University. Successfully, knowhow on lecturing the ZPPT performance, training and maintaining Edu-CoSi hardware are transferred by several training courses which KHNP-CRI provides.

A cognitive network for oracle bone characters related to animals

Science.gov (United States)

Dress, Andreas; Grünewald, Stefan; Zeng, Zhenbing

2016-01-01

In this paper, we present an analysis of oracle bone characters for animals from a “cognitive” point of view. After some general remarks on oracle-bone characters presented in Sec. 1 and a short outline of the paper in Sec. 2, we collect various oracle-bone characters for animals from published resources in Sec. 3. In the next section, we begin analyzing a group of 60 ancient animal characters from www.zdic.net, a highly acclaimed internet dictionary of Chinese characters that is strictly based on historical sources, and introduce five categories of specific features regarding their (graphical) structure that will be used in Sec. 5 to associate corresponding feature vectors to these characters. In Sec. 6, these feature vectors will be used to investigate their dissimilarity in terms of a family of parameterized distance measures. And in the last section, we apply the SplitsTree method as encoded in the NeighborNet algorithms to construct a corresponding family of dissimilarity-based networks with the intention of elucidating how the ancient Chinese might have perceived the “animal world” in the late bronze age and to demonstrate that these pictographs reflect an intuitive understanding of this world and its inherent structure that predates its classification in the oldest surviving Chinese encyclopedia from approximately the third century BC, the Er Ya, as well as similar classification systems in the West by one to two millennia. We also present an English dictionary of 70 oracle bone characters for animals in Appendix A. In Appendix B, we list various variants of animal characters that were published in the Jia Gu Wen Bian (cf. 甲骨文编, A Complete Collection of Oracle Bone Characters, edited by the Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, published by the Zhonghua Book Company in 1965). We recall the frequencies of the 521 most frequent oracle bone characters in Appendix C as reported in [T. Chen, Yin-Shang Jiaguwen Zixing

Universal data access for run-time resource management in resource constrained wireless networks

OpenAIRE

Rerkrai, Krisakorn

2012-01-01

Resource-constrainedwireless networks, e.g.wireless sensor networks (WSNs), small embedded devices with limited computational power and energy, have been the subject of intense research in the past decade. Moreover, recent technological advances and growing demand for better efficiency have led to a great number of link and network protocols for WSNs. The protocols depend on specific interfaces to exchange necessary information. Unfortunately these interfaces are often proprietary and highly ...

R&D Funding Sources and University Technology Transfer: What Is Stimulating Universities to Be More Entrepreneurial?

Science.gov (United States)

Powers, Joshua B.

2004-01-01

In recent years, universities have become increasingly entrepreneurial as evidenced by their rapid escalation into technology transfer, the process by which university-developed technologies are commercialized. Stimulated in part by a favorable policy environment for patenting and licensing as well as increased competition for limited resources,…

Agronomy Students at Southern Land-Grant Universities.

Science.gov (United States)

Dunkelberger, John E.; Molnar, Joseph J.

The background characteristics, occupational goals, and attitudes of agriculture students enrolled in 1890 and 1862 land grant universities in 1977 were examined by questionnaire, to construct a profile of agronomy majors as compared to animal science majors and to agriculture majors as a whole. Females comprised 38.2% of animal science majors but…

Using Ants, Animal Behavior & the Learning Cycle to Investigate Scientific Processes

Science.gov (United States)

Ligon, Russell A.; Dolezal, Adam G.; Hicks, Michael R.; Butler, Michael W.; Morehouse, Nathan I.; Ganesh, Tirupalavanam G.

2014-01-01

The behavior of animals is an intrinsically fascinating topic for students from a wide array of backgrounds. We describe a learning experience using animal behavior that we created for middle school students as part of a graduate-student outreach program, Graduate Partners in Science Education, at Arizona State University in collaboration with a…

THE DEVELOPMENT OF GIS EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES SHARING AMONG CENTRAL TAIWAN UNIVERSITIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T.-Y. Chou

2012-09-01

Moreover, e-learning platforms provide solutions and resources. Different levels of image scales have been integrated into the systems. Multi-scale spatial development and analyses in Central Taiwan integrate academic research resources among CTTLRC partners. Thus, establish decision-making support mechanism in teaching and learning. Accelerate communication, cooperation and sharing among academic units

Indigenous chicken genetic resources in South Africa

African Journals Online (AJOL)

User

A comparison of genetic diversity between South African conserved and field ... economic loss for human populations, especially in developing countries. .... for Development of National Management of Farm Animal Genetic Resources.

Archives of the Dance (22): Pioneer Women – early British modern dancers (the National Resource Centre for Dance, University of Surrey).

OpenAIRE

Carter, Alexandra

2010-01-01

Pioneer Women was an AHRC-funded project based on archives held at the National Resource Centre for Dance, University of Surrey. Two of the largest collections, those on Madge Atkinson and Natural Movement, and Ruby Ginner’s Revived (later Classical) Greek Dance, are categorized and interrogated for not only what they reveal of the work of these two dance artists, but also for how they resonate with dominant cultural trends in the arts. The research privileges a much under-explored or theoriz...

Diseases of livestock in the Pacific Islands region: setting priorities for food animal biosecurity.

Science.gov (United States)

Brioudes, Aurélie; Warner, Jeffrey; Hedlefs, Robert; Gummow, Bruce

2015-03-01

Most Pacific Island countries and territories (PICTs) have developing economies and face a critical shortage of veterinarians with limited financial resources allocated to their animal disease surveillance programmes. Thus, animal health authorities have to set priorities for better focusing their scarce resources. The main objective of this study was to identify animal diseases perceived to be of importance by decision makers within selected PICTs, at the regional and national levels, to ensure better targeting of animal health resources. A second objective was to investigate whether the targeted surveillance programmes resulting from this rationalized approach would also benefit the local communities engaged in livestock production. A multi-criteria prioritization process was developed, involving local experts, to score and rank 132 animal diseases based on their priority at the regional and national levels for four PICTs: Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu, which form part of a regional Food Animal Biosecurity Network. In parallel interviews with farmers and field animal health and production workers were conducted to assess their perception of animal diseases. The list of the top-twenty ranked diseases for the Pacific Islands region shows a mix of endemic zoonotic diseases (such as leptospirosis ranked first; brucellosis third; tuberculosis sixth; and endoparasites and ectoparasites, respectively eleventh and thirteenth) with exotic diseases (such as HPAI ranked second, FMD fifth, and rabies ninth). There were different disease ranking lists for each of the four targeted PICTs, confirming different strategies of disease prevention and control may be required for each country, rather than a regional approach. Interviewed animal health and production workers were unfamiliar with most of the prioritized diseases and a majority acknowledged that they would not be able to recognize clinical signs if outbreaks were to occur in their area

Acute intoxications in two university hospitals in Burkina Faso ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Acute intoxications in two university hospitals in Burkina Faso. ... admitted to the emergency services of the two sole University Hospitals of Ouagadougou from July 1, ... followed by chemicals, animals' toxins, food, alcohol and addictive drugs.

Dark Skies as a Universal Resource: Citizen Scientists Measuring Sky Brightness

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, C. E.; Isbell, D.; Pompea, S. M.

2007-12-01

The international star-hunting event known as GLOBE at Night returned March 8-21, 2007 in two flavors: the classic GLOBE at Night activity incorporating unaided-eye observations which debuted last year, and a new effort to obtain precise measurements of urban dark skies using digital sky-brightness meters. Both flavors of the program were designed to aid in heightening the awareness about the impact of artificial lighting on local environments, and the ongoing loss of a dark night sky as a natural resource for much of the world's population. To make possible the digital GLOBE at Night program, NSF funded 135 low-cost, digital sky-quality meter (manufactured by Unihedron). With these, citizen-scientists took direct measurements of the integrated sky brightness across a wide swath of night sky. Along with related materials developed by the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO), the meters were distributed to citizen-scientists in 21 U.S. states plus Washington DC, and in 5 other countries, including Chile, where NOAO has a major observatory. The citizen- scientists were selected from teachers, their students, astronomers at mountain-top observatories, International Dark-Sky Association members and staff from 19 small science centers. Most sites had a coordinator, who instructed local educators in the proper use of the meters and develop a plan to share them as widely as possible during the 2-week window. The local teams pooled their data for regional analysis and in some cases shared the results with their schools and local policymakers. Building upon the worldwide participation sparked by the first GLOBE at Night campaign in March 2006, the observations this year approached 8500 (from 60 countries), 85% higher than the number from last year. The success of GLOBE at Night 2007 is a major step toward the International Year of Astronomy in 2009, when one goal is to make the digital data collection into a worldwide activity. In this presentation, we will outline

University students and faculty have positive perceptions of open/alternative resources and their utilization in a textbook replacement initiative

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicole Delimont

2016-06-01

Full Text Available This is contribution no. 16-114-J from the Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station.The Kansas State University Open/Alternative Textbook Initiative provides grants to faculty members to replace textbooks with open/alternative educational resources (OAERs that are available at no cost to students. Open educational resources are available for anyone to access, while alternative educational resources are not open. The objective of this study was to determine the perceptions towards OAERs and the initiative, of students enrolled in, and faculty members teaching, courses using OAERs. A survey was sent out to 2,074 students in 13 courses using the OAERs. A total of 524 (25.3% students completed the survey and a faculty member from each of the 13 courses using OAERs was interviewed. Students rated the OAERs as good quality, preferred using them instead of buying textbooks for their courses, and agreed that they would like OAERs used in other courses. Faculty felt that student learning was somewhat better and it was somewhat easier to teach using OAERs than when they used the traditional textbooks. Nearly all faculty members preferred teaching with OAERs and planned to continue to do so after the funding period. These results, combined with the tremendous savings to students, support the continued funding of the initiative and similar approaches at other institutions.

Practical experiences with irradiation of laboratory animals' feed

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adamiker, D.

1979-01-01

The increasing need for well-defined, standardized experimental animals for research has led to the development of many new methods of keeping the animals free from pathogenic microorganisms. In this connection the problem of contaminated food has taken on ever greater significance. The methods most commonly used today, namely chemical treatment and heat treatment of the fodder, have many disadvantages and interest in the use of radiation sterilization has accordingly increased. The author discusses the various aspects of this method in relation to SPF animals and reports on the three years' experience of the Research Institute for Experimental Animal Breeding (University of Vienna) in Himberg with the use of exclusively radiation-treated diets in the rearing of rats and mice. The ease of handling irradiated fodder, the reliability of the method from the microbiological point of view and the excellent breeding results already obtained make this process - despite its somewhat higher cost - the best possible method of pasteurizing the feed of experimental animals. (author)

Resource quality or competition: why increase resource acceptance in the presence of conspecifics?

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Jeremy M; Nufio, César R; Papaj, Daniel R

2011-07-01

Some animal species increase resource acceptance rates in the presence of conspecifics. Such responses may be adaptive if the presence of conspecifics is a reliable indicator of resource quality. Similarly, these responses could represent an adaptive reduction in choosiness under high levels of scramble competition. Although high resource quality and high levels of scramble competition should both favor increased resource acceptance, the contexts in which the increase occurs should differ. In this paper, we tested the effect of social environment on egg-laying and aggressive behavior in the walnut fly, Rhagoletis juglandis, in multiple contexts to determine whether increased resource acceptance in the presence of conspecifics was better viewed as a response to increased host quality or increased competition. We found that grouped females oviposit more readily than isolated females when provided small (low-quality) artificial hosts but not when provided large (high-quality) artificial hosts, indicating that conspecific presence reduces choosiness. Increased resource acceptance was observed even when exposure to conspecifics was temporally or spatially separate from exposure to the resource. Finally, we found that individuals showed reduced aggression after being housed in groups, as expected under high levels of scramble competition. These results indicate that the pattern of resource acceptance in the presence of conspecifics may be better viewed as a response to increased scramble competition rather than as a response to public information about resource quality.

Donald Griffin Strove to give Animals their Due -Re-S-O-N-A-N-c-e--I ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

First, we should focus on the abilities of animals to behave in versatile ways ... and start thinking of them as an attempt on the part of animals to assess other animals' ... [1] R Gadagkar, Survival Strategies-cooperation and conflict in animal ... [4] DR Griffin, Animal minds: beyond cognition to consciousness, University of ...

From Exam to Education: The Math Exam/Education Resources

Science.gov (United States)

Bruni, Carmen; Koch, Christina; Konrad, Bernhard; Lindstrom, Michael; Moyles, Iain; Thompson, Will

2016-01-01

The Math Exam/Education Resources (MER) is an open online learning resource hosted at The University of British Columbia (UBC), aimed at providing mathematics education resources for students and instructors at UBC. In this paper, there will be a discussion of the motivation for creating this resource on the MediaWiki platform, key features of the…

Aspectos éticos da experimentação animal Aspectos éticos de la experimentación animal Ethics and animal experiments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Taylor Brandão Schnaider

2003-04-01

Full Text Available JUSTIFICATIVA E OBJETIVOS: O tema abordado é de suma importância, pois almeja-se que o ser humano atinja seu bem-estar físico, mental, social e espiritual, sem esquecer os sagrados direitos de todos os animais. A maioria dos códigos internacionais que tratam das normas de pesquisa na área da saúde cita que a pesquisa desenvolvida em seres humanos deve estar fundamentada na experimentação prévia realizada em animais, em laboratórios ou em outros fatos científicos. O presente artigo tem por objetivo explanar os aspectos éticos da experimentação animal. CONTEÚDO: Os autores revêem os conceitos de dissertação e tese, tese experimental, ensaio experimental ou experiência piloto e de biotério. A seguir fazem uma retrospectiva histórica acerca da primeira tentativa para se estabelecer normas em relação à pesquisa experimental, ocorrida em meados do século XIX em Londres. É ressaltado que alguns critérios definidos àquela época persistem até o presente. A primeira comissão de ética em pesquisa animal foi criada na Suécia em 1979, e a seguir nos EUA em 1984. No Brasil, os comitês de ética em pesquisa animal foram constituídos a partir da década de noventa. Desde maio de 1979 existe a Lei Federal 6638 que estabelece normas para a prática didático-científica da vivissecção de animais. Essa lei, entretanto, ainda aguarda regulamentação. Além dela, tramitam no Congresso Nacional alguns anteprojetos dispondo sobre o uso de animais para atividades de ensino e pesquisa. Finalmente, são apresentadas na íntegra as normas adotadas pelo Colégio Brasileiro de Experimentação Animal e a Declaração Universal dos Direitos dos Animais. CONCLUSÕES: Os docentes, pós-graduandos, residentes e graduandos de uma Faculdade de Medicina, envolvidos em pesquisas realizadas em animais, devem conhecer os princípios éticos que visam proteger os animais selecionados para a realização de um trabalho científico.JUSTIFICATIVA Y

Evaluation on the use of animated narrative video in teaching narrative text

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Soe’oed Rahmat

2018-01-01

Full Text Available In the 21st century, our life is strongly affected by the information technology. Educational technology has been rapidly improved by the development of audiovisual tools. Teachers may choose a number of different types of resources for teaching purposes, including videos and movies. Therefore, this study is aimed at evaluating animated narrative videos from YouTube for the teaching narrative text and identifying potential factors which influence the quality of educational videos. The videos were examined by using assessment rubric to see the quality and suitability of animated narrative videos which might be used in the teaching narrative text. The rubric was adapted from Prince Edward Island (PEI Department of Education: Evaluation and Selection of Learning Resources. It consists of four criteria, content, structure, instructional design, and technical design In addition, the study presents critical awareness of how these aspects can be interpreted to measure animated narrative videos and at the same time the engagement of the teachers in exploring animated narrative videos used in classroom.

Assessing Veterinary and Animal Science Students' Moral Judgment Development on Animal Ethics Issues.

Science.gov (United States)

Verrinder, Joy M; Phillips, Clive J C

2015-01-01

Little has been done to assess veterinarians' moral judgment in relation to animal ethics issues. Following development of the VetDIT, a new moral judgment measure for animal ethics issues, this study aimed to refine and further validate the VetDIT, and to identify effects of teaching interventions on moral judgment and changes in moral judgment over time. VetDIT-V1 was refined into VetDIT-V2, and V3 was developed as a post-intervention test to prevent repetition. To test these versions for comparability, veterinary and animal science students (n=271) were randomly assigned to complete different versions. The VetDIT discriminates between stages of moral judgment, condensed into three schemas: Personal Interest (PI), Maintaining Norms (MN), and Universal Principles (UP). There were no differences in the scores for MN and UP between the versions, and we equated PI scores to account for differences between versions. Veterinary science students (n=130) who completed a three-hour small-group workshop on moral development theory and ethical decision making increased their use of UP in moral reasoning, whereas students (n=271) who received similar information in a 50-minute lecture did not. A longitudinal comparison of matched first- and third-year students (n=39) revealed no moral judgment development toward greater use of UP. The VetDIT is therefore useful for assessing moral judgment of animal and human ethics issues in veterinary and other animal-related professions. Intensive small-group workshops using moral development knowledge and skills, rather than lectures, are conducive to developing veterinary students' moral judgment.

Research Article: Animal Welfare The Impact of Customized ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A study was designed to investigate the knowledge and perceptions of animal welfare and related legislations among graduating Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine students from the University of Nairobi, Kenya. A questionnaire was designed and administered to assess understanding, poor attributes, good provisions, ...

Animal-Friendly Affinity Reagents: Replacing the Needless in the Haystack.

Science.gov (United States)

Gray, A C; Sidhu, S S; Chandrasekera, P C; Hendriksen, C F M; Borrebaeck, C A K

2016-12-01

The multibillion-dollar global antibody industry produces an indispensable resource but that is generated using millions of animals. Despite the irrefutable maturation and availability of animal-friendly affinity reagents (AFAs) employing naïve B lymphocyte or synthetic recombinant technologies expressed by phage display, animal immunisation is still authorised for antibody production. Remarkably, replacement opportunities have been overlooked, despite the enormous potential reduction in animal use. Directive 2010/63/EU requires that animals are not used where alternatives exist. To ensure its implementation, we have engaged in discussions with the EU Reference Laboratory for alternatives to animal testing (EURL ECVAM) and the Directorate General for Environment to carve out an EU-led replacement strategy. Measures must be imposed to avoid outsourcing, regulate commercial production, and ensure that antibody producers are fully supported. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Trace elements in animal nutrition: Can a great potential be realized

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mertz, W.

1976-01-01

Few of the advances in trace element research have found universal application to practical problems of animal nutrition in the field. Environmental or man-made imbalances of trace elements can result in significant reduction of animal performance resulting in substantial economic loss and, indirectly, in a poorer nutritional status of human populations. Extrapolation of existing data suggests that wide areas of the world will be found to have considerable problems of animal trace element nutrition. Once diagnosed, correction of existing imbalances is feasible and inexpensive, with a resulting improvement of animal productivity and of human health. (author)

DEVELOPING A SEVEN METAPHORS MODEL OF MARKETING FOR UNIVERSITIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

COITA Dorin-Cristian

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The concept of marketing applied in education offers a lot of possibilities of social innovation. It is a tool helping educational organization to acquire resources and to provide value. In this article presented a model of seven metaphors to be used by a universities in order to acquire resources and to provide value to its stakeholders and applied it in the case of a Romanian university called The University. The aim of the paper is to identify sources of social innovations by using this model in the field of educational marketing.

National uranium resource evaluation, preliminary report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1976-06-01

The results of the initial phase of the National Uranium Resource Evaluation (NURE) are reported. NURE is a comprehensive nationwide program to evaluate uranium resources and to identify areas favorable for uranium exploration. Part I presents estimates of uranium ore reserves and potential resources available at costs (not prices) of $10, $15, and $30 per pound U 3 O 8 (uranium oxide). These estimates comprise the national uranium resource position. They are, however, preliminary because limitations of time and available geologic data prevented adequate assessment of some areas that may be favorable for potential resources. Part II presents the potential uranium resources for each of 13 regions, whose boundaries have been drawn chiefly on geologic considerations. The general geology is summarized, and the types of uranium deposits are described. Although limited geologic reconnaissance was done in various parts of the country, the report is based primarily on the compilation and evaluation of data in ERDA files. Mining companies furnished a substantial amount of information on exploration results, development, production, and future plans. Published, manuscript, and open-file reports by government agencies, universities, and research organizations were reviewed. In addition, many individuals affiliated with universities and with state and federal agencies provided supplemental geologic information. This was particularly helpful in the eastern and central states and in Alaska, where information on uranium occurrences is limited

Memory Effects on Movement Behavior in Animal Foraging

Science.gov (United States)

Bracis, Chloe; Gurarie, Eliezer; Van Moorter, Bram; Goodwin, R. Andrew

2015-01-01

An individual’s choices are shaped by its experience, a fundamental property of behavior important to understanding complex processes. Learning and memory are observed across many taxa and can drive behaviors, including foraging behavior. To explore the conditions under which memory provides an advantage, we present a continuous-space, continuous-time model of animal movement that incorporates learning and memory. Using simulation models, we evaluate the benefit memory provides across several types of landscapes with variable-quality resources and compare the memory model within a nested hierarchy of simpler models (behavioral switching and random walk). We find that memory almost always leads to improved foraging success, but that this effect is most marked in landscapes containing sparse, contiguous patches of high-value resources that regenerate relatively fast and are located in an otherwise devoid landscape. In these cases, there is a large payoff for finding a resource patch, due to size, value, or locational difficulty. While memory-informed search is difficult to differentiate from other factors using solely movement data, our results suggest that disproportionate spatial use of higher value areas, higher consumption rates, and consumption variability all point to memory influencing the movement direction of animals in certain ecosystems. PMID:26288228

Access and Use of E-Resources by the Lecturers and Students of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study examines the use and access of various e-resource databases in Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola. The study specifically highlights the preferences and importance of online resources among the lecturers and students of the School of Management and Information Technology of the university.

[The 1, 2, 3 of laboratory animal experimentation].

Science.gov (United States)

Romero-Fernandez, Wilber; Batista-Castro, Zenia; De Lucca, Marisel; Ruano, Ana; García-Barceló, María; Rivera-Cervantes, Marta; García-Rodríguez, Julio; Sánchez-Mateos, Soledad

2016-06-01

The slow scientific development in Latin America in recent decades has delayed the incorporation of laboratory animal experimentation; however, this situation has started to change. Today, extraordinary scientific progress is evident, which has promoted the introduction and increased use of laboratory animals as an important tool for the advancement of biomedical sciences. In the aftermath of this boom, the need to provide the scientific community with training and guidance in all aspects related to animal experimentation has arisen. It is the responsibility of each country to regulate this practice, for both bioethical and legal reasons, to ensure consideration of the animals' rights and welfare. The following manuscript is the result of papers presented at the International Workshop on Laboratory Animal Testing held at the Technical University of Ambato, Ecuador; it contains information regarding the current state of affairs in laboratory animal testing and emphasizes critical aspects such as main species used, ethical and legal principles, and experimental and alternative designs for animal use. These works aim to ensure good practices that should define scientific work. This document will be relevant to both researchers who aim to newly incorporate animal testing into their research and those who seek to update their knowledge.

Trends in animal use at US research facilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Goodman, Justin; Chandna, Alka; Roe, Katherine

2015-07-01

Minimising the use of animals in experiments is universally recognised by scientists, governments and advocates as an ethical cornerstone of research. Yet, despite growing public opposition to animal experimentation, mounting evidence that animal studies often do not translate to humans, and the development of new research technologies, a number of countries have reported increased animal use in recent years. In the USA--one of the world's largest users of animals in experiments--a lack of published data on the species most commonly used in laboratories (eg, mice, rats and fish) has prevented such assessments. The current study aimed to fill this gap by analysing the use of all vertebrate animals by the top institutional recipients of National Institutes of Health research funds over a 15-year period. These data show a statistically significant 72.7% increase in the use of animals at these US facilities during this time period-driven primarily by increases in the use of mice. Our results highlight a need for greater efforts to reduce animal use. We discuss technical, institutional, sociological and psychological explanations for this trend. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

The XXI century mountains: sustainable management of mountainous areas based on animal traction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rodrigues J.B.

2017-02-01

Full Text Available According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO, there are around 300 million working animals worldwide. They play a fundamental role in human livelihoods through their contribution to financial, human and social capital, supporting between 300 and 600 million people globally, particularly in poorer areas, where animal energy represents a huge and extremely important sustainable power resource. Yet their recognition remains largely neglected, with animal traction being largely ignored by decision and policy makers and even by civil society at all levels, which compromises a real development and improvement of this technology as well as animal welfare. On the other hand, a collective ecological and economical consciousness and an increasing awareness of public opinion about the need to reduce the excessive industrialization and mechanization of agriculture and forestry has led some sectors of society to consider the (reuse of animal traction as a valid modern source of energy. Indeed, working animals optimally transform the consumed biomass in energy and natural fertilizer, which avoids soil degradation and contributes to a sustainable management of arable lands, forests and sensitive areas. The need to maintain biodiversity, reduce carbon emissions, encourage self-reliance and reduce consumption of resources also contributes to this trend.

A Cross-Sectional Study of Horse-Related Injuries in Veterinary and Animal Science Students at an Australian University

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christopher B. Riley

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Specific estimates of the risk of horse-related injury (HRI to university students enrolled in veterinary and animal sciences have not been reported. This study aimed to determine the risk of student HRI during their university education, the nature and management of such injuries. A retrospective questionnaire solicited demographic information, data on students’ equine experience prior to and during their educational programs, and on HRI during their program of study. Of 260 respondents, 22 (8.5% reported HRI (27 incidents. Including concurrent injuries the most commonly injured body parts were the foot or ankle (nine of 32 injures, the upper leg or knee (eight of 32, and hands (three of 32. Trampling and being kicked by a hind limb were each associated with 30.4% of HRI, and 13% with being bitten. Bruising (91.3% of respondents and an open wound (17.4% were most commonly described. No treatment occurred for 60.9% of incidents; professional medical treatment was not sought for the remainder. Most incidents (56.5% occurred during program-related work experience placements. Although injury rates and severity were modest, a proactive approach to injury prevention and reporting is recommended for students required to handle horses as part of their education. Student accident and injury data should be monitored to ensure effective evaluation of risk-reduction initiatives. The risk and nature of university student horse-related injury (HRI was studied. Of 260 students, 22 (8.5% reported HRI (27 incidents. Including multiple injuries, reports described involvement of the foot or ankle (nine of 32 injures, upper leg or knee (eight of 32, and hands (three of 32. Trampling (30.4% and being kicked (30.4% accounted for most HRI. The injuries were usually bruising (91.3% or an open wound (17.4%. Most (60.9% injuries were untreated; professional medical treatment was not sought for the rest. Most incidents (56.5% occurred during program-related off

Opportunities for learning about animal welfare from online courses to graduate degrees.

Science.gov (United States)

Siegford, Janice M; Cottee, Stephanie Yue; Widowski, Tina M

2010-01-01

Knowledge of animal welfare has become essential for veterinarians. However, there is no clear consensus about how to provide veterinarians and students with this critical information. The challenges associated with finding qualified instructors and fitting additional courses into an already full curriculum mean that options for learning about animal welfare beyond the veterinary school classroom must be explored. Online courses can be excellent ways for veterinary students and graduate veterinarians to become familiar with current animal-welfare science, assessment schemes, and regulations while removing geographical barriers and scheduling difficulties. Faculty at Michigan State University have created an online animal-welfare course with lecture material from experts in welfare-related social and scientific fields that provides an overview of the underlying concepts as well as opportunities to practice assessing welfare. However, to develop expertise in animal welfare, veterinarians need more than a single course. Graduate degrees can be a way of obtaining additional knowledge and scientific expertise. Traditional thesis-based graduate programs in animal-welfare science are available in animal-science departments and veterinary colleges throughout North America and offer students in-depth research experience in specific areas or species of interest. Alternatively, the University of Guelph offers a year-long Master of Science degree in which students complete a series of courses with a specialization in animal behavior and welfare along with a focused research project and paper. In summary, a range of options exist that can be tailored to provide graduate veterinarians and veterinary students with credible education regarding animal welfare beyond the veterinary curriculum.

Animal welfare: an animal science approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Koknaroglu, H; Akunal, T

2013-12-01

Increasing world population and demand for animal-derived protein puts pressure on animal production to meet this demand. For this purpose animal breeding efforts were conducted to obtain the maximum yield that the genetic makeup of the animals permits. Under the influence of economics which is the driving force behind animal production, animal farming became more concentrated and controlled which resulted in rearing animals under confinement. Since more attention was given on economics and yield per animal, animal welfare and behavior were neglected. Animal welfare which can be defined as providing environmental conditions in which animals can display all their natural behaviors in nature started gaining importance in recent years. This does not necessarily mean that animals provided with good management practices would have better welfare conditions as some animals may be distressed even though they are in good environmental conditions. Consumers are willing to pay more for welfare-friendly products (e.g.: free range vs caged egg) and this will change the animal production practices in the future. Thus animal scientists will have to adapt themselves for the changing animal welfare rules and regulations that differ for farm animal species and countries. In this review paper, animal welfare is discussed from an animal science standpoint. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dark Skies are a Universal Resource: Programs Planned for the International Year of Astronomy

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, Constance E.; US IYA Dark Skies Working Group

2008-05-01

The dark night sky is a natural resource that is being lost by much of the world's population. This loss is a growing, serious issue that impacts not only astronomical research, but also human health, ecology, safety, economics and energy conservation. One of the themes of the US Node targeted for the International Year of Astronomy (IYA) is "Dark Skies are a Universal Resource". The goal is to raise public awareness of the impact of artificial lighting on local environments by getting people involved locally in a variety of dark skies-related events. To reach this goal, activities are being developed that: 1) Teach about dark skies using new technology (e.g., an activity-based planetarium show on DVD, podcasting, social networking) 2) Provide thematic events on light pollution at star parties and observatory open houses (Dark Skies Teaching Sites, Astronomy Nights in the (National) Parks, Sidewalk Astronomy Nights) 3) Organize events in the arts (e.g., a photography contest) 4) Involve citizen-scientists in unaided-eye and digital-meter star counting programs (e.g., GLOBE at Night, "How Many Stars?” and the Great World Wide Star Count) and 5) Raise awareness about the link between light pollution and public health, economic issues, ecological consequences, energy conservation, safety and security (e.g., The Great Switch Out, Earth Hour, National Dark Skies Week, traveling exhibits and a 6-minute video tutorial on lighting issues). To deliver these programs, strategic networks have been established with the ASP's Night Sky Network's astronomy clubs, Astronomy from the Ground Up's science and nature centers and the Project and Family ASTRO programs, as well as the International Dark-Sky Association, GLOBE and the Astronomical League, among others. The poster presentation will outline the activities being developed, the plans for funding, implementation, marketing and the connections to the global cornerstone IYA project, "Dark Skies Awareness".

University Students and Ethics of Computer Technology Usage: Human Resource Development

Science.gov (United States)

Iyadat, Waleed; Iyadat, Yousef; Ashour, Rateb; Khasawneh, Samer

2012-01-01

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the level of students' awareness about computer technology ethics at the Hashemite University in Jordan. A total of 180 university students participated in the study by completing the questionnaire designed by the researchers, named the Computer Technology Ethics Questionnaire (CTEQ). Results…

TreeFam: a curated database of phylogenetic trees of animal gene families

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Li, Heng; Coghlan, Avril; Ruan, Jue

2006-01-01

TreeFam is a database of phylogenetic trees of gene families found in animals. It aims to develop a curated resource that presents the accurate evolutionary history of all animal gene families, as well as reliable ortholog and paralog assignments. Curated families are being added progressively......, based on seed alignments and trees in a similar fashion to Pfam. Release 1.1 of TreeFam contains curated trees for 690 families and automatically generated trees for another 11 646 families. These represent over 128 000 genes from nine fully sequenced animal genomes and over 45 000 other animal proteins...

Joining Forces: The Case of Alliant International University

Science.gov (United States)

Leslie, Heather

2013-01-01

Mergers and acquisitions are a prevalent force in higher education as more colleges and universities are joining forces to expand resources, enhance missions, or prevent closures. This study examines the merger of Alliant University (formerly California School of Professional Psychology) with United States International University to create what…

Pop Culture Universe: Icons, Idols, Ideas

Science.gov (United States)

Harper, Meghan

2010-01-01

This article features "Pop Culture Universe," which received the 2009 Dartmouth Medal honoring the creation of a reference work of outstanding quality. School librarians will find "Pop Culture Universe" a wonderful resource for assisting middle school and high school students with research projects on significant historical events that focus on…

The universal access handbook

CERN Document Server

Stephanidis, Constantine

2009-01-01

In recent years, the field of Universal Access has made significant progress in consolidating theoretical approaches, scientific methods and technologies, as well as in exploring new application domains. Increasingly, professionals in this rapidly maturing area require a comprehensive and multidisciplinary resource that addresses current principles, methods, and tools. Written by leading international authorities from academic, research, and industrial organizations and nonmarket institutions, The Universal Access Handbook covers the unfolding scientific, methodological, technological, and pol

Endangered Species and Natural Resource Exploitation: Extinction vs. Coexistence

OpenAIRE

Tsur, Yacov; Zemel, Amos

1994-01-01

The threat on the survival of animal species due to intensive use of natural resources is incorporated within resource management models, paying special attention to uncertainty regarding the conditions that lead to extinction. The manner in which the potential benefits forgone due to the species extinction (denoted extinction penalty) induce more conservative exploitation policies is studied in detail. When the extinction penalty is ignored, the optimal policy is to drive the resource stock ...

Evaluation of mineral status in feed resources and effects of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Evaluation of mineral status in feed resources and effects of supplementation to farm animals in northern Ghana. ... Ghana Journal of Agricultural Science ... A survey was conducted on the mineral concentration of available feed resources at three locations in the northern Guinea Savannah Zone between 1992 and 1997.

Forest Resource Management Plans: A Sustainability Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Pile, Lauren S.; Watts, Christine M.; Straka, Thomas J.

2012-01-01

Forest Resource Management Plans is the capstone course in many forestry and natural resource management curricula. The management plans are developed by senior forestry students. Early management plans courses were commonly technical exercises, often performed on contrived forest "tracts" on university-owned or other public lands, with a goal of…

ANALYZING AND MODELING THE ROLE OF HUMAN RESOURCE INFORMATION SYSTEM ON HUMAN RESOURCE PLANNING AT HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION IN INDONESIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Susilo H.

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The challenge of Human Resource Management in Higher Education Institutions is how to plan, organize, and assess the performance of human resources so as to contribute as much as possible to the achievement of high quality education objectives. To answer these challenges, the role of Human Resources Information System (HRIS is needed to facilitate leadership both at the university and faculty level in preparing the needs planning and utilizing the advantages of human resources. This study aims to analyze the role of HRIS in human resource planning, especially in the stages of needs planning activities, recruitment and selection, human resources development, promotion and promotion, and assessment of work and remuneration. The output of research resulted in the form of HRIS-based human resource planning concepts for Higher Education Institutions. The research method was designed using qualitative descriptive approach. Data collection is done through observation technique and interview with research location in University of Brawijaya. The results show that the existing HRIS has not played an optimal role because the function of the system is still limited as a data gathering medium and the submission of employment reports that have not been able to contribute as a decision support system for leaders in HR planning.

Indoor climate optimization with limited resources

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Santos, A.; Gunnarsen, Lars Bo

This report presents experimental data and models for optimisation of the indoor climate parameters temperature, noise, draught and window opening. Results are based on experiments with human subjects performed in climate chambers at University of the Philippines. The report may assist building...... designers to balance attention and resources between the parameters of the indoor climate when resources are less than optimal....

Utilisation of Electronic Information Resources By Lecturers in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study assesses the use of information resources, specifically, electronic databases by lecturers/teachers in Universities and Colleges of Education in South Western Nigeria. Information resources are central to teachers' education. It provides lecturers/teachers access to information that enhances research and ...

Two new computational methods for universal DNA barcoding: a benchmark using barcode sequences of bacteria, archaea, animals, fungi, and land plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Tanabe, Akifumi S; Toju, Hirokazu

2013-01-01

Taxonomic identification of biological specimens based on DNA sequence information (a.k.a. DNA barcoding) is becoming increasingly common in biodiversity science. Although several methods have been proposed, many of them are not universally applicable due to the need for prerequisite phylogenetic/machine-learning analyses, the need for huge computational resources, or the lack of a firm theoretical background. Here, we propose two new computational methods of DNA barcoding and show a benchmark for bacterial/archeal 16S, animal COX1, fungal internal transcribed spacer, and three plant chloroplast (rbcL, matK, and trnH-psbA) barcode loci that can be used to compare the performance of existing and new methods. The benchmark was performed under two alternative situations: query sequences were available in the corresponding reference sequence databases in one, but were not available in the other. In the former situation, the commonly used "1-nearest-neighbor" (1-NN) method, which assigns the taxonomic information of the most similar sequences in a reference database (i.e., BLAST-top-hit reference sequence) to a query, displays the highest rate and highest precision of successful taxonomic identification. However, in the latter situation, the 1-NN method produced extremely high rates of misidentification for all the barcode loci examined. In contrast, one of our new methods, the query-centric auto-k-nearest-neighbor (QCauto) method, consistently produced low rates of misidentification for all the loci examined in both situations. These results indicate that the 1-NN method is most suitable if the reference sequences of all potentially observable species are available in databases; otherwise, the QCauto method returns the most reliable identification results. The benchmark results also indicated that the taxon coverage of reference sequences is far from complete for genus or species level identification in all the barcode loci examined. Therefore, we need to accelerate

Zoonoses of occupational health importance in contemporary laboratory animal research.

Science.gov (United States)

Hankenson, F Claire; Johnston, Nancy A; Weigler, Benjamin J; Di Giacomo, Ronald F

2003-12-01

In contemporary laboratory animal facilities, workplace exposure to zoonotic pathogens, agents transmitted to humans from vertebrate animals or their tissues, is an occupational hazard. The primary (e.g., macaques, pigs, dogs, rabbits, mice, and rats) and secondary species (e.g., sheep, goats, cats, ferrets, and pigeons) of animals commonly used in biomedical research, as classified by the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine, are established or potential hosts for a large number of zoonotic agents. Diseases included in this review are principally those wherein a risk to biomedical facility personnel has been documented by published reports of human cases in laboratory animal research settings, or under reasonably similar circumstances. Diseases are listed alphabetically, and each section includes information about clinical disease, transmission, occurrence, and prevention in animal reservoir species and humans. Our goal is to provide a resource for veterinarians, health-care professionals, technical staff, and administrators that will assist in the design and on-going evaluation of institutional occupational health and safety programs.

Managing University Records | Mnjama | ESARBICA Journal ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

As stated in the quotation above, one of the principal functions of universities is the storage of knowledge. However, in as much as universities provide excellent facilities and ... Today, information is seen as a resource comparable to finance, workers and equipment. This article addresses some of the issues which should be ...

An investigation into the practices of resource sharing among ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The study investigated the practice of resource sharing among Academic Libraries in Federal Universities in the South-South Geo-Political zone of Nigeria. The survey research design was employed for the study. The population for the study consists of the federal universities in the zone, except the Federal University of ...

Industry Through Reinforcement of Institution and Human Power Resource

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S Nur

2000-05-01

Full Text Available The failure of small scale animal farm industry development was indicated by the decreasing of animal farm number and the high price of their product. This failure has an effect into increasing of unemployment, decreasing of animal protein available and animal population because of the high rate of animal slaughtering and the high cost need to buy animal from other countries. This report was aimed to know the strategy on developing of stand alone small scale animal farm. This study based on literature study, panel discussion and interview. The result showed that the development of human power resource was the factor to decide the first priority in developing stand alone small scale animal farm. In the past the government policy always stussed in provision of capital for animal husbandry bussines developing, so it has never been the main priority. (Animal Production 2(2: 60-68 (2000   Key words : developing and reinforcement

VILLAGE’S HERDS: INVESTIGATING THE INTRODUCTION OF DOMESTIC ANIMALS AND PATTERNS OF ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AMONG INDIGENOUS PEOPLES IN AMAZONIA (RONDÔNIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Felipe Ferreira Vander Velden

2011-06-01

Full Text Available This paper discuss the introduction of European domestic animals in indigenous villages in the Amazon, with particular stress on groups in Rondonia, specially the Karitiana, a Tupi-Arikém-speaking people that lives in the north of that state. In what concerns the history of Brazilian territorial conquest, marked by the ‘frentes pastoris’’ great narrative, and the present expansion – material and also ideological – of husbandry throughout Amazonia, this article points to many questions about the position of these animals – above all cattle – in indigenous peoples’ symbolical and material universes. Suggests new investigative possibilities, that inquires not only implemented experiences with animal husbandry in indigenous villages, but also desires and projects designed to future implementations.

Solar Resources for Universities | State, Local, and Tribal Governments |

Science.gov (United States)

stakeholders to develop deployment solutions, and empower decision makers. Text version To assist organizations Federal Tax Incentives for Battery Storage Systems Non-Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) Options to Financing Power Purchase Agreements for Solar Deployment at Universities Writing Solar Requests for Proposals

Decision-Making: Are Plants More Rational than Animals?

Science.gov (United States)

Schmid, Bernhard

2016-07-25

A new study presents a novel experimental design and allows a test of risk sensitivity in plants. Faced with a choice between constant and variable resource supply, they make a rational decision for the option that maximizes fitness, a fact rarely observed in animals. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bio-Organic Reaction Animations (BioORA): Student Performance, Student Perceptions, and Instructor Feedback

Science.gov (United States)

Gunersel, Adalet Baris; Fleming, Steven

2014-01-01

Research shows that computer animations are especially helpful in fields such as chemistry and in this mixed-methods study, we investigate the educational effectiveness of Bio-Organic Reaction Animations (BioORA), a 3-D software, in four undergraduate biochemistry classes at different universities. Statistically significant findings indicate that…

Natural resources as an area of protection in LCA - outcomes of the discussion by the working group on resources within the UNEP-SETAC Life Cycle Initiative

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sonderegger, T.; Fantke, Peter; Dewulf, J.

2016-01-01

, water, land/soil, biotic resources like wild plants and animals). Definitions and categorizations of natural resources differ and there is no agreement on what methods should be considered midpoint or endpoint methods because there is no agreement (at midpoint and endpoint) on what impact should...

Brazil's Exception to the World-Class University Movement

Science.gov (United States)

Alperin, Juan Pablo

2013-01-01

The continued importance of university rankings has only served to fuel the growth of the "world-class" university movement. There is a growing impression that, in a globalised and interconnected world, no country can do without a world-class university. No country, that is, except Brazil. While Brazil has the resources necessary to…

Values, animal symbolism, and human-animal relationships associated to two threatened felids in Mapuche and Chilean local narratives

OpenAIRE

Herrmann, Thora M; Sch?ttler, Elke; Benavides, Pelayo; G?lvez, Nicolas; S?hn, Lisa; Palomo, Nadja

2013-01-01

Background The Chilean temperate rainforest has been subjected to dramatic fragmentation for agriculture and forestry exploitation. Carnivore species are particularly affected by fragmentation and the resulting resource use conflicts with humans. This study aimed at understanding values and human-animal relationships with negatively perceived threatened carnivores through the disclosure of local stories and Mapuche traditional folktales. Methods Our mixed approach comprised the qualitative an...

ANIMAL BEHAVIOR AND WELL-BEING SYMPOSIUM: The Common Swine Industry Audit: Future steps to assure positive on-farm animal welfare utilizing validated, repeatable and feasible animal-based measures.

Science.gov (United States)

Pairis-Garcia, M; Moeller, S J

2017-03-01

The Common Swine Industry Audit (CSIA) was developed and scientifically evaluated through the combined efforts of a task force consisting of university scientists, veterinarians, pork producers, packers, processers, and retail and food service personnel to provide stakeholders throughout the pork chain with a consistent, reliable, and verifiable system to ensure on-farm swine welfare and food safety. The CSIA tool was built from the framework of the Pork Quality Assurance Plus (PQA Plus) site assessment program with the purpose of developing a single, common audit platform for the U.S. swine industry. Twenty-seven key aspects of swine care are captured and evaluated in CSIA and cover the specific focal areas of animal records, animal observations, facilities, and caretakers. Animal-based measures represent approximately 50% of CSIA evaluation criteria and encompass critical failure criteria, including observation of willful acts of abuse and determination of timely euthanasia. Objective, science-based measures of animal well-being parameters (e.g., BCS, lameness, lesions, hernias) are assessed within CSIA using statistically validated sample sizes providing a detection ability of 1% with 95% confidence. The common CSIA platform is used to identify care issues and facilitate continuous improvement in animal care through a validated, repeatable, and feasible animal-based audit process. Task force members provide continual updates to the CSIA tool with a specific focus toward 1) identification and interpretation of appropriate animal-based measures that provide inherent value to pig welfare, 2) establishment of acceptability thresholds for animal-based measures, and 3) interpretation of CSIA data for use and improvement of welfare within the U.S. swine industry.

Relevance of counselling to human resource management in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

However, literature has shown that counselling is universal and useful in all fields of human endeavours. This paper therefore brings into focus the relevance of counselling to human resource management in organizations. It defines counselling, resource management and identifies various services that counsellors perform ...

Resource Allocation for A Mobile Application Oriented Architecture

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Guo, Y.; Smit, Gerardus Johannes Maria; Lu, W.W.; Xie, X.

2005-01-01

A Montium is a coarse-grained reconfigurable architecture designed by the CADTES group of the University of Twente for mobile applications. This paper presents a resource allocation method to allocate variables to storage places and to schedule data movements for the Montium. The resource allocation

7 CFR 319.40-6 - Universal importation options.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Universal importation options. 319.40-6 Section 319.40-6 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH... Unmanufactured Wood Articles § 319.40-6 Universal importation options. (a) Logs. Logs may be imported if prior to...

Animals and their products utilized as medicines by the inhabitants surrounding the Ranthambhore National Park, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jaroli DP

2006-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract The present ethnozoological study describes the traditional knowledge related to the use of different animals and animal-derived products as medicines by the inhabitants of villages surrounding the Ranthambhore National Park of India (Bawaria, Mogya, Meena, which is well known for its very rich biodiversity. The field survey was conducted from May to July 2005 by performing interviews through structured questionnaires with 24 informants (16 men and 8 women, who provided information regarding therapeutic uses of animals. A total of 15 animals and animal products were recorded and they are used for different ethnomedical purposes, including tuberculosis, asthma, paralysis, jaundice, earache, constipation, weakness, snake poisoning. The zootherapeutic knowledge was mostly based on domestic animals, but some protected species like the collared dove (Streptopelia sp., hard shelled turtle (Kachuga tentoria, sambhar (Cervus unicolor were also mentioned as important medicinal resources. We would suggest that this kind of neglected traditional knowledge should be included into the strategies of conservation and management of faunistic resources in the investigated area.

Teaching international animal agriculture.

Science.gov (United States)

Lukefahr, S D

1999-11-01

Students who major in animal science at U.S. institutions are generally exposed to a curriculum that emphasizes commercial, large-scale production of the few traditional food animals: cattle, poultry, sheep, and swine. Globally, most farmers live in lesser-developed countries under limited-resource conditions of land, feed supplies, equipment, and capital. The promotion of commercial animal production enterprises may not be appropriate for such farms because it can subject farmers to considerable economic risk. Rather, use of limited numbers of large livestock, locally adapted breeds, or smaller livestock (e.g., ducks, goats, guinea pigs, and rabbits) may be more appropriate under subsistence, integrated farming systems. In this global context, a course in international animal agriculture has been taught for 15 yr to undergraduate and graduate students. The course consists of a review of traditional and potential livestock species well suited for impoverished families on small farms and methods to implement sustainable livestock projects, including feasibility, design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation stages. To enhance student understanding, global food issues and challenges are illustrated with case studies. A term paper is also assigned for which students choose three suitable livestock species or local breeds that would be complementary on a small crop farm (< 5 ha). Daily dietary requirements of protein and energy per family member are calculated. Itemized enterprise budgets and production tables are prepared. Early in the course, the general consensus of students was that people who are malnourished and live in poverty have low personal ambition and motivation, and that their problems should be amenable to solution by application of American technology and expertise. The course modifies such attitudes and enhances a student's critical thinking and problem-solving abilities and communication skills. Course evaluations indicated that students believed

An International Comparison of Female and Male Students' Attitudes to the Use of Animals

Science.gov (United States)

Phillips, Clive; Izmirli, Serdar; Aldavood, Javid; Alonso, Marta; Choe, Bi; Hanlon, Alison; Handziska, Anastasija; Illmann, Gudrun; Keeling, Linda; Kennedy, Mark; Lee, Gwi; Lund, Vonne; Mejdell, Cecilie; Pelagic, Veselinas; Rehn, Therese

2011-01-01

Simple Summary We surveyed university students in 11 Eurasian countries for their attitudes to animals, using an internet-based questionnaire to which 1,902 female and 1,530 male student responded from 102 universities. Across countries female students had greater concern for animal welfare and rights than males, but especially so in more gender empowered countries. One contributing factor appeared to be the greater association of females than males with pets, and a possible outcome was greater female avoidance of meat consumption, especially red meat. Abstract Previous research has demonstrated that in households where the male partner is more dominant, there is convergence in male and female attitudes towards animals, whereas if the female partner is empowered they exhibit greater empathy towards animals than the male partner. We tested this theory of ‘female empowered empathy’ internationally in a survey of female and male students' attitudes towards use of animals, conducted in 11 Eurasian countries: China, Czech Republic, Great Britain, Iran, Ireland, South Korea, Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Spain and Sweden. Gender empowerment was estimated for each country using the Gender Empowerment Measure designed by the United Nations. The survey was administered via the internet in universities within countries, and 1,902 female and 1,530 male student responses from 102 universities were received. Respondents rated the acceptability of 43 major concerns about human use of animals, and the importance of 13 world social issues, including animal protection, environmental protection and sustainable development. Females had greater concern for animal welfare and rights than males. There was a positive correlation between the Gender Empowerment Measure and the ratio of female to male concern for animal welfare and rights, but not for other world issues. Thus in countries where females were more empowered, principally Sweden, Norway and Great Britain, females had much

Post surgical complications from students' large animal surgical ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A retrospective study of post surgical complications was conducted on records of students' Large Animal Surgical Laboratories in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (F.V.M.), Ahmadu Bello University (A.B.U), Zaria from 1989 to 1993. Three hundred and eleven surgical complications were recorded from five surgical ...

In the Shadow of Celebrity? World-Class University Policies and Public Value in Higher Education

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cremonini, Leon; Westerheijden, Donald F.; Benneworth, Paul Stephen; Dauncey, Hugh

2014-01-01

The growing popularity of the concept of world-class universities raises the question of whether investing in such universities is a worthwhile use of public resources. Does concentrating public resources on the most excellent universities improve the overall quality of a higher education system,

Future for nuclear data research. Human resources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baba, Mamoru

2006-01-01

A comment is given on the problem of human resources to support the future nuclear data activity which will be indispensable for advanced utilization of nuclear energy and radiations. Emphasis is put in the importance of the functional organization among the nuclear data center (JAEA), industries and universities for provision of human resources. (author)

Finding our way: On the sharing and reuse of animal telemetry data in Australasia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Campbell, Hamish A., E-mail: hamish.campbell@une.edu.au [Department of Ecosystem Management, School of Environment and Rural Sciences, University of New England, Armidale, NSW (Australia); Beyer, Hawthorne L. [ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, Centre for Biodiversity & Conservation Science, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD (Australia); Dennis, Todd E. [School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland (New Zealand); Dwyer, Ross G. [School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD (Australia); Forester, James D. [Dept. Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN (United States); Fukuda, Yusuke [Department of Land Resource Management, PO Box 496, Palmerston, NT (Australia); Lynch, Catherine [Arid Recovery, PO Box 147, Roxby Downs, SA (Australia); Hindell, Mark A. [University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS (Australia); Menke, Norbert [Queensland Department of Science, Information, Technoloty, Innovation and the Arts, Brisbane, QLD (Australia); Morales, Juan M. [Ecotono, INIBIOMA—CONICET, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Quintral 1250, 8400 Bariloche (Argentina); Richardson, Craig [Ecological Resources Information Network, Department of the Environment, Canberra, ACT (Australia); Rodgers, Essie [School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD (Australia); Taylor, Graeme [Department of Conservation, PO Box 10420, Wellington 6143 (New Zealand); Watts, Matt E. [ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, Centre for Biodiversity & Conservation Science, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD (Australia); Westcott, David A. [Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, PO Box 780, Atherton, QLD (Australia)

2015-11-15

The presence and movements of organisms both reflect and influence the distribution of ecological resources in space and time. The monitoring of animal movement by telemetry devices is being increasingly used to inform management of marine, freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems. Here, we brought together academics, and environmental managers to determine the extent of animal movement research in the Australasian region, and assess the opportunities and challenges in the sharing and reuse of these data. This working group was formed under the Australian Centre for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (ACEAS), whose overall aim was to facilitate trans-organisational and transdisciplinary synthesis. We discovered that between 2000 and 2012 at least 501 peer-reviewed scientific papers were published that report animal location data collected by telemetry devices from within the Australasian region. Collectively, this involved the capture and electronic tagging of 12 656 animals. The majority of studies were undertaken to address specific management questions; rarely were these data used beyond their original intent. We estimate that approximately half (~ 500) of all animal telemetry projects undertaken remained unpublished, a similar proportion were not discoverable via online resources, and less than 8.8% of all animals tagged and tracked had their data stored in a discoverable and accessible manner. Animal telemetry data contain a wealth of information about how animals and species interact with each other and the landscapes they inhabit. These data are expensive and difficult to collect and can reduce survivorship of the tagged individuals, which implies an ethical obligation to make the data available to the scientific community. This is the first study to quantify the gap between telemetry devices placed on animals and findings/data published, and presents methods for improvement. Instigation of these strategies will enhance the cost-effectiveness of the research and

Finding our way: On the sharing and reuse of animal telemetry data in Australasia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Campbell, Hamish A.; Beyer, Hawthorne L.; Dennis, Todd E.; Dwyer, Ross G.; Forester, James D.; Fukuda, Yusuke; Lynch, Catherine; Hindell, Mark A.; Menke, Norbert; Morales, Juan M.; Richardson, Craig; Rodgers, Essie; Taylor, Graeme; Watts, Matt E.; Westcott, David A.

2015-01-01

The presence and movements of organisms both reflect and influence the distribution of ecological resources in space and time. The monitoring of animal movement by telemetry devices is being increasingly used to inform management of marine, freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems. Here, we brought together academics, and environmental managers to determine the extent of animal movement research in the Australasian region, and assess the opportunities and challenges in the sharing and reuse of these data. This working group was formed under the Australian Centre for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (ACEAS), whose overall aim was to facilitate trans-organisational and transdisciplinary synthesis. We discovered that between 2000 and 2012 at least 501 peer-reviewed scientific papers were published that report animal location data collected by telemetry devices from within the Australasian region. Collectively, this involved the capture and electronic tagging of 12 656 animals. The majority of studies were undertaken to address specific management questions; rarely were these data used beyond their original intent. We estimate that approximately half (~ 500) of all animal telemetry projects undertaken remained unpublished, a similar proportion were not discoverable via online resources, and less than 8.8% of all animals tagged and tracked had their data stored in a discoverable and accessible manner. Animal telemetry data contain a wealth of information about how animals and species interact with each other and the landscapes they inhabit. These data are expensive and difficult to collect and can reduce survivorship of the tagged individuals, which implies an ethical obligation to make the data available to the scientific community. This is the first study to quantify the gap between telemetry devices placed on animals and findings/data published, and presents methods for improvement. Instigation of these strategies will enhance the cost-effectiveness of the research and

Considerations When Writing and Reviewing a Higher Education Teaching Protocol Involving Animals.

Science.gov (United States)

Vemulapalli, Tracy H; Donkin, Shawn S; Lescun, Timothy B; O'Neil, Peggy A; Zollner, Patrick A

2017-09-01

The targeted use of animals in teaching at institutions of higher learning is fundamental to educating the next generation of professionals in the biologic and animal sciences. As with animal research, universities and colleges that use animals in teaching are subject to regulatory oversight. Instructors must receive approval from their IACUC before using animals in their teaching. However, the questions asked on many institutions' animal care and use protocol (ACUP) are often geared more toward the use of animals for research. These questions may not be wholly appropriate in evaluating a teaching protocol; some questions are not applicable (for example, power analysis to justify animal numbers) whereas other important questions may be missing. This article discusses the issues surrounding the rationale for animal use in teaching; it also proposes a framework that instructors and IACUC members alike can use when writing and reviewing teaching ACUP. We hope this framework will help to ensure the most appropriate IACUC review of the ethical use of animals in higher education.

Strategic Entrepreneurship Based Model of Catch-up University in Global Rankings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kozlov Mikhail

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The paper will help answer the question, why only few universities managed to succeed significantly in their global ranking advancement, while most of their competitors fail. For this purpose it will introduce a new strategically entrepreneurial catch-up university framework, based on the combination of the resource based view, dynamic capabilities, strategic entrepreneurship and latecomer organization concepts. The new framework logics explains the advantages of being ambidextrous for ranking oriented universities and pursuing new potentially more favorable opportunities for research development. It will propose that substantial increase in the level of dynamic capabilities of the universities and their resource base accumulation is based on the use of the new combination of financial, human and social capital combined with strategic management of these resources in the process of identification and exploitation of greater opportunities.

Change Leadership in Universities: The Confucian Dimension

Science.gov (United States)

Tjeldvoll, Arild

2011-01-01

The intensified competition of the global, market-based knowledge economy requires change leadership in universities and colleges throughout the world. National policy makers increasingly see knowledge as a core resource of modern economies and a prerequisite for global competitiveness. By implication, the quality of university leadership becomes…

Mass and energy budgets of animals: Behavioral and ecological implications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Porter, W.P.

1993-01-01

The common goal of these diverse projects is to understand the mechanisms of how animal populations respond to the continual changes in their environment in both time and space. Our models are mechanistic allowing us to explore how a wide array of environmental variables may determine individual performance. Large scale climate change and its effect on animal populations can be seen as quantitative extensions of biological responses to smaller scales of environmental variability. Changes in developmental rates or reproductive levels of individuals, extension or contraction of geographic ranges, and modification of community organization have all been documented in response to previous changes in habitats. We know from our biophysical work that some changes in function are driven by microclimate conditions directly, and some are mediated indirectly through ecological parameters such as the food supply. Our research is guided by a comprehensive conceptual scheme of the interaction of an animal with its environment. The physical and physiological properties of the organism, and the range of available microclimates, set bounds on the performance of organismal function, such as growth, reproduction, storage, and behavior. To leave the most offspring over a lifetime, animals must perform those functions in a way that maximizes the amount of resources devoted to reproduction. Maximizing the total size of the budget and minimizing those budget items not devoted to reproduction are crucial. Animals trade off among expenditures for current and future reproduction. Both water and energy are important, potentially limiting resources. Projects described here include empirical studies and theoretical models.

Ecological Survey of Avifaunal Resources in University of Port ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... and Polyalthia longifolia were the most ecologically distant in Choba Park. Further investigation is required to ascertain why bird species in the various campuses showed no affinity for Cocus nucifera and Polyalthia longifolia. Key words: University of Port Harcourt, avifauna, abundance, diversity, tree-bird interaction ...

Developing Practitioner-Scholars through University-School District Research Partnerships

Science.gov (United States)

Ralston, Nicole C.; Tarasawa, Beth; Waggoner, Jacqueline M.; Smith, Rebecca; Naegele, Zulema

2016-01-01

University-community partnerships have gained popularity in the United States as a means of extending university research resources and collaborative opportunities. However, research-driven partnerships between universities and K-12 school districts that prioritize the research needs of K-12 schools are unique. Recently, education scholars have…

Sustainable Development in the Engineering Curriculum: Teaching and Learning Resources

OpenAIRE

Penlington, Roger; Steiner, Simon

2014-01-01

This repository of teaching and learning resources is a companion to the 2nd edition of “An Introduction to Sustainable Development in the Engineering Curriculum”, by Roger Penlington and Simon Steiner, originally created by The Higher Education Academy Engineering Subject Centre, Loughborough University. \\ud The purpose of this collection of teaching and learning re-sources is to provide access, with a brief resumé, to materials in curricula reform, recognition awards, and university movemen...

Pandemic Planning: Are Universities Really Prepared?

Science.gov (United States)

Pokrywka, Francis J.

2016-01-01

Planning for a pandemic influenza outbreak at a college or university cannot be done in a vacuum. Like any emergency plan, it needs to be a coordinated effort by a dedicated and unselfish group of individuals at the university pulling together a multitude of people and resources focused on a common goal. There is an ongoing struggle among…

The Challenge of University Autonomy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Reilly, John; Turcan, Romeo V.; Bugaian, Larisa

2016-01-01

The authors introduce the reader to the book, providing a historical perspective and a current understanding of university autonomy. While appreciating the central role of the four dimensions of university autonomy – organisational, financial, human resource, and academic – the authors conjecture...... that a fuller understanding of university autonomy can only be obtained through a holistic view of the complex inter-relationships between stakeholders and policies which can reinforce and, equally, pull in opposite directions. This holistic view is represented in a model of institutional university autonomy......, which is discussed at length in the chapter. The authors conclude by presenting international case studies that give new insights and reinforce our understanding that the issues relating to institutional university autonomy are genuinely global....

FINANCING ACTIVITIES OF MODERN UNIVERSITIES - APPROACHES, CHALLENGES, PROBLEMS

OpenAIRE

BOJINOV B.V.

2017-01-01

The article examined the main approaches to the funding of universities and possible mechanisms for their subsequent efficient financial management. The main sources of funding for modern universities, are usually a mix of state funding other targeted grants, tuition fees and revenues from economic activity. The declining targeted budgetary resources for the financing of universities, and linking it to performance (quality, rating realization), forcing universities to seek alternative sources...

The role of the University in the context of Inclusive Education Policy: reflections about human resources formation and knowledge production

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rosana Glat

2010-12-01

Full Text Available The present text aims to discuss and present, briefly action lines about the role of University in the promotion of psicossocial and educational development of people with handicap and other special needs. Taking the framework of specialized literature, it brings different questions dealing with human resources formation, specially, teacher formation, and the production of knowledge in the area of Special Education, obtained through research and extension projects, done, preferentially, in partnership with the educational agents that work in the field. It also analyses how these actions may influence the implementation of policies regarding school, labor, and social inclusion of people with handicap and other developmental disorders.

Enhancement of environment and resources engineering studies through an international cooperation network

Science.gov (United States)

Caporali, E.; Tuneski, A.

2012-12-01

Higher education plays a very important role in the modern societies development, enhancing social, cultural and economic development for a sustainable growth, environment respectful. In this framework, the European Commission promotes the TEMPUS-Trans European Mobility Programme for University Studies. Curricula harmonization and lifelong learning programme development in higher education are among the focused aspects of the TEMPUS programme. The DEREL-Development of Environment and Resources Engineering Learning, is a three years TEMPUS project coordinated by the University of Firenze, in cooperation with colleagues of the Ss Cyril and Methodius University, Skopje financed and activated since October 2010. The DEREL Project Consortium consists of 4 EU Universities (from Italy, Greece, Germany and Austria), 7 Partner Countries (PC) Universities (from FYR of Macedonia, Serbia and Albania), and 1 PC Ministry, 4 PC National Agencies, 1 PC non governmental organization and 1 PC enterprise. In cooperation with the same 4 EU Universities and the same Macedonian Institutions, in the period 2005-2008 also a TEMPUS JEP entitled DEREC-Development of Environmental and Resources Engineering Curriculum, was also carried out by the University of Firenze in cooperation with colleagues of the Ss Cyril and Methodius University. Within DEREC a new three-years first cycle curriculum in Environmental and Resources Engineering was opened at the University Ss Cyril and Methodius, Skopje, and the necessary conditions for offering a Joint Degree Title, on the basis of an agreement between the Ss. Cyril and Methodius University and the University of Firenze, were fulfilled. The running DEREL project, as a continuation of DEREC, is aimed to introduce a new, up-to-date, postgraduate second cycle curriculum in Environment and Resources Engineering at the Ss Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, FYR of Macedonia, University of Novi Sad, Serbia and Polytechnic University of Tirana, Albania

Overestimating Resource Value and Its Effects on Fighting Decisions

OpenAIRE

Dugatkin, Lee Alan; Dugatkin, Aaron David

2011-01-01

Much work in behavioral ecology has shown that animals fight over resources such as food, and that they make strategic decisions about when to engage in such fights. Here, we examine the evolution of one, heretofore unexamined, component of that strategic decision about whether to fight for a resource. We present the results of a computer simulation that examined the evolution of over- or underestimating the value of a resource (food) as a function of an individual's current hunger level. In ...

Animal production and health newsletter. No. 20

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-07-01

The activities of the Animal Production and Health Section of the Joint FAO/IAEA Division are carried out through the operation of Co-ordinated Research Programmes and Technical Co-operation projects, both of which aim to encourage and improve the capacity of national institutions in tropical and subtropical countries to identify and resolve problems connected with livestock development. This particular programme at the outset, it was envisaged that an inter-disciplinary approach would be adopted by each participating institute whereby studies on nutrition, reproduction and health would be integrated into a number of site specific projects. The one discussed in this newsletter covers animal production and focussing on animal reproduction and reproduction-nutrition interactions. This paper contains an outline for the program which encourages scientists from universities and research institutes to provide assistance and solutions to developing countries on the technical difficulties associated with artificial insemination

Out of the dissection room. An experience of outdoor practical sessions for animal anatomy education

OpenAIRE

ParésCasanova, M.

2013-01-01

Practical exercises are an essential component of anatomy education, so anatomy sessions including dissection are essentialfor animal anatomy courses. In Spain there are not difficulties in obtaining farm animal corpses for educational purposes(although some sanitary laws restrict it in certain cases) neither in general ethical constraints. From 2009 we have been doingoutdoor animal dissection for 1st level students of the “Animal Health and Science” degree course of the University of Lleidai...

Agriculture and food animals as a source of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Economou V

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Vangelis Economou,1 Panagiota Gousia2 1Department of Hygiene and Technology of Food of Animal Origin, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece; 2Food-Water Microbiology Unit, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece Abstract: One of the major breakthroughs in the history of medicine is undoubtedly the discovery of antibiotics. Their use in animal husbandry and veterinary medicine has resulted in healthier and more productive farm animals, ensuring the welfare and health of both animals and humans. Unfortunately, from the first use of penicillin, the resistance countdown started to tick. Nowadays, the infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria are increasing, and resistance to antibiotics is probably the major public health problem. Antibiotic use in farm animals has been criticized for contributing to the emergence of resistance. The use and misuse of antibiotics in farm animal settings as growth promoters or as nonspecific means of infection prevention and treatment has boosted antibiotic consumption and resistance among bacteria in the animal habitat. This reservoir of resistance can be transmitted directly or indirectly to humans through food consumption and direct or indirect contact. Resistant bacteria can cause serious health effects directly or via the transmission of the antibiotic resistance traits to pathogens, causing illnesses that are difficult to treat and that therefore have higher morbidity and mortality rates. In addition, the selection and proliferation of antibiotic-resistant strains can be disseminated to the environment via animal waste, enhancing the resistance reservoir that exists in the environmental microbiome. In this review, an effort is made to highlight the various factors that contribute to the emergence of antibiotic resistance in farm animals and to

Revenue generation strategies in sub-Saharan African universities

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gebreyes, F.M.

2015-01-01

Financial sustainability is one of the key challenges for public universities in both developed and developing countries. Using a resource dependence approach, this study explores the issue of revenue generation in Sub-Saharan African universities. It analyses the diversification strategies that

The Casualty Actuarial Society: Helping Universities Train Future Actuaries

Science.gov (United States)

Boa, J. Michael; Gorvett, Rick

2014-01-01

The Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS) believes that the most effective way to advance the actuarial profession is to work in partnership with universities. The CAS stands ready to assist universities in creating or enhancing courses and curricula associated with property/casualty actuarial science. CAS resources for university actuarial science…

Searching Life, the Universe and Everything? The Implementation of Summon at the University of Huddersfield

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Graham Stone

2010-08-01

Full Text Available A review of the recent literature suggests that users prefer simple search interfaces such as Google. The implication here is that libraries often fail to make their resources discoverable and that this may in turn affect the perceived value of the library. Against the background of the ongoing national debate about user expectations, a project group at the University of Huddersfield was asked to investigate the current provision for electronic resources and to look at a solution which would ‘provide ease of searching and access for the user, whilst reducing the workload for systems and technical services and remaining within current budget levels’. As a direct result of this review, the University of Huddersfield was the first UK commercial adopter of Summon in the summer of 2009. The Summon web-scale discovery service from Serials Solutions provides a simple single-search box to the breadth of the library's collection, swiftly delivering simultaneous information and results from the local catalogue and remote electronic resources offering a real alternative to the traditional federated search. This paper will provide a case study of the implementation, evaluation and launch of this radical new service to users at the University of Huddersfield, by detailing the approaches used and lessons learned throughout the implementation period and making recommendations for future enhancements.

Managing Climate Risk to Agriculture and Water Resources in South ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Managing Climate Risk to Agriculture and Water Resources in South Africa ... to better integrate information on climate change and climate variability into water resources policy, planning and management. ... University of the Free State.

Human Benefits of Animal Interventions for Zoonosis Control

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

2007-04-15

Industrialized countries have contained recent zoonotic disease outbreaks, but countries with limited resources cannot respond adequately. Dr. Nina Marano, veterinarian and Chief, Geographic Medicine and Health Promotion Branch, CDC, comments on the focus on animal reservoirs to prevent outbreaks in developing nations.  Created: 4/15/2007 by Emerging Infectious Diseases.   Date Released: 4/25/2007.

Measuring the Efficiency of Public Universities: Using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to Examine Public Universities in Saudi Arabia

Science.gov (United States)

Alabdulmenem, Fahad Mohammed

2017-01-01

Saudi Arabia is one of the countries that allot substantial amount of government resources for education. Thus, it is important to measure how these resources are used to generate favorable academic outcomes for its nationals. In this study, data envelopment analysis (DEA) is used to measure the relative efficiency of 25 public universities in…

Electronic resources of the rare books and valuable editions department of the Central Scientific Library of the V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University: open access for research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

І. К. Журавльова

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The article describes tasks that electronic collections of rare books fulfill: broad access for readers to rare and valuable editions providing, preservation of ensuring of the original. On the example of the electronic collection of the Central Scientific Library of the V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University – «eScriptorium: electronic archive of rare books and manuscripts for research and education» the possibility of the full-text resources of the valuable editions using is shown. The principles of creation, structure, chronological frameworks, directions of adding the documents to the archive are represented. The perspectives of the project development are outlined as well as examples of the digital libraries of the European countries and Ukraine are provided, the actual task of preserving the originals of the rare books of the country is raised, the innovative approaches to serving users with electronic resources are considered. The evidences of cooperation of the Central Scientific Library of the V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University with the largest world digital libraries: World Digital Library and Europeana are provided.

Human resource development for decommissioning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yanagihara, Satoshi

2016-01-01

This paper summarized the features of decommissioning work and the methods how to develop human resources. The general flow of decommissioning includes the following steps: (1) evaluation of facility characteristics, (2) planning, (3) decontamination and disassembly of equipment and structures contaminated with radioactivity, (4) radioactivity measurement, (5) treatment and disposal of radioactive waste, and (6) release from legal restrictions (termination of decommissioning). For this purpose, techniques in various fields are required. In the evaluation of facility characteristics, radiation measurement and calculation of activation amount in the core part are required. In decontamination and dismantling, cutting technology (mechanical cutting, thermal cutting, etc.), decontamination technology, and remote control technology are required. In the nuclear power education in the past, the fields related to design, construction, operation, and maintenance among the plant life cycle were the main parts. Much attention was not payed to decommissioning and the treatment/disposal of radioactive waste in the second half of life cycle. As university education, Hokkaido University and Fukui University have lectures on decommissioning. Furthermore, the education and research for students are proceeding at seven universities, with a focus on common reactors including those of Fukushima Daiichi Power Station. It is a key for promoting decommissioning, to incorporate project management, risk analysis, cost evaluation, and decision making into education, and to foster human resources heading toward challenging problems including social problems. (A.O.)

Water Resources Research Center

Science.gov (United States)

Untitled Document  Search Welcome to the University of Hawai'i at Manoa Water Resources Research Center At WRRC we concentrate on addressing the unique water and wastewater management problems and issues elsewhere by researching water-related issues distinctive to these areas. We are Hawaii's link in a network

New Editors Appointed for Water Resources Research

Science.gov (United States)

2009-03-01

Praveen Kumar (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign), the newly appointed editor in chief of Water Resources Research (WRR), heads the new team of editors for the journal. The other editors are Tom Torgersen (University of Connecticut, Groton), who continues his editorship; Tissa Illangasekare (Colorado School of Mines, Golden); Graham Sander (Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK); and John Selker (Oregon State University, Corvallis). Hoshin Gupta (University of Arizona, Tucson) will join WRR at the end of 2009. The new editors will begin receiving submissions immediately. The incoming editorial board thanks outgoing editors Marc Parlange, Brian Berkowitz, Amilcare Porporato, and Scott Tyler, all of whom will assist during the transition.

use of electronic resources by graduate students of the department

African Journals Online (AJOL)

respondent's access electronic resources from the internet via Cybercafé .There is a high ... KEY WORDS: Use, Electronic Resources, Graduate Students, Cybercafé. INTRODUCTION ... Faculty of Education, University of Uyo, Uyo. Olu Olat ...

Promoting Profit Model Innovation in Animation Project in Northeast Asia: Case Study on Chinese Cultural and Creative Industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hao Jiao

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Building on a case study of three animation companies in the Chinese cultural and creative industry, this study aims to understand how profit model innovation is promoted. Due to the rapidly changing environments and resource scarcity, cultural and creative companies need to select the appropriate profit model according to their own key resources. The study uncovers two critical factors that promote profit model innovation in animation projects: the quantity of consumers and their consumption intention. According to these two dimensions, the authors’ analysis shows profit model innovation in animation projects can be divided into Fans mode, Popular mode, Placement mode, and Failure mode, respectively. This study provides an empirical basis for advocating profit model innovation and discusses the resource requirements of Fan mode, Popular model, and Placement mode in China’s cultural and creative industry. The authors’ research also has managerial implications that might help firms promote profit model innovation. Finally, learning and promoting the profit model of China’s animation industry in the Northeast Asia area will be conducive to Northeast Asia’s cooperation and sustainable development.

Politics Does Matter: The Nigerian State and Oil (Resource) Curse

African Journals Online (AJOL)

chifaou.amzat

Conventional explanations of the resource curse, or the paradox of abundance, correlate ..... Middle Class In Colonial India, Oxford University Press, A Book Review ... Department of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge. Ron, J., 2005 ...

Historically Black Colleges and Universities: Improving Operations through an Enterprise Resource Planning System

Science.gov (United States)

Hardee, Teresa

2012-01-01

There are a variety of challenges facing colleges and universities today. With shrinking public funding, many colleges and universities must rethink their operations to ensure that they are operating efficiently. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have an even more daunting task in a downturned economy because they are often…

Promoting Profit Model Innovation in Animation Project in Northeast Asia: Case Study on Chinese Cultural and Creative Industry

OpenAIRE

Hao Jiao; Yupei Wang; Hongjun Xiao; Jianghua Zhou; Wensi Zeng

2017-01-01

Building on a case study of three animation companies in the Chinese cultural and creative industry, this study aims to understand how profit model innovation is promoted. Due to the rapidly changing environments and resource scarcity, cultural and creative companies need to select the appropriate profit model according to their own key resources. The study uncovers two critical factors that promote profit model innovation in animation projects: the quantity of consumers and their consumption...

Supporting the academic mission in an era of constrained resources: approaches at the University of Arizona College of Medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Joiner, Keith A; Libecap, Ann; Cress, Anne E; Wormsley, Steve; St Germain, Patricia; Berg, Robert; Malan, Philip

2008-09-01

The authors describe initiatives at the University of Arizona College of Medicine to markedly expand faculty, build research along programmatic lines, and promote a new, highly integrated medical school curriculum. Accomplishing these goals in this era of declining resources is challenging. The authors describe their approaches and outcomes to date, derived from a solid theoretical framework in the management literature, to (1) support research faculty recruitment, emphasizing return on investment, by using net present value to guide formulation of recruitment packages, (2) stimulate efficiency and growth through incentive plans, by using utility theory to optimize incentive plan design, (3) distribute resources to support programmatic growth, by allocating research space and recruitment dollars to maximize joint hires between units with shared interests, and (4) distribute resources from central administration to encourage medical student teaching, by aligning state dollars to support a new integrated organ-system based-curriculum. Detailed measurement is followed by application of management principles, including mathematical modeling, to make projections based on the data collected. Although each of the initiatives was developed separately, they are linked functionally and financially, and they are predicated on explicitly identifying opportunity costs for all major decisions, to achieve efficiencies while supporting growth. The overall intent is to align institutional goals in education, research, and clinical care with incentives for unit heads and individual faculty to achieve those goals, and to create a clear line of sight between expectations and rewards. Implementation is occurring in a hypothesis-driven fashion, permitting testing and refinement of the strategies.

Stories of Change: e/merge @ the University of Cape Town

Science.gov (United States)

Carr, Tony

The Center for Educational Technology (CET) is located at the University of Cape Town, which is a leading South African research and teaching university. This implies great opportunities and challenges since we are poised between the experience of and conditions faced by colleagues in other parts of Africa and those of the colleagues in first-world countries. We have access to the intellectual and professional networks of the first world and our university features on global rankings, yet our resourcing, while generous in terms of most other universities in our continent, is a fraction of that enjoyed by first-world universities of similar size and scope. Both globalization and developmental imperatives require us to rapidly extend the effective use of educational technology in our university for teaching and learning. The received models of e-Learning integration developed mostly in first-world countries need to be adapted for contexts with scarce resources.

Animal models of contraception: utility and limitations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liechty ER

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Emma R Liechty,1 Ingrid L Bergin,1 Jason D Bell2 1Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine, 2Program on Women's Health Care Effectiveness Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA Abstract: Appropriate animal modeling is vital for the successful development of novel contraceptive devices. Advances in reproductive biology have identified novel pathways for contraceptive intervention. Here we review species-specific anatomic and physiologic considerations impacting preclinical contraceptive testing, including efficacy testing, mechanistic studies, device design, and modeling off-target effects. Emphasis is placed on the use of nonhuman primate models in contraceptive device development. Keywords: nonhuman primate, preclinical, in vivo, contraceptive devices

[Skills lab training in veterinary medicine. Effective preparation for clinical work at the small animal clinic of the University for Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation].

Science.gov (United States)

Engelskirchen, Simon; Ehlers, Jan; Kirk, Ansgar T; Tipold, Andrea; Dilly, Marc

2017-09-20

During five and a half years of studying veterinary medicine, students should in addition to theoretical knowledge acquire sufficient practical skills. Considering animal welfare and ethical aspects, opportunities for hands-on learning on living animals are limited because of the high annual number of students. The first German veterinary clinical-skills lab, established in 2013 at the University for Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation (TiHo), offers opportunities for all students to learn, train and repeat clinical skills on simulators and models as frequently as they would like, until they feel sufficiently confident to transfer these skills to living animals. This study describes the establishment of clinical-skills lab training within the students' practical education, using the example of the small-animal clinic of the TiHo. Two groups of students were compared: without skills lab training (control group K) and with skills lab training (intervention group I). At the end of both the training and a subsequent 10-week clinical rotation in different sections of the clinic, an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) was performed, testing the students' practical skills at 15 stations. An additional multiple-choice test was performed before and after the clinical rotation to evaluate the increased theoretical knowledge. Students of group I achieved significantly (p ≤ 0.05) better results in eight of the 15 tested skills. The multiple-choice test revealed a significant (p ≤ 0.05) gain of theoretical knowledge in both groups without any differences between the groups. Students displayed a high degree of acceptance of the skills lab training. Using simulators and models in veterinary education is an efficient teaching concept, and should be used continually and integrated in the curriculum.

Online Resources for Teaching Units on: Ecological Footprint of Human Food

Science.gov (United States)

Marrocco, Aldo T.

2011-01-01

The modern food system involves high consumption of natural resources and other forms of environmental degradation. This paper is a presentation of internet resources such as scientific contributions, graphics, tables, images, animations and interactive atlases that can help to teach this subject. The discussion contains some subjects considered…

Sharing Resources: Benefits of University Partnerships to Improve Teaching, Learning and Research

Science.gov (United States)

Hilliard, Ann

2012-01-01

Today, many higher educational institutions are forward thinking about promoting strategic initiatives by establishing partnerships with other universities nationally and internationally. Being financial and academically savvy, universities are reaching out to meet the demands of public interests in different types of college programs and…

The Openness of the University of the Philippines Open University: Issues and Prospects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Fe Villamejor-Mendoza

2013-05-01

Full Text Available This paper is a self-reflection on the state of openness of the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU. An exploratory and descriptive study, it aims not only to define the elements of openness of UPOU, but also to unravel the causes and solutions to the issues and concerns that limit its options to becoming a truly open university. It is based on four parameters of openness, which are widely universal in the literature, e.g., open admissions, open curricula, distance education at scale, and the co-creation, sharing and use of open educational resources (OER. It draws from the perception survey among peers, which the author conducted in UPOU in July and August 2012. It also relies on relevant secondary materials on the subject.

Generation of EST and Microarray Resources for Functional Genomic Studies on Chicken Intestinal Health

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hemert, van S.; Ebbelaar, B.H.; Smits, M.A.; Rebel, J.M.J.

2003-01-01

Expressed sequenced tags (ESTs) and microarray resources have a great impact on the ability to study host response in mice and humans. Unfortunately, these resources are not yet available for domestic farm animals. The aim of this study was to provide genomic resources to study chicken intestinal

Opportunistic resource usage in CMS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kreuzer, Peter; Hufnagel, Dirk; Dykstra, D; Gutsche, O; Tadel, M; Sfiligoi, I; Letts, J; Wuerthwein, F; McCrea, A; Bockelman, B; Fajardo, E; Linares, L; Wagner, R; Konstantinov, P; Blumenfeld, B; Bradley, D

2014-01-01

CMS is using a tiered setup of dedicated computing resources provided by sites distributed over the world and organized in WLCG. These sites pledge resources to CMS and are preparing them especially for CMS to run the experiment's applications. But there are more resources available opportunistically both on the GRID and in local university and research clusters which can be used for CMS applications. We will present CMS' strategy to use opportunistic resources and prepare them dynamically to run CMS applications. CMS is able to run its applications on resources that can be reached through the GRID, through EC2 compliant cloud interfaces. Even resources that can be used through ssh login nodes can be harnessed. All of these usage modes are integrated transparently into the GlideIn WMS submission infrastructure, which is the basis of CMS' opportunistic resource usage strategy. Technologies like Parrot to mount the software distribution via CVMFS and xrootd for access to data and simulation samples via the WAN are used and will be described. We will summarize the experience with opportunistic resource usage and give an outlook for the restart of LHC data taking in 2015.

The Louisiana State University waste-to-energy incinerator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1994-10-26

This proposed action is for cost-shared construction of an incinerator/steam-generation facility at Louisiana State University under the State Energy Conservation Program (SECP). The SECP, created by the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, calls upon DOE to encourage energy conservation, renewable energy, and energy efficiency by providing Federal technical and financial assistance in developing and implementing comprehensive state energy conservation plans and projects. Currently, LSU runs a campus-wide recycling program in order to reduce the quantity of solid waste requiring disposal. This program has removed recyclable paper from the waste stream; however, a considerable quantity of other non-recyclable combustible wastes are produced on campus. Until recently, these wastes were disposed of in the Devil`s Swamp landfill (also known as the East Baton Rouge Parish landfill). When this facility reached its capacity, a new landfill was opened a short distance away, and this new site is now used for disposal of the University`s non-recyclable wastes. While this new landfill has enough capacity to last for at least 20 years (from 1994), the University has identified the need for a more efficient and effective manner of waste disposal than landfilling. The University also has non-renderable biological and potentially infectious waste materials from the School of Veterinary Medicine and the Student Health Center, primarily the former, whose wastes include animal carcasses and bedding materials. Renderable animal wastes from the School of Veterinary Medicine are sent to a rendering plant. Non-renderable, non-infectious animal wastes currently are disposed of in an existing on-campus incinerator near the School of Veterinary Medicine building.

The potential of cryopreservation and reproductive technologies for animal genetic resources conservation strategies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hiemstra, S.J.; Lende, van der T.; Woelders, H.

2006-01-01

This chapter focuses on ex situ conservation. An overview of the state of the art cryopreservation and reproductive technology for farm animals and fish is followed by a discussion on the implications of ex situ conservation strategies. Ex situ conservation of genetic material from livestock and

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus among animals: current overview.

Science.gov (United States)

Aires-de-Sousa, M

2017-06-01

Currently, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a universal threat. After being well established in the healthcare setting, it has emerged in the community among people with no risk factors for MRSA acquisition, therefore imposing a new threat. The subsequent detection of MRSA colonizing or infecting animals as well as in food of animal origin was of major concern, revealing new reservoirs for MRSA. The major MRSA clonal lineages circulating in the different settings, i.e. in hospitals, in the community and among animals, are described here, differentiating between clones colonizing companion and food-chain animals. Particular attention is given to the widely spread livestock-associated MRSA clonal complex (CC) 398, which is mainly associated with professional exposure but may be of high pathogenicity. The recent detection of a mecA homologue, designated mecC, with a wide geographical distribution in Europe, and including a large diversity of hosts (food-chain, companion and wildlife animals and also detected in water samples) adds to the threat. Domestication as well as globalization of the livestock industry have intensified exchanges between human and animal bacteria. We report here several cases of transmission of MRSA between companion or food-chain animals and humans, as well as some MRSA clones of human origin that have adapted to new animal hosts eventually by losing useless virulence factors or acquiring new mobile genetic elements. Copyright © 2016 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Animal production and health newsletter. No. 46, July 2007

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2007-07-01

In response to many requests from our readers, I will continue to highlight a practical topic related to animal production and health in this section of the newsletter. Increasing the efficiency of animal reproduction is a critical component of a holistic approach to sustainably increase animal productivity in developing Member States. For example, the resources spent to formulate and obtain the ingredients for dairy rations are wasted when a significant proportion of the cows in the herd are dry due to delays in achieving pregnancy. Effective genetic selection to improve productivity is only possible if a regular supply of potential replacements is generated by the females already in the herd or flock. For this reason, improving reproductive efficiency is a key aspect of many of the APH projects

Learning Strategic Planning from Australian and New Zealand University Experience

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Anfu

2014-01-01

Initiating a strategic development plan is necessary for universities to be managed scientifically; a university's strategic development plan includes both the educational philosophy and development orientation as determined by the university, including the future reallocation of resources and measures for their integration. The development…

Open- and closed-formula laboratory animal diets and their importance to research.

Science.gov (United States)

Barnard, Dennis E; Lewis, Sherry M; Teter, Beverly B; Thigpen, Julius E

2009-11-01

Almost 40 y ago the scientific community was taking actions to control environmental factors that contribute to variation in the responses of laboratory animals to scientific manipulation. Laboratory animal diet was recognized as an important variable. During the 1970s, the American Institute of Nutrition, National Academy of Science, Institute of Laboratory Animal Resources, and Laboratory Animals Centre Diets Advisory Committee supported the use of 'standard reference diets' in biomedical research as a means to improve the ability to replicate research. As a result the AIN76 purified diet was formulated. During this same time, the laboratory animal nutritionist at the NIH was formulating open-formula, natural-ingredient diets to meet the need for standardized laboratory animal diets. Since the development of open-formula diets, fixed-formula and constant-nutrient-concentration closed-formula laboratory animal natural ingredient diets have been introduced to help reduce the potential variation diet can cause in research.

Achieving Quality Assurance in Nigeria University System through ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper examines how quality assurance can be attained through Strategic Human Resources Development in Nigerian University system. The purpose is to ensure quality control and maintenance of acceptable standards in the University system. To seek solution to the problem, three research questions were posed.

Large animal models for vaccine development and testing.

Science.gov (United States)

Gerdts, Volker; Wilson, Heather L; Meurens, Francois; van Drunen Littel-van den Hurk, Sylvia; Wilson, Don; Walker, Stewart; Wheler, Colette; Townsend, Hugh; Potter, Andrew A

2015-01-01

The development of human vaccines continues to rely on the use of animals for research. Regulatory authorities require novel vaccine candidates to undergo preclinical assessment in animal models before being permitted to enter the clinical phase in human subjects. Substantial progress has been made in recent years in reducing and replacing the number of animals used for preclinical vaccine research through the use of bioinformatics and computational biology to design new vaccine candidates. However, the ultimate goal of a new vaccine is to instruct the immune system to elicit an effective immune response against the pathogen of interest, and no alternatives to live animal use currently exist for evaluation of this response. Studies identifying the mechanisms of immune protection; determining the optimal route and formulation of vaccines; establishing the duration and onset of immunity, as well as the safety and efficacy of new vaccines, must be performed in a living system. Importantly, no single animal model provides all the information required for advancing a new vaccine through the preclinical stage, and research over the last two decades has highlighted that large animals more accurately predict vaccine outcome in humans than do other models. Here we review the advantages and disadvantages of large animal models for human vaccine development and demonstrate that much of the success in bringing a new vaccine to market depends on choosing the most appropriate animal model for preclinical testing. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Institute for Laboratory Animal Research. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Japanese Language as an Organizational Barrier for International Students to Access to University Services: A Case of Aoyama Gakuin University

Science.gov (United States)

Hiratsuka, Hiroyoshi

2016-01-01

In 2011, Aoyama Gakuin University (AGU) started a government-funded degree program (taught in English) to accept international students with limited or no Japanese language proficiency. However, the students faced obstacles in accessing all of the university resources provided. In this article, I investigated Japanese language as an organizational…

Methods for cross point analysis of double-demand functions in assessing animal preferences

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Engel, Bas; Webb, Laura E.; Jensen, Margit Bak

2014-01-01

a required number of times (the workload). Each panel is linked to one of the simultaneously presented resources. Workloads are varied over sessions and resources. Per session, for each resource the number of times that an animal is rewarded by access to the resource is observed. Four statistical approaches...... for analysis of these observations, including two novel approaches, are presented and discussed. The two novel approaches are based on relative numbers of rewards, i.e. analyses of proportions, while the other two methods that have been used before are based on absolute numbers of rewards, i.e. analyses...

NASA Water Resources Program

Science.gov (United States)

Toll, David L.

2011-01-01

With increasing population pressure and water usage coupled with climate variability and change, water issues are being reported by numerous groups as the most critical environmental problems facing us in the 21st century. Competitive uses and the prevalence of river basins and aquifers that extend across boundaries engender political tensions between communities, stakeholders and countries. In addition to the numerous water availability issues, water quality related problems are seriously affecting human health and our environment. The potential crises and conflicts especially arise when water is competed among multiple uses. For example, urban areas, environmental and recreational uses, agriculture, and energy production compete for scarce resources, not only in the Western U.S. but throughout much of the U.S. and also in numerous parts of the world. Mitigating these conflicts and meeting water demands and needs requires using existing water resources more efficiently. The NASA Water Resources Program Element works to use NASA products and technology to address these critical water issues. The primary goal of the Water Resources is to facilitate application of NASA Earth science products as a routine use in integrated water resources management for the sustainable use of water. This also includes the extreme events of drought and floods and the adaptation to the impacts from climate change. NASA satellite and Earth system observations of water and related data provide a huge volume of valuable data in both near-real-time and extended back nearly 50 years about the Earth's land surface conditions such as precipitation, snow, soil moisture, water levels, land cover type, vegetation type, and health. NASA Water Resources Program works closely to use NASA and Earth science data with other U.S. government agencies, universities, and non-profit and private sector organizations both domestically and internationally. The NASA Water Resources Program organizes its

Resources and Operations Section

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burgess, R.L.

1978-01-01

Progress is reported on the data resources group with regard to numeric information support; IBP data center; and geoecology project. Systems ecology studies consisted of nonlinear analysis-time delays in a host-parasite model; dispersal of seeds by animals; three-dimensional computer graphics in ecology; spatial heterogeneity in ecosystems; and analysis of forest structure. Progress is also reported on the national inventory of biological monitoring programs; ecological sciences information center; and educational activities

Employee motivation in laboratory animal science: creating the conditions for a happy and productive staff.

Science.gov (United States)

Chick, John F

2006-01-01

High rates of employee turnover are the source of a considerable loss of time and resources, but managers are not always aware of the reasons that motivate employees to stay in their positions. The author compares prominent theories of employee motivation and then puts them to the test by surveying 82 cagewashers, animal caretakers, animal technicians, and supervisors working in a laboratory animal facility to determine the job characteristics that motivate them.

U.S. Unit Opens Way to Patent Animals; Humans Seen Likely to Be Next Test Case.

Science.gov (United States)

Wheeler, David L.

1987-01-01

With a decision on an oyster developed at the University of Washington, the federal Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences has opened the way to granting patents for animals and animal improvements developed through genetic engineering and other scientific methods. (MSE)

Characterization of experimental dental research using animals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Flávia Granville-Garcia

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Objective: To determine the profile of experimental dental research using animals. Methods: The research comprised all the 4141 abstracts existent in the books of annals from the 22nd and 23rd Annual meetings of the Brazilian Society of Dentistry Research and the sample was composed of 377 studies (9.1%. The variables analyzed were: area of knowledge, type of institution, State of the country, type of animal and body part used, occurrence of animal sacrifice, mention of the Research Ethics Committee, receipt of funding and type of financing agency. Results: The largest number of studies concentrated on the areas of Buccomaxillofacial Surgery (27.3% and Basic Sciences (21.2%. The Public Universities were responsible for 74% of the researches, and the State Institutions were outstanding (82.4%. The State of São Paulo was responsible for 74.1% of the studies. Rats (67.1% and rabbits (11.1% were the most frequently used animals, and 68.2% of the animals were sacrificed. The oral cavity was used in 50.1% of the researches and the mandible in 59%. Only 1.9% of the studies mentioned the Research Ethics Committee and 26.3% reported that they received funding. Conclusion: In Dentistry, studies involving animals are predominant in the areas of buccomaxillofacial surgery and basic sciences, with rats andrabbits being most frequently used. A significant number of guinea pigs are sacrificed during or at the end of the experiments.

Clinical nurses' attitudes towards research, management and organisational resources in a university hospital: part 1.

Science.gov (United States)

Akerjordet, Kristin; Lode, Kirsten; Severinsson, Elisabeth

2012-09-01

The aim of this study was to determine clinical nurses' interest in and motivation for research. An additional aim was to identify management and organisational resources in order to improve nurses' research capacity in practice. Clinical nurses find conducting research challenging, which accords with observations of the continuing research-practice gap. This descriptive cross-sectional survey sampled 364 clinical nurses from a university hospital on the west coast of Norway. The response rate was 61%. An increasingly positive attitude towards research emerged (40%), despite the fact that few were engaged in research-based activities. Clinical nurses emphasised that lack of designated time (60%), interest (31%) and knowledge (31%) constituted important research barriers, as did lack of research supervision and support (25%). Research supervision was one of the most significant needs to enhance clinical nurses' research skills, management and organisation of research activities (30%). Conscious efforts strategically built on clinical and academic collaborative networks are required to promote and sustain clinical nurses' research capacity. The findings of this survey should be useful in the building of clinical nurses' research capacity. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Mind Mapping on Development of Human Resource of Education

Science.gov (United States)

Fauzi, Anis

2016-01-01

Human resources in the field of education consists of students, teachers, administrative staff, university students, lecturers, structural employees, educational bureaucrats, stakeholders, parents, the society around the school, and the society around the campus. The existence of human resources need to be cultivated and developed towards the…

Examination of Preventive Resources, Life Events, and Coping Strategies.

Science.gov (United States)

McCarthy, Christopher J.; Lambert, Richard G.; Beard, Michelle; Canipe, Kara

The Preventive Coping Resources Inventory (PRI) was developed to assess specific coping resources most useful for stress prevention and also applicable to education settings. Undergraduates (N=501) at a large, southwestern university completed the inventory and other measures of adjustment and coping. Exploratory factor analysis revealed five…

Pedagogical Merit Review of Animal Use for Education in Canada.