Effect of housing on rubber slat mats during pregnancy on the behaviour and welfare of sows in farrowing crates

peer-reviewedThe aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of flooring type during gestation, lameness and limb lesion scores on welfare and behaviour of sows in farrowing crates. Sixty sows group-housed during gestation in pens with solid concrete floored feeding stalls and a concrete, fully slatted group area either uncovered (CON; n = 30) or covered with 10 mm thick rubber slat mats (RUB; n = 30) were transferred to the farrowing crate at 110d of gestation (-5d). Lameness was scored on -5d and at weaning (28 d postfarrowing). Limb lesions were scored on -5d, 24 h later (-4d), 3 to 5 days post farrowing and at weaning (i.e., day 28 post farrowing). Sows were video recorded for 24 h on -5d, after the last piglet was born (FARROW) and prior to weaning. Videos were sampled every 10 min and an index of the proportion of time spent in different postures (standing [S], ventral [VL] and lateral lying [LL] and total lying) and number of postural changes was calculated. Median scores were calculated for limb lesions and classified as ≤ median or > median. Postural data were tested for normality and analysed using mixed model equations methodology. Flooring during gestation did not affect any of the variables recorded in this study. However, RUB sows tended to make more postural changes than CON sows (P = 0.10). Sows with swelling scores > median spent more time LL (68.9 vs. 63.1 ± 2.19%; P < 0.05) and less time VL (19.9 vs. 25.8 ± 2.27%; P < 0.05) than sows with swelling scores ≤ median. Time spent S and VL decreased and LL increased at FARROW compared to -5d and prior to weaning (P < 0.01). We found no effect of flooring type during gestation on welfare and behaviour in the farrowing crate. Factors such as limb lesions and adaptation to confinement (i.e., time spent inside the farrowing crate) appeared to have a greater influence on sow welfare and behaviour in farrowing crates than the flooring on which they were housed during gestation.This work was administered by Teagasc’s Walsh Fellowship Scheme via funding from Enterprise Ireland and EasyFix™ Rubber Products

Aplicación de la clase invertida en la educación superior: introducción a las nuevas tecnologías

Las autoras de este trabajo llevamos varios años trabajando con videos docentes para la enseñanza de las matemáticas dentro de la Economía a nivel universitario. Esto ha sido motivado por el auge de las nuevas tecnologías y las posibilidades docentes que nos proporcionan. La experiencia que teníamos en asignaturas virtuales nos ha permitido dar un paso más y utilizar los videos docentes en las clases presenciales. Si bien empezamos utilizándolos a modo de complemento, cuando conocimos la metodología de la flipped classroom (o clase invertida) nos planteamos una nueva forma de enseñanza. Decidimos invertir los papeles, de forma que el alumno, en vez de escuchar en clase y estudiar en casa, toma el papel protagonista, estudiando en casa con ayuda de videos y material proporcionado por el profesor y aprovecha el tiempo de clase para resolver ejercicios, plantear dudas y trabajar en equipo. Si bien esta metodología ha sido llevada a cabo con éxito en diversos niveles educativos, en el caso universitario no se conocen muchas experiencias. En nuestro caso hemos tenido que adaptarla, incorporando elementos adicionales, como el uso del programa Socrative para conseguir una mayor retroalimentación del aprendizaje del alumno. En el presente trabajo mostramos la experiencia que hemos llevado a cabo en el curso académico actual y recogemos la opinión de ambas partes, alumnos y profesores.Universidad de Málag

Algorithm Plans Collision-Free Path for Robotic Manipulator

An algorithm has been developed to enable a computer aboard a robot to autonomously plan the path of the manipulator arm of the robot to avoid collisions between the arm and any obstacle, which could be another part of the robot or an external object in the vicinity of the robot. In simplified terms, the algorithm generates trial path segments and tests each segment for potential collisions in an iterative process that ends when a sequence of collision-free segments reaches from the starting point to the destination. The main advantage of this algorithm, relative to prior such algorithms, is computational efficiency: the algorithm is designed to make minimal demands upon the limited computational resources available aboard a robot. This path-planning algorithm utilizes a modified version of the collision-detection method described in "Improved Collision-Detection Method for Robotic Manipulator" (NPO-30356), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 27, No. 3 (June 2003), page 72. The method involves utilization of mathematical models of the robot constructed prior to operation and similar models of external objects constructed automatically from sensory data acquired during operation. This method incorporates a previously developed method, known in the art as the method of oriented bounding boxes (OBBs), in which an object is represented approximately, for computational purposes, by a box that encloses its outer boundary. Because many parts of a robotic manipulator are cylindrical, the OBB method has been extended in this method to enable the approximate representation of cylindrical parts by use of octagonal or other multiple-OBB assemblies denoted oriented bounding prisms (OBPs). A multiresolution OBB/OBP representation of the robot and its manipulator arm and a multiresolution OBB representation of external objects (including terrain) are constructed and used in a process in which collisions at successively finer resolutions are detected through computational detection of overlaps between the corresponding OBB and OBP models. For computational efficiency, the process is started at the coarsest resolution and stopped as soon as possible, preferably before reaching the finest resolution. At the coarsest resolution, there is a single OBB enclosing all relevant external objects and a single OBB enclosing the entire robot. At the next finer level of resolution, the coarsest-resolution OBB is divided into two OBBs, and so forth. If no collision is detected at the coarsest resolution, then there is no need for further computation to detect collisions. If a collision is detected at the coarsest resolution, then tests for collisions are performed at the next finer level of resolution. This process is continued to successively finer resolutions until either no more collisions are detected or the finest resolution is reached

Adaptación y aplicación de la clase invertida en la Universidad: el caso de Matemáticas dentro de la Economía

Las nuevas tecnologías se están adentrando cada vez más en el ámbito docente, ya que proporcionan múltiples posibilidades. Las autoras de este trabajo llevamos varios años utilizando videos docentes en la enseñanza de las matemáticas dentro de la Economía a nivel universitario. Los hemos utilizado tanto en clases virtuales como de forma complementaria en clases presenciales. Sin embargo creemos que es interesante dar un paso más y utilizar los videos docentes como parte principal en las clases presenciales. Nos resulta muy interesante la metodología de la flipped classroom (o clase invertida), donde se invierten los papeles, de forma que el alumno, en vez de escuchar en clase y estudiar en casa, toma el papel protagonista, estudiando en casa con ayuda de material proporcionado por el profesor y aprovecha el tiempo de clase para resolver ejercicios, plantear dudas y trabajar en equipo. Si bien esta metodología ha sido llevada a cabo con éxito en diversos niveles educativos, no ha sido aún muy aplicada a nivel universitario. Para adaptarla a este nivel de estudios hemos incorporado algunos elementos adicionales, como el uso del programa Socrative. En este trabajo mostramos la experiencia que hemos llevado a cabo en la Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Empresariales y recogemos la opinión de ambas partes, alumnos y profesores.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech. I Plan Propio Integral de Docencia. Universidad de Málaga

Do weaner pigs need in-feed antibiotics to ensure good health and welfare?

peer-reviewedThis study was part of the WELPIG project which was funded from internal Teagasc funds. During the writing of this paper JACD’s position was funded by the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine under the Research Stimulus Fund (PathSurvPigs 14/S/832) as part of the National Development PlanAntibiotics (AB) are used in intensive pig production systems to control infectious diseases and they are suspected to be a major source of antibiotic resistance. Following the ban on AB use as growth promoters in the EU, their prophylactic use in-feed is now under review. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of removing prophylactic in-feed AB on pig health and welfare indicators. Every Monday for six weeks, a subset of 70 pigs were weaned, tagged and sorted into two groups of 35 pigs according to weight (9.2 ± 0.6 kg). AB were removed from the diet of one group (NO, n=6) and maintained in the other group (AB, n=6) for nine weeks. Ten focal pigs were chosen per group. After c. five weeks each group was split into two pens of c.17 pigs for the following 4 weeks. Data were recorded weekly. Skin, tail, ear, flank and limb lesions of focal pigs were scored according to severity. The number of animals per group affected by health deviations was also recorded. The number of fights and harmful behaviours (ear, tail bites) per group was counted during 3×5min observations once per week. Data were analysed using mixed model equations and binomial logistic regression. At group level, AB pigs were more likely to have tail (OR=1.70; P=0.05) but less likely to have ear lesions than NO pigs (OR=0.46; P<0.05). The number of ear bites (21.4±2.15 vs. 17.3±1.61; P<0.05) and fights (6.91±0.91 vs. 5.58±0.72; P=0.09) was higher in AB than in NO pigs. There was no effect of treatment on health deviations and the frequency of these was low. Removing AB from the feed of weaner pigs had minimal effects on health and welfare indicators

Eficiencia de la metodología de la clase invertida en la enseñanza universitaria

Hoy día las nuevas tecnologías han invadido casi todos los aspectos de la vida cotidiana. Los videos docentes son una realidad en el ámbito de la docencia. Hace años comenzamos a utilizar videos docentes a modo de complemento en clase, sin embargo el descubrimiento de la flipped classroom nos hizo plantearnos una nueva forma de enseñanza, invirtiendo los papeles: el alumno toma el papel protagonista, estudiando en casa con ayuda del material proporcionado por el profesor y aprovecha el tiempo de clase para resolver ejercicios, dudas y trabajar en equipo. Si bien esta metodología ha sido llevada a cabo con éxito en diversos niveles educativos no universitarios, en nuestra realidad, hemos tenido que adaptarla, incorporando elementos adicionales. En este trabajo se expone la experiencia en el desarrollo de la clase invertida con el uso de una página web de vídeos docentes, tanto en la Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Empresariales de la Universidad de Málaga, como en la Universidad Nacional de San Martín en Argentina. Con esta metodología se consigue entusiasmar al alumno en el estudio previo, además el teléfono móvil tiene un papel importante en este cambio, utilizando Socrative para contrastar los avances de los alumnos. Todo este proceso se evalúa mediante la respuesta del alumno ante esta iniciativa, a través de la realización de encuestas antes, durante y después del curso, así como mediante un análisis de los resultados finales de las asignaturas.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Behaviour of tail-docked lambs tested in isolation

peer-reviewedThe aims of the current study were to detect behavioural indicators of pain of tail-docked sheep tested in isolation and to determine the relationship between behaviour and the pain levels to which they were exposed. Twenty-four female lambs, randomly assigned to four pens, had their tail docked with a rubber ring (TD; n = 6) without pain control procedures, TD with anaesthesia (TDA; n = 6) or TD with anaesthesia and analgesia (TDAA; n = 6). Additionally, six lambs handled but without tail docking or application of pain relief measures were used as the control (C). On the day prior (Day –1) to the TD and on days 1, 3 and 5 post-procedure, each lamb was individually removed from its group and underwent a 2.5 min open field test in a separate pen. Frequencies of behaviours such as rest, running, standing, walking and exploring were directly observed. Frequencies of exploratory climbs (ECs) and abrupt climbs (ACs) over the testing pen’s walls were video-recorded. Data were analysed using generalised linear mixed models with repeated measurements, including treatment and day as fixed effects and behaviour on Day –1 as a linear covariate. Control and TDAA lambs stood more frequently than TD lambs. TD lambs performed significantly more ACs compared to all other treatment groups. No other treatment effects were detected. A day effect was detected for all behaviours, while the EC frequency was highest for all tail-docked lambs on Day 5. Findings suggest that standing, ACs and ECs could be used as potential indicators of pain in isolated tail-docked lambs. However, differences in ECs between treatments only appeared 3 d after tail docking

Robotic Technologies for Surveying Habitats and Seeking Evidence of Life: Results from the 2004 Field Experiments of the "Life in the Atacama" Project

The Chilean Atacama Desert is the most arid region on Earth and in several ways analogous to Mars. Evidence suggests that the interior of the Atacama is lifeless, yet where the desert meets the Pacific coastal range dessication-tolerant microorganisms are known to exist. The gradient of biodiversity and habitats in the Atacama's subregions remain unexplored and are the focus of the Life in the Atacama project. Our field investigation attempts to bring further scientific understanding of the Atacama as a habitat for life through the creation of robotic astrobiology. This involves capabilities for autonomously traversing hundreds of kilometers while deploying sensors to survey the varying geologic and biologic properties of the environment, Fig. 1. Our goal is to make genuine discoveries about the limits of life on Earth and to generate knowledge about life in extreme environments that can be applied to future planetary missions. Through these experiments we also hope to develop and practice the methods by which a rover might best be employed to survey desert terrain in search of the habitats in which life can survive, or may have in the past

Searching for life with rovers: exploration methods and science results from the 2004 field campaign of the “Life in the Atacama” project and applications to future Mars Missions

LITA develops and field tests a long-range automated rover and a science payload to search for microbial life in the Atacama. The Atacama's evolution provides a unique training ground for designing and testing exploration strategies and life detection methods for the search for life on Mars

Clima laboral y valores interpersonales en trabajadores de la Unidad de Gestión Educativa de Bellavista - San Martin, 2014

El estudio tuvo como objetivo determinar la relación entre el nivel de clima laboral y los valores interpersonales en trabajadores de la Unidad de Gestión Educativa (UGEL) de Bellavista de San Martin, 2014. Se desarrolló un estudio observacional de diseño correlacional. Se encuestó a 49 trabajadores administrativos de la UGEL de Bellavista durante los meses julio y agosto del año 2014; para lo cual, se usó la escala de Clima Laboral diseñada y elaborada por Sonia Palma Carrillo (2004), estandarizado con baremos peruanos, y la escala de Valores Interpersonales de Gordon (1960) adaptada por S. Higueras, Leonardo. Se encontró como resultado un 78,8% de los trabajadores administrativos presenta un clima laboral favorable y el 21,3% presenta un clima laboral medio. Así mismo, se observa que se tiene una significancia mayores a 0,05 por lo que se acepta la hipótesis nula, entonces no existe una relación significativa entre el Clima Laboral y los Valores Interpersonales. Concluyéndose que no existe correlación entre Clima Laboral y Valores interpersonalesTesi