Food web functioning of the benthopelagic community in a deep-sea seamount based on diet and stable isotope analyses

14th Deep-Sea Biology Symposium (DSBS), 31 August 2015 - 04 September 2015, AveiroPeer Reviewe

Marginal Bodies in Science Fiction: Examining Nalo Hopkinson’s Brown Girl in the Ring and “A Habit of Waste”

Trabajo de fin de Grado. Grado en Estudios Ingleses. Curso académico 2017-2018[EN]In Brown Girl in the Ring Nalo Hopkinson introduces a post-apocalyptic Toronto in which the wealthy and powerful have fled the inner city, leaving a lawless and dangerous slum controlled by the mafia and abandoned by all institutions, including healthcare. In the different but also futuristic society of “A Habit of Waste,” medical technologies have evolved enough to allow those with the money to pay for it to switch bodies. In both stories, Hopkinson makes use of science fiction devices to explore the marginalized embodiment of the protagonists and the conflict that arises from it, in order to expose the structures of oppression and exploitation that prevent the integration of hybridized identities in a white dominated society. [ES]En Brown Girl in the Ring Nalo Hopkinson presenta un Toronto pos apocalíptico en el que los ricos y poderosos han huido del centro de la ciudad, dejando un suburbio peligroso y anárquico controlado por la mafia y abandonado por todas las instituciones (incluyendo la sanitaria). En la también futurista sociedad de “A Habit of Waste” las tecnologías médicas han avanzado hasta el punto de permitir cambiar de cuerpo a aquellos con dinero para pagarlo. En ambas historias Hopkinson emplea recursos típicos de la ciencia ficción para explorar la corporalidad marginal de las protagonistas, así como los conflictos que emergen de esta, con el objetivo de exponer las estructuras de opresión y explotación que impiden la integración de identidades híbridas en una sociedad predominantemente blanca

Indigenous Ecofeminism? Decolonial Practices and Indigenous Resurgence in Lee Maracle’s Works

Ecocritical and ecofeminist studies have frequently borrowed from Indigenous epistemologies to conform new approaches to human-nature relations, particularly now that the pressing climate crisis is making western societies contemplate the need for radical solutions. As Leanne Betasamosake Simpson remarks, “the western academy is now becoming interested in certain aspects of Indigenous Knowledge” such as “Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK)” (373). However, the scope of this interest is reduced and disconnects ecological knowledge from decolonial practices, such as land claims or Indigenous feminisms. Maile Arvin et al. emphatically support that “settler colonialism has been and continues to be a gendered process” (8) and thus its ramifications and effects (upon nature or Indigenous communities) cannot be detangled without an Indigenous feminist perspective. In this article, I focus on an ecocritical analysis of several works by Lee Maracle, who dedicated her career to the regeneration and revalorization of Indigenous systems of knowledge, in order to pinpoint the intersections between feminism, decolonization, and nonhuman ecological thinking that might develop into a potential Indigenous ecofeminism that truly recognizes Indigenous epistemologies in their full context. Basing myself off Nishnaabeg scholar Leanne Betasamosake Simpson’s theories on Indigenous radical resurgence, which assert that a cultural resurgence (such as a revalorization of Indigenous ecological knowledge) cannot take place without a political resurgence (such as the acknowledgement of Indigenous sovereignty), I argue that Maracle’s portrayal of natural elements and her imagining of human-nature relations is inextricably linked to a decolonizing perspective foregrounded on Indigenous feminism

Perspectiva de los estudiantes respecto a la adaptación de “Diseños experimentales y aplicados” al Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior

En aquest article es descriu l'adaptació de l'assignatura “Dissenys experimentals i aplicats” de la Facultat de Psicologia de la Universitat de Barcelona (UB) segons les directrius de la UB marcades per adaptar-se a l'Espai Europeu d'Educació Superior (EEES). L'objectiu de la recerca és conèixer l'opinió dels estudiants respecte a la innovació docent mitjançant la introducció del campus virtual. Per a això, es va administrar a 180 estudiants, una adaptació del qüestionari EMID (Avaluació del Model d'Innovació Docent) que valorava diversos aspectes, com: les activitats autònomes, el sistema d'avaluació continuada i el campus virtual amb Moodle. Els resultats de l'estudi mostren que els estudiants valoren positivament aquests aspectes, especialment el sistema metodològic d'ensenyament-aprenentatge-avaluació, mitjançant el campus virtual, així com els materials teòric-pràctics de l'assignatura dissenyats pels estudiants.This article describes the adaptation of the subject “Experimental and applied designs” of the Faculty of Psychology of the Universitat of Barcelona (UB) according to UB marked guidelines by the adaptation to the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). The aim of this research is to know the students’ opinions with regard to the teaching innovation by means of the introduction of the virtual campus. Therefore, it was administered to 180 undergraduate students, an adaptation of the questionnaire EMID (Evaluation of the Model of Teaching Innovation) that valued diverse appearances, like: the autonomous activities, the system of evaluation continued and the virtual campus with Moodle. The results of the study show that the students’ value positively the innovation, especially the methodological system of teaching-learning-assessment through the virtual campus, as well as the theoretical and practical materials designed for the students of this subject. //Key words: teaching Innovation; virtual campus; blended learning; European Higher Education Area.En este artículo se describe la adaptación de la asignatura “Diseños experimentales y aplicados” de la Facultad de Psicología de la Universitat de Barcelona (UB) según las directrices de esta Universidad para adaptarse al Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior (EEES). Se realizó una investigación con el objetivo de conocer la opinión de los estudiantes respecto a la innovación docente desarrollada a través de la introducción del campus virtual. Para ello, se administró a 180 estudiantes una adaptación del cuestionario EMID (Evaluación del Modelo de Innovación Docente) que valoraba diversos aspectos: las actividades autónomas, el sistema de evaluación continuada y el campus virtual con Moodle. Los resultados del estudio muestran que los estudiantes valoran positivamente dichos aspectos, especialmente el sistema metodológico de enseñanza-aprendizaje-evaluación mediante el campus virtual, así como los materiales teórico-prácticos diseñados para que puedan adquirir las competencias metodológicas de esta asignatura

Aspectos éticos de la investigación en salud en niños

La infancia es una etapa cuyo significado difiere alrededor del mundo. Los niños son un grupo particularmente vulnerable en investigación, ya que ellos no pueden dar un consentimiento informado y requieren decisiones de representación de padres o tutores. La investigación en niños es muy importante, ya que permite la generación de conocimiento que redunda en su beneficio, pero requiere especial cuidado con respecto a la protección contra los riesgos y a su autonomía. Las normas internacionales para investigación en niños están establecidas en varios documentos; sin embargo, los aspectos éticos en investigación están en constante evolución, relacionados con cambios en un contexto social e histórico particular. En Colombia, en el capítulo III de la Resolución 8430 de 1993, expedida por el Ministerio de Salud, se establecen las disposiciones generales de ética de cualquier investigación en seres humanos, incluidos los menores deedad. La investigación debe asegurar todos los lineamientos de las normas y no olvidar la valoración de la autonomía del niño, para la toma de decisiones en cada caso en particular, y contemplar el asentimiento en los casos pertinentes

Job satisfaction and its influence on the organizational commitment of the employees in the Ecuadorian hotel industry (Quito, Guayaquil, Cuenca)

La satisfacción laboral cumple un papel fundamental dentro de las empresas hoteleras. Considerando esta premisa, este trabajo de tesis doctoral pretende medir y evaluar la satisfacción laboral y el clima organizacional que se genera en el trabajador del sector de alojamiento en las tres ciudades más importantes del Ecuador: Guayaquil, Quito y Cuenca. Para el desarrollo del estudio se aplicó una metodología de tipo cuantitativo, el cual se llevó a cabo mediante una investigación de campo con base en 920 encuestas validadas y aplicadas a empleados del sector hotelero de las tres principales ciudades del Ecuador. El cuestionario incluyó preguntas sobre satisfacción laboral y el clima organizacional. El procesamiento de datos supuso la revisión de las encuestas levantadas, seguidamente de la clasificación y codificación de la información, y luego se elaboró el modelamiento de la base de datos en el programa SPSS. Los resultados obtenidos determinaron que el sector hotelero ecuatoriano debe enfocarse en crear estrategias, políticas y escenarios que incentiven el compromiso afectivo en los trabajadores para una mayor calidad en el servicio brindado y diligencia en el desempeño de su trabajo.The labor satisfaction plays a fundamental role within the hotel companies, this doctoral thesis work tries to measure and to evaluate the labor satisfaction and the organizacional climate that is generated in the worker of the sector of lodging in the three important cities but of Ecuador, which are: Guayaquil, Quito and Cuenca. For the development of this study I am applied a methodology of quantitative type since sis data are quantified, which I take I finish by means of an investigation of field on the basis of 920 validated surveys, made employees of the hotel sector of the three main cities of Ecuador, I am applied a questionnaire which includes questions of labor satisfaction as well as questions related to the organizacional climate, it was come to revisón of the raised surveys, next of the classification and codification, and soon the modelamiento of the data base in program SPSS was elaborated. The obtained results determine a challenge for the Ecuadorian hotel sector, in as much must focus in creating strategies, policies and scenes that stimulate the affective commitment in the workers, for a greater quality in the offered service and hastens in the performance of their work

Profiling of Airbnb\u27s activities in Ecuador\u27s main cities

Airbnb in Ecuador is a platform offering since 2008 a new lodging concept that best can be described as a sharing economy model through the rental of private rooms and apartments. The article provides an overview of Airbnb\u27s activities in Ecuador, more in particular in 22 cities, respectively the capitals of 22 provinces, using the 16 metrics available on the platform of AirDNA. Factor analysis was applied to reduce the number of variables to three main surrogate variables (lodging typology, prices and rates, market metrics) that characterizes Airbnb and retains the original factor variability. Additionally, based on the occupation frequency of Airbnb\u27s rental places the cluster analysis permitted to group the cities in which Airbnb is active on the basis of the following indicators: amazon destinations, traditions, sun and beach, nature culture and events, and the country\u27s capital. The research provided a clear image of Airbnb\u27s approach and impact on the formal accommodation sector, which ultimately will enable the sector to come up with innovative products to compete more efficiently Airbnb\u27s market range

Benthic litter distribution on circalittoral and deep sea bottoms of the southern Bay of Biscay: Analysis of potential drivers

En prens

To what extent is fishing effort affecting the trophic level of the demersal communities at small scale? Preliminary results of a new food web indicator

Due to the complexity of benthic and demersal ecosystems, to be really helpful, a food web indicator should summarize, in a single number, a variety of complex processes that are otherwise hard to apprehend. The present work assesses the direct impact of bottom fishing gears on the trophic level (TL) of benthic and demersal communities dwelling in the continental shelf of the southern Bay of Biscay. Using a spatio-temporal approach at small scale, we tackle two main objectives: 1) to evaluate temporal trends in mean TL at community scale per sampling rectangle (5 x 5 miles grid resolution), and 2) to assess to what extent these trends are related to fishing effort. Two types of data are involved in the analyses: 1) TL data (mean trophic level by sampling rectangle), and 2) VMS data (number of fishing days by sampling rectangle). TL data were calculated using stomach contents sampled for demersal fish species during the Demersales surveys (IBTS), carried out every autumn in the southern Bay of Biscay since 1983, and combined with data from Fishbase and local references for those species which lacked empirical data. We only considered species that appeared in a minimum of 5 years and were consistently well identified along the whole historical series, in order to keep consistency in the community spatiotemporal sampling. Preliminary results point to a significant increase in TL in most of the sampling rectangles, suggesting that the trend observed globally is spatially homogeneous. A clear relationship between fishing effort and TL was also identified, particularly in those areas where fishing effort (mainly otter trawl fisheries) has been decreasing in recent years