Options and strategies for the conservation of farm animal genetic resources. Report of an International Workshop. Agropolis, Montpellier, France, 7-10 November 2005

Sixty-three experts from 28 countries and eight international organizations met for four days in Montpellier, France, in November 2005 to review the options and strategies for the conservation of farm animal genetic resources (FAnGR) and to identify priorities for action. The workshop focused primarily on the technical needs and opportunities and placed less emphasis on policy and institutional issues, although findings on such issues did arise naturally from many of the conclusions drawn. The workshop resulted in 11 major findings and 13 priorities for action. The workshop also identified four broad areas where information and knowledge were lacking. The findings and priorities for action are listed here in the executive summary and each is explained in more detail in the body of this report. They are presented in the order developed by the workshop. Participants did not attempt to rank the findings and actions. (Résumé d'auteur

Actinomyces pyogenes in Embryonic Loss in Cattle

Actinomyces pyogenes is one of the bacteria commonly found in the bovine reproductive tract and it has been considered not to be a primary pathogen. The bacteria has also been isolated from foetuses and pus after abortion but its role as a primary or secondary pathogen in bovine abortion has remained an area of controversy and as yet little experimental work has been carried out to determine its role. In this thesis the potential role of A. pyogenes in bovine embryonic loss is examined

Mechanisms linking bacterial infections of the bovine endometrium to disease and infertility

Bacterial infections of the endometrium after parturition commonly cause metritis and endometritis in dairy cattle, and these diseases are important because they compromise animal welfare and incur economic costs, as well as delaying or preventing conception. Here we highlight that uterine infections cause infertility, discuss which bacteria cause uterine disease, and review the evidence for mechanisms of inflammation and tissue damage in the endometrium. Bacteria cultured from the uterus of diseased animals include Escherichia coli, Trueperella pyogenes, and several anaerobic species, but their causative role in disease is challenged by the discovery of many other bacteria in the uterine disease microbiome. Irrespective of the species of bacteria, endometrial cell inflammatory responses to infection initially depend on innate immunity, with Toll-like receptors binding pathogen-associated molecular patterns, such as lipopolysaccharide and bacterial lipopeptides. In addition to tissue damage associated with parturition and inflammation, endometrial cell death is caused by a cholesterol-dependent cytolysin secreted by T. pyogenes, called pyolysin, which forms pores in plasma membranes of endometrial cells. However, endometrial cells surprisingly do not sense damage-associated molecular patterns, but a combination of infections followed by cell damage leads to release of the intracellular cytokine interleukin (IL)-1 alpha from endometrial cells, which then acts to scale inflammatory responses. To develop strategies to limit the impact of uterine disease on fertility, future work should focus on determining which bacteria and virulence factors cause endometritis, and understanding how the host response to infection is regulated in the endometrium. (C) 2015 Society for Biology of Reproduction & the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of Polish Academy of Sciences in Olsztyn. Published by Elsevier Sp. z o.o. All rights reserved.UK Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research CouncilSwansea Univ, Sch Med, Inst Life Sci, Singleton Pk, Swansea SA2 8PP, W Glam, WalesUniv Estadual Paulista, Fac Agr & Vet Sci, Jaboticabal, BrazilUniv Estadual Paulista, Fac Agr & Vet Sci, Jaboticabal, BrazilUK Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC): K006592/1Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council: BB/K006592/1Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council: BB/I017240/

Social Media As; an Agent for Behavioral Change among Young People: Case of Facebook Usage among Mass Communication Students of Uganda Martyrs University

Purpose: The advent of internet based technology has resulted into borderless communication. This has led to free circulation of information in the world. Uganda being a free market of ideas attributed partly to internet based technology, the young people constantly participate in the creation, exchanging and sharing different content on social media platforms. Therefore, this paper intends to find out the different kinds of habits youths acquire from consuming social media content, identifies conditions through which youths acquire different habits from social media and examine the kinds of information youths share on social media and give reasons for sharing such information.&#x0D; Methodology: A sample size of 50 students was selected from the department of Journalism and communication studies, Uganda Martyrs University. This was a case study research approach focusing on facebook usage and research methods for collecting primary data included; questionnaires, interviews and participant observation. I majorly used facebook content analysis and descriptive statistics while interpreting the data collected regarding the research questions.&#x0D; Findings: According to the study findings, as the youths become heavy consumers of social media content, they become addicted and develop different habits like; self-isolation from relatives, eating habits, imitation habit, liking habit, and spreading rumour. The habit changes maybe either negative or positive depending on the nature of social media content consumed.&#x0D; Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Facebook gives a wide range of experiences to its users; it allows young people, create and share any information of their choice in actual time.</jats:p

Education response plan's influence on higher education access and resilience for South Sudanese refugee students from Bidi Bidi settlement in Uganda

A thesis submitted to the Directorate of Research and Graduate Training for the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Management of Makerere University.This study sought to obtain answers to the following research questions: (1) how does the Education Response Plan (ERP) influence higher education access (2) how does the Education Response Plan (ERP) influence resilience of South Sudanese higher education refugee students from Bidi Bidi settlement in Uganda? Guided by a qualitative, exploratory case study design; data was collected from 27 participants. These included 12 South Sudanese refugee students, from two private Ugandan higher education institutions (HEIs), and 15 officials from government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and a public and a private HEI. Data analysis yielded four themes which guided presentation, analysis and interpretation of the findings. The study established that the ERP influences higher education access of refugees by: drawing upon and operationalizing supportive provisions within various global, regional and national frameworks (conventions, agendas, strategies, plans, policies frameworks); considering situational factors and cross-cutting issues, which have a bearing on refugees‘ higher education access, and enforcing a multi-stakeholder/ partnership approach, which enables partners and stakeholders to apply various supportive pathways and mechanisms, towards refugees‘ higher education access, in an unrestricted environment. It was also established that the ERP influences resilience for higher education refugee students, by enabling multiple stakeholder and partner supported mechanisms, towards building students‘ resilience. This study therefore recommends that guided by a situational analysis and needs assessment, Uganda‘s Ministry of Education and Sports, should develop objectives, activities and outcomes within the ERP, specifically for higher education. This will streamline the ERP‘s influence on refugees‘ higher education access and resilience. Ensuring interventions and coordination, happen in a more generic and systematic manner. This study contributed to the body of knowledge by developing a model that will contribute to strengthening the ERP‘s influence on refugees‘ higher education access and the refugee students‘ resilience. The study identified need for further research in other refugee settlements. It also noted the need for research that will involve refugee students, who are attached to settlements but who completed their secondary school education in urban areas

Beyond Access: Building the Resilience of South Sudanese Refugee Higher Education Students from the Bidi Bidi Settlement, Uganda

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), set a global target of 15 percent enrolment of refugees, in higher education, by 2030. Relatedly, UNHCR stated that beyond access, higher education should build individual and collective resilience of refugee students. This paper looks at the support mechanisms various stakeholders use, to build the resilience of South Sudanese refugee higher education students, from Bidi Bidi settlement in Uganda. This is within the context of Uganda’s Education Response (ERP) for refugees and host communities.&nbsp; The study adopted a qualitative approach, an exploratory case study design, and an advocacy/ participatory philosophical lens, using the intersectional theory. Twenty-seven (27) purposively sampled participants took part in the study. They included 12 undergraduates from two private Ugandan universities, a total of 13 government and non-governmental organization (NGO) officials, and two officials from public and private universities, all involved in refugee higher education. Data was collected through a literature review, in-depth interviews with key informants and students, and a students’ focus group discussion. The study established that, within the context of Uganda’s ERP, South Sudanese refugee higher education students have their resilience built through support, mainly from HEIs and NGOs. The support uses multiple approaches and takes place mainly within the HEIs, with a bit in the settlement.&nbsp; However, it is offered within each stakeholder’s context and thus takes on a silo rather than integrated approach. Support also does not always consider the individual and complex student needs. Nevertheless, the support, which is relatively student-centred does register good social and academic resilience. The study therefore recommends that through a situational analysis and needs assessment, Uganda develops clear objectives, activities and outcomes in the ERP, to guide stakeholders, towards strengthening refugee higher education students’ resilience. The study also designed a model towards enhancing student resilienc

Higher Education Policy and Access for South Sudanese from Bidi Bidi, Uganda

Globally, refugee-hosting states are required to have a higher education (HE) policy that incorporates refugees, in order to raise refugees’ HE access to 15% by 2030. This paper explores the influence of HE policy formulation and implementation on refugee access and resilience among South Sudanese from the Bidi Bidi settlement in Uganda. The study adopted a qualitative approach, an exploratory case study design, and an advocacy world view. The researcher collected data from 27 participants– 12 undergraduates from two private Ugandan universities, 13 government and non-governmental organization (NGO) officials, two officials from public and private universities – all involved in refugee education. Additionally, the researcher obtained data through a literature review, in-depth interviews with key informants and students, and a focus group discussion. The findings reveal that in principle, HE policy formulation in Uganda is incorporated in the development of the Education Response Plan (ERP) for refugees and host communities, through a multi-stakeholder approach. However, neither students nor higher education institutions (HEIs) were part of the ERP formulation process. The HE policy formulation process in Uganda traverses a value chain with intersecting complexities. These include: supra-state and national policy, refugee demographics, preferences for basic education and emergency interventions, negative perceptions of HE returns, hostility and refugee exclusion, and students’ personal challenges. Relatedly, support for refugees is largely provided by HEIs and NGOs, using silo, independent guidelines. Ultimately, the findings indicate that the HE policy formulation and implementation do not address the intersecting complexities adequately, with implications for student access and resilience. This study identifies areas that could inform HE policy formulation and implementation, and enhance refugee access and resilience, especially in light of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’ (UNHCR) 15by30 Roadmap

South Sudanese Refugee Higher Education Access in Uganda: An Intersectionality Enquiry

This study was guided by the intersectionality theory, originally developed by Kimberlé Crenshaw. According to Crenshaw, the theory assumes that people have multiple biological, social and cultural identity markers that intersect, resulting in experiences of privilege or disadvantage, inclusion or discrimination. However, the theory maintains that marginalized individuals are not homogeneous and they experience discrimination and inclusion in different ways. The intersectionality theory also recognizes power dynamics and how structural, political and representational domains, intersect and produce complex patterns of discrimination, inequality and disadvantage. Ultimately, the intersectionality theory asserts that effective activism and social change require recognizing and addressing the intersections of various forms of oppression, and advocating for justice across multiple fronts. This exposes discrimination and exclusion that would have otherwise gone unnoticed, also giving voice to the disadvantaged and excluded. The study adopted a qualitative approach, an exploratory case study design, and an advocacy/ participatory philosophical lens. Twenty-seven purposively sampled participants took part in the study. They included 12 undergraduates from two private Ugandan universities, 13 government and non-governmental organization (NGO) officials, two officials from public and private universities, all involved in refugee higher education. Data was collected through a literature review, in-depth interviews with key informants and students, and a students’ focus group discussion. The study established that higher education access for South Sudanese refugees in Uganda involves multiple intersectional prohibitive and also supportive factors. The study therefore recommends that through situational analysis and needs assessment, Uganda develops clear objectives, activities and outcomes in the Education Response Plan, to establish the divergent supportive and prohibitive factors and cater for the various refugee student needs. The study also designed the refugee access and resilience (RARE) model to assist in the aforementioned regar

The sedentarisation process of the Bahima in Uganda: an emic view

The traditional lifestyle of nomadic pastoralists is vanishing rapidly, because of human population growth which often leads to land scarcity or political pressure on pastoralists to settle. The sedentarisation of the Bahima pastoralists in Western Uganda started in the 1940s and is still going on. In this study former nomadic cattle keepers, who have settled with their families, were interviewed in order to document the decision to settle and the subsequent changes in the lifestyle of these people. All interviewees expressed their satisfaction with their sedentary life. Land scarcity, access to education, better availability of water and the possibility of crop production were given as factors for settlement. The decisions were influenced by Christian missionaries, the government and friends