Institucional

Livestock farms in Europe generate about 1400 Mt of manure every year. More than 90% of this is returned to crops in the form of fertilizers. However, the use of this livestock manure as agricultural fertilisers is often inefficient or sufficiently controlled, which leads to a problem of a concentration of slurry, which reduces crop yields and pollutes both soil and water. The FERTIMANURE research project will address this problem by developing innovative technologies that will turn livestock manure into high value added biofertilisers.

Children's playgrounds in Barcelona's lower income neighbourhoods are much more congested than those in areas with higher income levels. This is the conclusion of the study carried out by the researcher of the Data Analysis and Modeling (DAM) research group of University of Vic - Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), Joan Carles Martori, which has been published in the journal Applied Spatial Analysis and Policy.

Researchers at University of Vic - Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC) and the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) have identified high levels of lead concentrations in samples of wildlife from Amazonia in Peru, caused by lead ammunition and pollution related to oil drilling. The research was published this week in the journal Nature Sustainability.

UVic-UCC and the Open University of Catalonia (UOC), working with the company Confluencia Solucions en Convergència Digital y Mobilidad, SL, have created a tool to improve the quality of life of informal caregivers of Alzheimer's patients. This is a mobile application (an app) that creates virtual communities of practice by contacting relatives of Alzheimer's patients who are caregivers, so that they can share their knowledge and experiences to improve their quality of life, and alleviate caregiver stress by improving information, social support and providing coping strategies.  

Mediterranean temporary lakes are ecosystems that are very characteristic of Catalonia, and have periods of flooding (in winter and spring) alternate with dry periods (in summer and early autumn). They are inhabited by very unusual species that have adapted to these conditions, but they are also habitats that are very suitable for other groups that need areas of water throughout the year to reproduce or to find plenty of food, such as amphibians and insects, as well as semi-aquatic and terrestrial species.

The ARMIF research project entitled "Building teaching identity based on practice and research in the classroom: the role of the Practicum and the Bachelor's Degree Final Project in the initial training of the Primary Education teacher" also ended at the end of this academic year.

For three years, researchers at the UVic-UCC have been examining the impact that the economic crisis which began in 2008 has had on the lives of women in Catalonia, as well as the strategies they have adopted to adapt to the new situation based on an alternative economic paradigm: the social and solidarity economy (SSE).

When we think of breastfeeding, we think about women who have experienced pregnancy and childbirth. Over the last fifteen years, the growth of new family models means that families now have children in various ways, including adoption (about 1,000 children are adopted Spain every year), surrogacy and in couples of two women. Despite being unusual, induced lactation and relactation by women who have not previously been pregnant or given birth is a procedure that is generally unknown to most health professionals, such as midwives and obstetricians.

The Governing Council of the University of Vic - Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC) has approved a manifesto produced "under the auspices of its scientific community and students" that expresses the institution's concern about the increasing global warming, and adheres to the Government of Catalonia's declaration of a state of climate emergency.

The second Congress on Social Action in Catalonia, Inclusió.cat, which was attended by 330 professionals from the sector over two days who considered the present and future of the Social Services in Catalonia, ended at the UVic this afternoon. Lectures, round table discussions and various parallel sessions highlighted the fundamental role of the community and decentralised and accessible social services in enhancing the autonomy of the system’s users.