Bulletin /

Some numbers issued under earlier and later name of department: South Africa. Dept. of Agriculture and Forestry, and South Africa. Dept. of Agriculture.

Visibilidad de las revistas latinoamericanas de Bibliotecología y Ciencia de la información a través de Google Scholar

Las revistas académico-científicas son uno de los principales canales de comunicación y difusión de los resultados de investigación. Sin embargo no todas tienen el mismo prestigio y grado de influencia en la comunidad científica. De su calidad y visibilidad dependen, en gran medida, las posibilidades de que un trabajo sea conocido, leído y citado. Esta investigación se propone determinar la visibilidad en Google Scholar de un conjunto de revistas latinoamericanas de Bibliotecología y Ciencia de la Información, y clasificarlas según su grado de visibilidad. Utilizando la aplicación Publish or Perish para recuperar las citas de las revistas se calcularon indicadores basados en la citación. Se combinaron técnicas de análisis multivariado de datos para realizar agrupamientos de revistas según su grado de visibilidad, y se elaboraron representaciones gráficas que facilitan la interpretación de los resultados y la identificación de los grupos de revistas con alta, media y baja visibilidad

What can we learn from the Hwang and Sudbo affairs?

* The recent publication, in prestigious scientific journals, of two major studies that were subsequently shown to contain fabricated data may compel reviewers and editors to adopt a more rigorous policy in accepting articles for publication. * The current manner of peer reviewing research articles provides no assurance that the proffered work is not the result of fraud. * The present guidelines for contributors in large team investigations may need to be updated to avoid giving credit to co-authors who may have made little, if any, contribution to the work.

Why Most Biomedical Findings Echoed by Newspapers Turn Out to be False: The Case of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Context: Because positive biomedical observations are more often published than those reporting no effect, initial observations are often refuted or attenuated by subsequent studies. Objective: To determine whether newspapers preferentially report on initial findings and whether they also report on subsequent studies. Methods: We focused on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Using Factiva and PubMed databases, we identified 47 scientific publications on ADHD published in the 1990s and soon echoed by 347 newspapers articles. We selected the ten most echoed publications and collected all their relevant subsequent studies until 2011. We checked whether findings reported in each ‘‘top 10’’ publication were consistent with previous and subsequent observations. We also compared the newspaper coverage of the ‘‘top 10’’ publications to that of their related scientific studies. Results: Seven of the ‘‘top 10’’ publications were initial studies and the conclusions in six of them were either refuted or strongly attenuated subsequently. The seventh was not confirmed or refuted, but its main conclusion appears unlikely. Among the three ‘‘top 10’’ that were not initial studies, two were confirmed subsequently and the third was attenuated. The newspaper coverage of the ‘‘top 10’’ publications (223 articles) was much larger than that of the 67 related studies (57 articles). Moreover, only one of the latter newspaper articles reported that the corresponding ‘‘top 10’’ finding had been attenuated. The average impact factor of the scientific journals publishing studies echoed by newspapers (17.1 n = 56) was higher (p,0.0001) than that corresponding to related publications that were not echoed (6.4 n = 56). Conclusion: Because newspapers preferentially echo initial ADHD findings appearing in prominent journals, they report on uncertain findings that are often refuted or attenuated by subsequent studies. If this media reporting bias generalizes to health sciences, it represents a major cause of distortion in health science communication.

Usabilidade da Interface do Sistema Eletrônico de Editoração de Revistas: um estudo da revista BiblioCanto da UFRN

The electronic journals correspond publishing channels and dissemination of scientific information. Through them, users can spread their studies as well as developing new researches. One of the systems used for creation and e-journals management is the Electronic System for Journal Publishing (SEER), used in the construction of periodic portals, as well as the creation of magazines in isolation. In this purport, it is believed that the management systems and creation of e-journals should be developed (internally and externally) according to the needs of its users. In the case of internal development, some of these processes refer to the copyright registration and submission of articles, which, in turn, are relevant tasks in the editorial process. Thus, the proposed study, thematic Usability of scientific journals, aims to analyze the usability of the copyright registration process and submission of articles in the Electronic System for Journal Publishing through BiblioCanto magazine, part of the Electronic Journals Portal of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN). For the realization of the research, two valuation techniques were used: the Usability Test with a total of twenty participants and the Cooperative Evaluation, with the same number of participants separated in four categories considered target audience of that magazine, namely: undergraduate students, graduate students, teachers and librarians. The results indicated that the two analyzed processes (copyright registration and submission of articles) need improvement. In the case of the registration process, the following needs are: signalizing of the conducting registration ambient; description and exclusion of requested information on the registration form. In the process of article submission, it is emphasized improvement of aspects: the early steps to submission, signaling of required fields, concise description of the steps, minimization and review of the steps. To this end, it is believed that in general idea the SEER partially meets the needs of its users regarding the usability of such software.

Usabilidade da Interface do Sistema Eletrônico de Editoração de Revistas: um estudo da revista BiblioCanto da UFRN

The electronic journals correspond publishing channels and dissemination of scientific information. Through them, users can spread their studies as well as developing new researches. One of the systems used for creation and e-journals management is the Electronic System for Journal Publishing (SEER), used in the construction of periodic portals, as well as the creation of magazines in isolation. In this purport, it is believed that the management systems and creation of e-journals should be developed (internally and externally) according to the needs of its users. In the case of internal development, some of these processes refer to the copyright registration and submission of articles, which, in turn, are relevant tasks in the editorial process. Thus, the proposed study, thematic Usability of scientific journals, aims to analyze the usability of the copyright registration process and submission of articles in the Electronic System for Journal Publishing through BiblioCanto magazine, part of the Electronic Journals Portal of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN). For the realization of the research, two valuation techniques were used: the Usability Test with a total of twenty participants and the Cooperative Evaluation, with the same number of participants separated in four categories considered target audience of that magazine, namely: undergraduate students, graduate students, teachers and librarians. The results indicated that the two analyzed processes (copyright registration and submission of articles) need improvement. In the case of the registration process, the following needs are: signalizing of the conducting registration ambient; description and exclusion of requested information on the registration form. In the process of article submission, it is emphasized improvement of aspects: the early steps to submission, signaling of required fields, concise description of the steps, minimization and review of the steps. To this end, it is believed that in general idea the SEER partially meets the needs of its users regarding the usability of such software.

NARRATIVAS DE EXPERIÊNCIAS VIVIDAS POR DOCENTES E DISCENTES COM USO DE TECNOLOGIA DE INFORMAÇÃO E COMUNICAÇÃO – TDIC NA EDUCAÇÃO BÁSICA

Vivemos um período de transformações políticas, econômicas, sociais e culturais que, a todo instante, nos impõe desafios. Neste contexto, nas últimas décadas, o uso da tecnologia tem sido ampliado na realização de diversas atividades cotidianas, na divulgação de informações, na comunicação, como forma de expressão e organização da sociedade. A escola, enquanto instituição social, precisa reconhecer esta nova realidade, esta diferente possibilidade de aquisição e transformação de saber, para que possa intervir, ressignificar e redirecionar sua ação, a fim de atender as demandas de seu tempo. O objetivo geral desta pesquisa, a partir da apresentação e análise de experiências realizadas com o uso de Tecnologias da Informação e Conhecimento, é o de refletir sobre como inserir estas ferramentas no processo de ensinar e aprender na escola a partir da visão de professores e alunos, visando a formação integral do educando. Deste modo, no desenvolvimento, entendemos como necessário conhecer e considerar o contexto histórico, bem como as perspectivas relacionadas a escola e seus protagonistas (professores e estudantes) na chamada Sociedade da Informação e do Conhecimento. Ressaltamos a importância do docente (sua formação) e seu papel de mediador nos processos de aprendizagem, assim como a recepção à tecnologia, observando função e espaço de atuação desta. Destacamos experiências com a utilização de TDIC, realizada por professores e alunos, como a produção de game, revistas científicas, escrita de histórias, produções artísticas, blogs, vlogs, discussões em grupos presentes em redes sociais. A metodologia utilizada nesta pesquisa é qualitativa, na modalidade de pesquisa-ação e narrativa, em função do envolvimento com o grupo e com as atividades desenvolvidas, nas quais os participantes compartilham com o pesquisador suas histórias pessoais e de aprendizagem relacionadas às ações ou às atividades que realiza, fornecendo informações e indícios relevantes sobre o seu processo de formação ao longo do tempo. A revisão de literatura foi realizada por meio de análise bibliográfica e documental em livros, teses, dissertações, periódicos específicos sobre o assunto, além de artigos publicados na Internet. A coleta de dados foi realizada a partir de conversas informais, entrevistas semiestruturadas e filmagem dos relatos. A análise foi realizada a partir da abordagem hermenêutico-fenomenológica, que busca descrever e interpretar fenômenos da experiência humana, a fim de investigar a essência por meio da identificação de temas. Os resultados apontam para a necessidade e possibilidade da ampliação da utilização de TDIC como recurso no processo de ensino e aprendizagem, por meio de formação, diálogo, interação, intencionalidade, expectativas, esperança e seus desdobramentos.

Estimate of the (R)USLE rainfall erosivity factor from monthly precipitation data in mainland Spain

The need for continuous recording rain gauges makes it difficult to determine the rainfall erosivity factor (R-factor) of the (R)USLE model in areas without good temporal data coverage. In mainland Spain, the Nature Conservation Institute (ICONA) determined the R-factor at few selected pluviographs, so simple estimates of the R-factor are definitely of great interest. The objectives of this study were: (1) to identify a readily available estimate of the R-factor for mainland Spain; (2) to discuss the applicability of a single (global) estimate based on analysis of regional results; (3) to evaluate the effect of record length on estimate precision and accuracy; and (4) to validate an available regression model developed by ICONA. Four estimators based on monthly precipitation were computed at 74 rainfall stations throughout mainland Spain. The regression analysis conducted at a global level clearly showed that modified Fournier index (MFI) ranked first among all assessed indexes. Applicability of this preliminary global model across mainland Spain was evaluated by analyzing regression results obtained at a regional level. It was found that three contiguous regions of eastern Spain (Catalonia, Valencian Community and Murcia) could have a different rainfall erosivity pattern, so a new regression analysis was conducted by dividing mainland Spain into two areas: Eastern Spain and plateau-lowland area. A comparative analysis concluded that the bi-areal regression model based on MFI for a 10-year record length provided a simple, precise and accurate estimate of the R-factor in mainland Spain. Finally, validation of the regression model proposed by ICONA showed that R-ICONA index overpredicted the R-factor by approximately 19%.

The Pico de Navas slump (Burgos, Spain): a large rocky landslide caused by underlying clayey sand fluidification

The Pico de Navas landslide was a large-magnitude rotational movement, affecting 50x106m3 of hard to soft rocks. The objectives of this study were: (1) to characterize the landslide in terms of geology, geomorphological features and geotechnical parameters; and (2) to obtain an adequate geomechanical model to comprehensively explain its rupture, considering topographic, hydro-geological and geomechanical conditions. The rupture surface crossed, from top to bottom: (a) more than 200 m of limestone and clay units of the Upper Cretaceous, affected by faults; and (b) the Albian unit of Utrillas facies composed of silty sand with clay (Kaolinite) of the Lower Cretaceous. This sand played an important role in the basal failure of the slide due to the influence of fine particles (silt and clay), which comprised on average more than 70% of the sand, and the high content presence of kaolinite (>40%) in some beds. Its geotechnical parameters are: unit weight (δ) = 19-23 KN/m3; friction angle (φ) = 13º-38º and cohesion (c) = 10-48 KN/m2. Its microstructure consists of accumulations of kaolinite crystals stuck to terrigenous grains, making clayey peds. We hypothesize that the presence of these aggregates was the internal cause of fluidification of this layer once wet. Besides the faulted structure of the massif, other conditioning factors of the movement were: the large load of the upper limestone layers; high water table levels; high water pore pressure; and the loss of strength due to wet conditions. The 3D simulation of the stability conditions concurs with our hypothesis. The landslide occurred in the Recent or Middle Holocene, certainly before at least 500 BC and possibly during a wet climate period. Today, it appears to be inactive. This study helps to understand the frequent slope instabilities all along the Iberian Range when facies Utrillas is present.

Sedimentology of a Middle Jurassic Base-of-Slope environment, Cutri Formation, Mallorca

The Cutri Formation’s, type location, exposed in the NW of Mallorca, Spain has previously been described by Álvaro et al., (1989) and further interpreted by Abbots (1989) unpublished PhD thesis as a base-of-slope carbonate apron. Incorporating new field and laboratory analysis this paper enhances this interpretation. From this analysis, it can be shown without reasonable doubt that the Cutri Formation was deposited in a carbonate base-of-slope environment on the palaeowindward side of a Mid-Jurassic Tethyan platform. Key evidence such as laterally extensive exposures, abundant deposits of calciturbidtes and debris flows amongst hemipelagic deposits strongly support this interpretation.

Strength of the Iberian intraplate lithosphere: Cenozoic deformations and seismicity

Previous studies about the strength of the lithosphere in the Iberia centre fail to resolve the depth of earthquakes because of the rheological uncertainties. Therefore, new contributions are considered (the crustal structure from a density model) and several parameters (tectonic regime, mantle rheology, strain rate) are checked in this paper to properly examine the role of lithospheric strength in the intraplate seismicity and the Cenozoic evolution. The strength distribution with depth, the integrated strength, the effective elastic thickness and the seismogenic thickness have been calculated by a finite element modelling of the lithosphere across the Central System mountain range and the bordering Duero and Madrid sedimentary basins. Only a dry mantle under strike-slip/extension and a strain rate of 10-15 s-1, or under extension and 10-16 s-1, causes a strong lithosphere. The integrated strength and the elastic thickness are lower in the mountain chain than in the basins. These anisotropies have been maintained since the Cenozoic and determine the mountain uplift and the biharmonic folding of the Iberian lithosphere during the Alpine deformations. The seismogenic thickness bounds the seismic activity in the upper–middle crust, and the decreasing crustal strength from the Duero Basin towards the Madrid Basin is related to a parallel increase in Plio–Quaternary deformations and seismicity. However, elasto–plastic modelling shows that current African–Eurasian convergence is resolved elastically or ductilely, which accounts for the low seismicity recorded in this region.

First Triassic tetrapod (Sauropterygia, Nothosauridae) from Castilla y León: evidence of an unknown taxon for the Spanish record

Several vertebrae of a sauropterygian specimen have been recovered in Fuencaliente de Medinaceli (Soria Province, Castilla y León, Spain). The remains come from Middle–Upper Triassic Muschelkalk Facies. This finding represents the first documented evidence of a Triassic tetrapod in Castilla y León. The vertebrae belong to Nothosaurus, a sauropterygian genus found in Europe, Middle East, North of Africa and China. This genus is poorly-known in the Iberian record. The new remains constitute the first evidence of the species Nothosaurus giganteus, or a related taxon, in the Iberian Peninsula. This study reveals the occurrence of at least two species of the sauropterygian Nothosaurus in the Spanish record.

Anatomy and variability of "Cuvierichelys parisiensis", a geoemydid turtle that crosses the Eocene-Oligocene boundary in Belgium

Abundant material of turtles from the early Oligocene site of Boutersem-TGV (Boutersem, Belgium), is presented here. No information on the turtles found there was so far available. All the turtle specimens presented here are attributable to a single freshwater taxon that is identified as a member of Geoemydidae, Cuvierichelys. It is the first representative of the ‘Palaeochelys s. l.–Mauremys’ group recognized in the Belgian Paleogene record. This material, which allows to know all the elements of both the carapace and the plastron of the taxon, cannot be attributed to the only species of the genus Cuvierichelys so far identified in the Oligocene, the Spanish form Cuvierichelys iberica. The taxon from Boutersem is recognized as Cuvierichelys parisiensis. Thus, both the paleobiogeographic and the biostratigraphic distributions of Cuvierichelys parisiensis are extended, its presence being confirmed for the first time outside the French Eocene record. The validity of some European forms is refuted, and several characters previously proposed as different between Cuvierichelys iberica and Cuvierichelys parisiensis are recognized as subjected to intraspecific variability.

Fossil associations from the middle and upper Eocene strata of the Pamplona Basin and surrounding areas (Navarre, western Pyrenees)

Fossil associations from the middle and upper Eocene (Bartonian and Priabonian) sedimentary succession of the Pamplona Basin are described. This succession was accumulated in the western part of the South Pyrenean peripheral foreland basin and extends from deep-marine turbiditic (Ezkaba Sandstone Formation) to deltaic (Pamplona Marl, Ardanatz Sandstone and Ilundain Marl formations) and marginal marine deposits (Gendulain Formation). The micropalaeontological content is high. It is dominated by foraminifera, and common ostracods and other microfossils are also present. The fossil ichnoasssemblages include at least 23 ichnogenera and 28 ichnospecies indicative of Nereites, Cruziana, Glossifungites and ?Scoyenia-Mermia ichnofacies. Body macrofossils of 78 taxa corresponding to macroforaminifera, sponges, corals, bryozoans, brachiopods, annelids, molluscs, arthropods, echinoderms and vertebrates have been identified. Both the number of ichnotaxa and of species (e. g. bryozoans, molluscs and condrichthyans) may be considerably higher. Body fossil assemblages are comparable to those from the Eocene of the Nord Pyrenean area (Basque Coast), and also to those from the Eocene of the west-central and eastern part of South Pyrenean area (Aragon and Catalonia). At the European scale, the molluscs assemblages seem endemic from the Pyrenean area, although several Tethyan (Italy and Alps) and Northern elements (Paris basin and Normandy) have been recorded. Palaeontological data of studied sedimentary units fit well with the shallowing process that throughout the middle and late Eocene occurs in the area, according to the sedimentological and stratigraphical data.

Strontium isotopes and sedimentology of a marine Triassic succession (upper Ladinian) of the westernmost Tethys, Spain

Chemical Stratigraphy, or the study of the variation of chemical elements within sedimentary sequences, has gradually become an experienced tool in the research and correlation of global geologic events. In this paper 87Sr/ 86Sr ratios of the Triassic marine carbonates (Muschelkalk facies) of southeast Iberian Ranges, Iberian Peninsula, are presented and the representative Sr-isotopic curve constructed for the upper Ladinian interval. The studied stratigraphic succession is 102 meters thick, continuous, and well preserved. Previous paleontological data from macro and micro, ammonites, bivalves, foraminifera, conodonts and palynological assemblages, suggest a Fassanian-Longobardian age (Late Ladinian). Although diagenetic minerals are present in small amounts, the elemental data content of bulk carbonate samples, especially Sr contents, show a major variation that probably reflects palaeoenvironmental changes. The 87Sr/86Sr ratios curve shows a rise from 0.707649 near the base of the section to 0.707741 and then declines rapidly to 0.707624, with a final values rise up to 0.70787 in the upper part. The data up to meter 80 in the studied succession is broadly concurrent with 87Sr/86Sr ratios of sequences of similar age and complements these data. Moreover, the sequence stratigraphic framework and its key surfaces, which are difficult to be recognised just based in the facies analysis, are characterised by combining variations of the Ca, Mg, Mn, Sr and CaCO3 contents