Isotopic record across the Aptian/Albian boundary of ODP Hole 171-1049C

Geochemical analyses of extraordinarily well preserved late Aptian-early Albian foraminifera from Blake Nose (Ocean Drilling Program Site 1049) reveal rapid shifts of d18O, d13C, and 87Sr/88Sr in the subtropical North Atlantic that may be linked to a major planktic foraminifer extinction event across the Aptian/Albian boundary. The abruptness of the observed geochemical shifts and their coincidence with a sharp lithologic contact is explained as an artifact of a previously undetected hiatus of 0.8-1.4 million years at the boundary contact, but the values before and after the hiatus indicate that major oceanographic changes occurred at this time. 87Sr/88Sr increase by ~0.000200, d13C values decrease by 1.5 per mil to 2.2 per mil, and d18O values decrease by ~1.0 per mil (planktics) to 0.5 per mil (benthics) across the hiatus. Further, both 87Sr/88Sr ratios and d18O values during the Albian are anomalously high. The 87Sr/88Sr values deviate from known patterns to such a degree that an explanation requires either the presence of inter-basin differences in seawater 87Sr/88Sr during the Albian or revision of the seawater curve. For d18O, planktic values in some Aptian samples likely reflect a diagenetic overprint, but preservation is excellent in the rest of the section. In well preserved material, benthic foraminiferal values are largely between 0.5 and 0.0 per mil and planktic samples are largely between 0.0 per mil to -1.0 per mil, with a brief excursion to -2.0 per mil during OAE 1b. Using standard assumptions for Cretaceous isotopic paleotemperature calculations, the d18O values suggest bottom water temperatures (at ~1000 -1500 m) of 8-10°C and surface temperatures of 10-14°C, which are 4-6°C and 10-16°C cooler, respectively, than present-day conditions at the same latitude. The cool subtropical sea surface temperature estimates are especially problematic because other paleoclimate proxy data for the mid-Cretaceous and climate model predictions suggest that subtropical sea surface temperatures should have been the same as or warmer than at present. Because of their exquisite preservation, whole scale alteration of the analyzed foraminifera is an untenable explanation. Our proposed solution is a high evaporative fractionation factor in the early Albian North Atlantic that resulted in surface waters with higher d18O values at elevated salinities than commonly cited in Cretaceous studies. A high fractionation factor is consistent with high rates of vapor export and a vigorous hydrological cycle and, like the Sr isotopes, implies limited connectivity among the individual basins of the Early Cretaceous proto-Atlantic ocean.

Late Campanian and Maastrichtian benthic foraminifera of El Kef, Tunesia

Late Campanian through Maastrichtian sea-level changes are examined based on lithology, macrofossils and benthic foraminifera at the Elles and El Kef sections in Tunisia. Six major sea-level regressions are identified during the late Campanian (74.4-74.2 Ma, 74.0-72.5 Ma), the Campanian-Maastrichtian transition (72.2-70.3 Ma), early Maastrichtian (69.6-69.3 Ma, 68.9-68.3 Ma), and late Maastrichtian (~65.5 Ma). Correlation of the Maastrichtian sea-level regressions with the oxygen isotope record of DSDP Site 525 in the middle latitude South Atlantic reveals that they coincide with episodes of high latitude cooling and appear to be of eustatic origin.

A paradox : Increased psicho-social problems-less counselling intervention

This work is based upon conclusions drawn from the research project: "A Profile of vocational occupational counselling and placement and employment services" in La Plata and greater La Plata (Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina). This research was carried out between 1998 and 2002 and explored four axes or systems: Health - Labour-Social Policies and Education. In the case of this last axis, reference was made to information about school counselling teams (psychologists, psycho-pedagogues, social workers, etc.) who should have the responsibility for the counselling task, and moved their activity towards the attention of urgencies requested by educational institutions, to cope with current psycho-social problems, losing sight of the importance of counselling from a prevention perspective, for avoiding possible risk situations. Results achieved within this context (La Plata, capital of the Province of Buenos Aires, Ensenada and Berisso), due to the strategic importance of the region in the national context, allowed us to establish meaningful relationships, correlations and projective inferences in other social and regional spheres.

Raven's progressive matrices test: scale construction and verification of "Flynn effect"

In this paper, the scales of Raven's Progressive Matrices Test, General Scale and Advanced Scale, Series II, for the student population (third cycle of EGB and Polimodal ) in the city of La Plata are presented. Considerations are made as regards both the increase in scores (Flynn effect) observed in relation to the previous scale (1964) and the different mean scores according to two age groups (13-16 and 17-18 years of age) and education mode. The findings enabled inferences related to the significance of the increase, particularly in the case of the higher scores in the population attending a special kind of educational institution.

Tratamiento de resultados en diseños cualitativos : La aplicación del Análisis Descriptivo

Este artículo presenta el Análisis Descriptivo como una estrategia del tratamiento de la información durante el proceso de investigación y su posible uso en estudios de diseño cualitativo. Muchas investigaciones en Ciencias Sociales y Humanas no contemplan la importancia de explicitar los soportes teórico-metodológicos de las inferencias explicativas o interpretación/es a la/s que se arriba, es decir, cómo es que se ha pasado del referente seleccionado (unidad de referencia), al argumento (modelo explicativo o interpretativo) con el que se lo pretende representar. De este modo, se suele ignorar el problema de la representación del referente en un dato tratable y la necesaria transformación del lenguaje natural (LN) en lenguaje descriptivo (LD). Se desarrollan dos ejemplos del campo de la Etología y de la Psicología, aplicando la estrategia metodológica del Análisis Descriptivo. En ellos se demuestra que la codificación que permite realizar este método toma en cuenta por un lado, la base de conocimientos e informaciones relativas a un dominio disciplinar particular y, por otro, permite evidenciar las inferencias seguidas en el razonamiento y las reglas de interpretación utilizadas para arribar a nuevos conocimientos

Analysis and visualization of the dynamics of research groups in terms of projects and co-authored publications : A case study of library and information science in Argentina

Objective: The present study offers a novel methodological contribution to the study of the configuration and dynamics of research groups, through a comparative perspective of the projects funded (inputs) and publication co-authorships (output). Method: A combination of bibliometric techniques and social network analysis was applied to a case study: the Departmento de Bibliotecología (DHUBI), Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Argentina, for the period 2000-2009. The results were interpreted statistically and staff members of the department, were interviewed. Results: The method makes it possible to distinguish groups, identify their members and reflect group make-up through an analytical strategy that involves the categorization of actors and the interdisciplinary and national or international projection of the networks that they configure. The integration of these two aspects (input and output) at different points in time over the analyzed period leads to inferences about group profiles and the roles of actors. Conclusions: The methodology presented is conducive to micro-level interpretations in a given area of study, regarding individual researchers or research groups. Because the comparative input-output analysis broadens the base of information and makes it possible to follow up, over time, individual and group trends, it may prove very useful for the management, promotion and evaluation of science

A paradox : Increased psicho-social problems-less counselling intervention

This work is based upon conclusions drawn from the research project: "A Profile of vocational occupational counselling and placement and employment services" in La Plata and greater La Plata (Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina). This research was carried out between 1998 and 2002 and explored four axes or systems: Health - Labour-Social Policies and Education. In the case of this last axis, reference was made to information about school counselling teams (psychologists, psycho-pedagogues, social workers, etc.) who should have the responsibility for the counselling task, and moved their activity towards the attention of urgencies requested by educational institutions, to cope with current psycho-social problems, losing sight of the importance of counselling from a prevention perspective, for avoiding possible risk situations. Results achieved within this context (La Plata, capital of the Province of Buenos Aires, Ensenada and Berisso), due to the strategic importance of the region in the national context, allowed us to establish meaningful relationships, correlations and projective inferences in other social and regional spheres.

Raven's progressive matrices test: scale construction and verification of "Flynn effect"

In this paper, the scales of Raven's Progressive Matrices Test, General Scale and Advanced Scale, Series II, for the student population (third cycle of EGB and Polimodal ) in the city of La Plata are presented. Considerations are made as regards both the increase in scores (Flynn effect) observed in relation to the previous scale (1964) and the different mean scores according to two age groups (13-16 and 17-18 years of age) and education mode. The findings enabled inferences related to the significance of the increase, particularly in the case of the higher scores in the population attending a special kind of educational institution.

Strontium isotopes in pore waters of east equatorial Pacific sediments

Pore-water samples from the equatorial sedimentary bulge area show reversals in depth profiles of 87Sr/86Sr ratios at the sediment/basement interface. Results of this work support inferences made from previous pore-water data (from DSDP drilling in the area) that large-scale horizontal advection of seawater has occurred through the basement underlying the thick sedimentary sequence in this region. The area of apparent advection includes the eastern part of the equatorial high-productivity zone and part of the Guatemala Basin. We attempted to find links between the observed near-basement reversals in pore-water chemistry and sedimentary thickness, age, and topography of the area. Most of the sites that show horizontal advection have disturbed basement topography or outcrops within 10 to 20 km, suggesting that the cooling effects of outcrops may extend for at least 20 km horizontally. Heat-flow data from the area were compared to determine whether sites showing near-bottom chemistry reversals were consistent with areas of low conductive heat flow. This was generally true for the area of the sedimentary bulge and Guatemala Basin. Not enough pore-water data from the Nazca Plate were available to establish any reliable systematics. Because the high-productivity area is well-sealed from hydrothermal circulation, the missing heat must be lost by horizontal advective heat transport. From profiles of strontium isotopes and other elements that show departure from seawater values with increasing depth in the sediments, but return to seawater values near the basement, it appears that water flows relatively freely through much of the oceanic crust, even when sealed by considerable sedimentary cover.

Analysis and visualization of the dynamics of research groups in terms of projects and co-authored publications : A case study of library and information science in Argentina

Objective: The present study offers a novel methodological contribution to the study of the configuration and dynamics of research groups, through a comparative perspective of the projects funded (inputs) and publication co-authorships (output). Method: A combination of bibliometric techniques and social network analysis was applied to a case study: the Departmento de Bibliotecología (DHUBI), Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Argentina, for the period 2000-2009. The results were interpreted statistically and staff members of the department, were interviewed. Results: The method makes it possible to distinguish groups, identify their members and reflect group make-up through an analytical strategy that involves the categorization of actors and the interdisciplinary and national or international projection of the networks that they configure. The integration of these two aspects (input and output) at different points in time over the analyzed period leads to inferences about group profiles and the roles of actors. Conclusions: The methodology presented is conducive to micro-level interpretations in a given area of study, regarding individual researchers or research groups. Because the comparative input-output analysis broadens the base of information and makes it possible to follow up, over time, individual and group trends, it may prove very useful for the management, promotion and evaluation of science

Tratamiento de resultados en diseños cualitativos : La aplicación del Análisis Descriptivo

Este artículo presenta el Análisis Descriptivo como una estrategia del tratamiento de la información durante el proceso de investigación y su posible uso en estudios de diseño cualitativo. Muchas investigaciones en Ciencias Sociales y Humanas no contemplan la importancia de explicitar los soportes teórico-metodológicos de las inferencias explicativas o interpretación/es a la/s que se arriba, es decir, cómo es que se ha pasado del referente seleccionado (unidad de referencia), al argumento (modelo explicativo o interpretativo) con el que se lo pretende representar. De este modo, se suele ignorar el problema de la representación del referente en un dato tratable y la necesaria transformación del lenguaje natural (LN) en lenguaje descriptivo (LD). Se desarrollan dos ejemplos del campo de la Etología y de la Psicología, aplicando la estrategia metodológica del Análisis Descriptivo. En ellos se demuestra que la codificación que permite realizar este método toma en cuenta por un lado, la base de conocimientos e informaciones relativas a un dominio disciplinar particular y, por otro, permite evidenciar las inferencias seguidas en el razonamiento y las reglas de interpretación utilizadas para arribar a nuevos conocimientos