MarBEF publishing revisited

Networking and integration served within a partnership approach and covered with a delicious sauce of free and open access to data and information is MarBEF’s main dish, and it is this recipe that has helped MarBEF to successfully bring marine biodiversity research to a European level. Numerous meetings, workshops, training courses and Responsive Mode Projects (RMPs) have brought together many scientists. This integration has created endless new possibilities for new initiatives – the MarBEF Publication Series and the MarBEF Open Archive, to mention just two. So, is this having any effect on the way we publish as a network today

Publish wisely or perish? an open archive for MarBEF

While scientists are publishing around two million papers annually (Odlyzko, 1998), it is surprising to notice that this growing resource of information is seldom easily accessible, even to those scientists. Basically, it is the community at large that funds almost all research, so all information resulting from this research should in principle be publicly available. However, in reality, too many barriers (mostly installed by the publisher) are blocking free and open access to scientific information

IMIS: Integrated Marine Information System

pp. 37-6

Get your driver's license now! A roadmap for sustainable aquatic repositories

As in many other scientific disciplines, the issue of sustainability of the aquatic digital archive has not yet been solved in a satisfactory way. Managing a sustainable repository requires more than the "Conan"-like librarian. It needs robust mandates at local, regional and (inter)national levels. It needs an official budget. It also needs to be embedded in research funding procedures at every level, from institutional to international. Both self-archiving in repositories and Open Access publishing need appropriate funding schemes. Lastly, organized support platforms for repository managers and librarians are need to coordinate developments on a global scale. This presentation introduces an overview and state-of-the-art of aquatic repositories worldwide. It further focuses on a fine example of sustainability-supportive initiatives, the DRIVER project

Technology-supported sitting balance therapy versus usual care in the chronic stage after stroke : a pilot randomized controlled trial

Background: Technology development for sitting balance therapy and trunk rehabilitation is scarce. Hence, intensive one-to-one therapist-patient training is still required. We have developed a novel rehabilitation prototype, specifically aimed at providing sitting balance therapy. We investigated whether technology-supported sitting balance training was feasible and safe in chronic stroke patients and we determined whether clinical outcomes improved after a four-week programme, compared with usual care. Methods: In this parallel-group, assessor-blinded, randomized controlled pilot trial, we divided first-event chronic stroke participants into two groups. The experimental group received usual care plus additional therapy supported by rehabilitation technology, consisting of 12 sessions of 50 min of therapy over four weeks. The control group received usual care only. We assessed all participants twice pre-intervention and once post-intervention. Feasibility and safety were descriptively analysed. Between-group analysis evaluated the pre-to-post differences in changes in motor and functional outcomes. Results: In total, 30 participants were recruited and 29 completed the trial (experimental group: n = 14; control group: n = 15). There were no between-group differences at baseline. Therapy was evaluated as feasible by participants and therapist. There were no serious adverse events during sitting balance therapy. Changes in clinical outcomes from pre- to post-intervention demonstrated increases in the experimental than in the control group for: sitting balance and trunk function, evaluated by the Trunk Impairment Scale (mean points score (SD) 7.07 (1.69) versus 0.33 (2.35); p < 0.000); maximum gait speed, assessed with the 10 Metre Walk Test (mean gait speed 0.16 (0.16) m/s versus 0.06 (0.06) m/s; p = 0.003); and functional balance, measured using the Berg balance scale (median points score (IQR) 4.5 (5) versus 0 (4); p = 0.014). Conclusions: Technology-supported sitting balance training in persons with chronic stroke is feasible and safe. A four-week, 12-session programme on top of usual care suggests beneficial effects for trunk function, maximum gait speed and functional balance

Mapping marine science in Belgium: recent marine information access and integration developments (Belgium country report)

pp. 241-25

IMIS, de eerste Vlaamse mariene informatiedatabank

Mariene informatie integreren en alle relevante metadata zoveel mogelijk benutten en zichtbaar maken: dat was het na te streven doel bij het creëren van de eerste Vlaamse mariene informatiedatabank Imis (Integrated Marine Information System). De beschikbaarheid van zeer veel zeewetenschappelijke literatuur in de Vliz-bibliotheek zorgde voor een snelle start bij de uitbouw van Imis. De structuur en de functionaliteit moesten echter die van de gewone bibliotheekcatalogus overstijgen. Het ‘landkaartmodel’ dat werd gekozen zorgt voor het volledig in kaart brengen van alle beschikbare en relevante informatie over het marien milieu in Vlaanderen en daarbuiten, ongeacht de plaats of de vorm van die informatie