Uma experiência de Pesquisa-Ação no ensino de Física na Faculdade de Ciências Exatas, Químicas e Naturais da Universidade Nacional de Misiones

This article is proposed as a didactic improvement of semi-open problems regarding Electric Interaction in the university chair of Physics II in the Biochemistry and Pharmacy bachelors and Faculty of Exact Chemical and Natural Sciences, National University of Misiones. Following a circular focus based on competences and using a Participatory Action Research methodology, an analysis, revision and subsequent transformation of the traditional closed problem statements commonly used were carried out. The results of this innovative didactic showed a good reception by the majority of the students who solved the problems formulating hypotheses of resolution, making graphic diagrams and conclusions and working as a group in an environment of reflection and debate among peers.En el presente trabajo se propone como mejora didáctica la resolución de problemas semiabiertos sobre el tema Interacción eléctrica en la cátedra de Física II de las carreras de Bioquímica y Farmacia de Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Químicas y Naturales de la Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Siguiendo un enfoque curricular basado en competencias y utilizando una metodología de Investigación Acción Participativa, se realiza un análisis, revisión y posterior transformación de los enunciados tradicionales de los problemas con carácter cerrado usados habitualmente. Los resultados de esta innovación didáctica evidencian una buena recepción por parte de los alumnos que, en su gran mayoría,resolvieron los problemas formulando hipótesis de resolución, realizando esquemas gráficos y conclusiones y trabajando en forma grupal en un ambiente de reflexión y debate entre pares.Este trabalho propõe como aprimoramento didático a resolução de problemas semiabertos sobre o tema Interação Elétrica na Cátedra de Física II das carreiras de Bioquímica e Farmácia da Faculdade de Ciências Exatas, Químicas e Naturais da Universidade Nacional de Misiones. Seguindo uma abordagem curricular baseada em competências e utilizando uma metodologia de Pesquisa-Ação Participativa, realiza-se uma análise, revisão e subsequente transformação dos enunciados tradicionais dos problemas de caráter fechado habitualmente usados. Os resultados desta inovação didática mostram uma boa recepção dos alunos que, em sua maioria, resolveram os problemas formulando hipóteses de resolução, realizando esquemas gráficos e conclusões e trabalhando em grupo num ambiente de reflexão e debate entre pares

El registro sedimentario y faunístico de las cuencas de Calatayud-Daroca y Teruel. Evolución paleoambiental y paleoclimática durante el Neógeno

Las cuencas de Calatayud-Daroca y Teruel contienen un registro sedimentario y faunístico muy completo del Neógeno continental español. En ellas están definidas las, secciones tipo del Rambliense, Aragoniense, Turoliense y Alfambriense. A su vez, el Vallesiense se encuentra muy bien representado en la parte norte de la Cuenca de Teruel, tanto litoestratigráficamente como por la amplia sucesión de faunas de vertebrados que contiene. En este trabajo se presenta un resumen y puesta al día de la información estratigráfica y sedimentológica disponible sobre las formaciones neógenas de ambas cuencas, incluyendo además datos recientes sobre el límite Aragoniense-Vallesiense en el área de Daroca-Nombrevilla y sobre el registro sedimentario de edad Plioceno en la parte más septentrional de la región de Teruel-Alfambra. Se presenta asimismo un cuadro sintético de las columnas magnetoestratigráficas elaboradas en los últimos años. Con carácter preliminar, se muestran las curvas de evolución paleoclimática (humedad/temperatura) deducibles de las asociaciones de micromamíferos presentes en una densa sucesión de yacimientos que abarcan todo el Mioceno. Las diferencias en los resultados obtenidos sobre la evolución paleoclimática de ambas cuencas son posiblemente debidas a la distinta metodología utilizada en el análisis de las asociaciones faunísticas. Por otra parte, se discuten las faltas de ajuste detectadas, al menos para algunos intervalos temporales, entre los resultados deducibles de este tipo de interpretación paleoclimática y los que se derivan del análisis sedimentológico de los depósitos.The Calatayud-Daroca and Teruel basins (NE Spain) show a very complete sedimentary and faunal record of the Spanish continental Neogene. The stratotypes for the Ramblian, Aragonian, Turolian and Alfambrian stages have been defined in these basins. Moreover, the Vallesian is well recorded especially in the northern Teruel Basin. This paper gives a state-of-the-art summary of the available information generated in the latest years by detailed sedimentological, biostratigraphical and magnetostratigraphical studies of the Neogene deposits of the basins. Recent results concerning the Aragonian-Vallesian boundary in the Daroca-Nombrevilla area are presented. A general integrated scheme of the magnetostratigraphic logs obtained from a large number of stratigraphic sections throughout the region is also included. Preliminary palaeoclimatic evolutionary curves (humidity/ temperature) are proposed for the Miocene stratigraphic record of the basins. The curves have been inferred from detailed analysis of the micromammal associations found in an extremely dense succession of mammal localities. Differences in the palaeoclimatic curves proposed for Calatayud-Daroca and Teruel may be explained by the use of different methodologies. Discrepancies between sedimentological and faunal based interpretations of the palaeoclimatic evolution of some intervals of the Miocene are discussed

RESEARCH ARTICLE Body-size structure of Central Iberian mammal fauna reveals semidesertic conditions during the middle Miocene Global Cooling Event

We developed new quantitative palaeoclimatic inference models based on the body-size structure of mammal faunas from the Old World tropics and applied them to the Somosaguas fossil site (middle Miocene, central Iberian Peninsula). Twenty-six mammal species have been described at this site, including proboscideans, ungulates, carnivores, insectivores, lagomorphs and rodents. Our analyses were based on multivariate and bivariate regression models correlating climatic data and body-size structure of 63 modern mammal assemblages from Sub-Saharan Africa and the Indian subcontinent. The results showed an average temperature of the coldest month higher than 26ÊC for the Somosaguas fossil site, a mean annual thermal amplitude around 10ÊC, a drought length of 10 months, and an annual total precipitation greater than 200 mm per year, which are climate conditions typical of an ecotonal zone between the savanna and desert biomes. These results are congruent with the aridity peaks described over the middle Aragonian of Spain and particularly in the local biozone E, which includes Somosaguas. The aridity increase detected in this biozone is associated with the Middle Miocene Global Cooling Event. The environment of Somosaguas around 14 Ma was similar to the current environment in the Sahel region of North Africa, the Horn of Africa, the boundary area between the Kalahari and the Namib in Southern Africa, south-central Arabia, or eastern Pakistan and northwestern India. The distribution of modern vegetation in these regions follows a complex mosaic of plant communities, dominated by scattered xerophilous shrublands, semidesert grasslands, and vegetation linked to seasonal watercourses and ponds.Peer reviewe

Neotropical ornithology: Reckoning with historical assumptions, removing systemic barriers, and reimagining the future

A major barrier to advancing ornithology is the systemic exclusion of professionals from the Global South. A recent special feature, Advances in Neotropical Ornithology, and a shortfalls analysis therein, unintentionally followed a long-standing pattern of highlighting individuals, knowledge, and views from the Global North, while largely omitting the perspectives of people based within the Neotropics. Here, we review current strengths and opportunities in the practice of Neotropical ornithology. Further, we discuss problems with assessing the state of Neotropical ornithology through a northern lens, including discovery narratives, incomplete (and biased) understanding of history and advances, and the promotion of agendas that, while currently popular in the north, may not fit the needs and realities of Neotropical research. We argue that future advances in Neotropical ornithology will critically depend on identifying and addressing the systemic barriers that hold back ornithologists who live and work in the Neotropics: unreliable and limited funding, exclusion from international research leadership, restricted dissemination of knowledge (e.g., through language hegemony and citation bias), and logistical barriers. Moving forward, we must examine and acknowledge the colonial roots of our discipline, and explicitly promote anti-colonial agendas for research, training, and conservation. We invite our colleagues within and beyond the Neotropics to join us in creating new models of governance that establish research priorities with vigorous participation of ornithologists and communities within the Neotropical region. To include a diversity of perspectives, we must systemically address discrimination and bias rooted in the socioeconomic class system, anti-Blackness, anti-Brownness, anti-Indigeneity, misogyny, homophobia, tokenism, and ableism. Instead of seeking individual excellence and rewarding top-down leadership, institutions in the North and South can promote collective leadership. In adopting these approaches, we, ornithologists, will join a community of researchers across academia building new paradigms that can reconcile our relationships and transform science. Spanish and Portuguese translations are available in the Supplementary Material.• Research conducted by ornithologists living and working in Latin America and the Caribbean has been historically and systemically excluded from global scientific paradigms, ultimately holding back ornithology as a discipline.• To avoid replicating systems of exclusion in ornithology, authors, editors, reviewers, journals, scientific societies, and research institutions need to interrupt long-held assumptions, improve research practices, and change policies around funding and publication.• To advance Neotropical ornithology and conserve birds across the Americas, institutions should invest directly in basic field biology research, reward collective leadership, and strengthen funding and professional development opportunities for people affected by current research policies.Peer reviewe

Hispano-Americans in Europe: what do we know about their health status and determinants? A scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Policy makers and health practitioners are in need of guidance to respond to the growing geographic mobility of Hispano-American migrants in Europe. Drawing from contributions from epidemiology, social sciences, demography, psychology, psychiatry and economy, this scoping review provides an up-to-date and comprehensive synthesis of studies addressing the health status and determinants of this population. We describe major research gaps and suggest specific avenues of further inquiry. METHODS: We identified systematically papers that addressed the concepts "health" and "Hispano Americans" indexed in five data bases from Jan 1990 to May 2014 with no language restrictions. We screened the 4,464 citations retrieved against exclusion criteria and classified 193 selected references in 12 thematic folders with the aid of the reference management software ENDNOTE X6. After reviewing the full text of all papers we extracted relevant data systematically into a table template to facilitate the synthesising process. RESULTS: Most studies focused on a particular disease, leaving unexplored the interlinkages between different health conditions and how these relate to legislative, health services, environmental, occupational, and other health determinants. We elucidated some consistent results but there were many heterogeneous findings and several popular beliefs were not fully supported by empirical evidence. Few studies adopted a trans-national perspective and many consisted of cross-sectional descriptions that considered "Hispano-Americans" as a homogeneous category, limiting our analysis. Our results are also constrained by the availability and varying quality of studies reviewed./nCONCLUSIONS:/nBurgeoning research has produced some consistent findings but there are huge gaps in knowledge. To prevent unhelpful generalisations we need a more holistic and nuanced understanding of how mobility, ethnicity, income, gender, legislative status, employment status, working conditions, neighbourhood characteristics and social status intersect with demographic variables and policy contexts to influence the health of the diverse Hispano-American populations present in Europe