Spanish Scientific Community Research Articles

The choice of pseudoscientific therapies as an alternative to scientific medicine

Abstract During the last decades, there has been an increasing interest in the analysis of a potentially dangerous phenomenon for the public health: pseudoscience. It can be defined as the set of false knowledge that attempts to resemble science even though it is not. Nowadays there are many who opt for these therapies not scientifically endorsed to solve their health problems. This situation is increased for risk patients or chronic diseases, who come to this type of therapies as a last resort. In these cases, the choice between science and pseudoscience can become a matter of life or death. Through qualitative and quantitative research techniques, we analyze the reasons why patients choose pseudoscience instead of conventional and scientific medicine. The data obtained from this research reveal that in extreme situations patients value most the human contact with the therapist that the validity of the therapy itself. This factor, coupled with the precariousness of the health system, generates a dynamic in which pseudosciences gain ground over scientific medicine. According to the experts interviewed, this phenomenon is increasing and may represent a danger to public health. This research reveals the possible causes and consequences of this phenomenon from the point of view of more than 60 professionals of the Spanish scientific community and 30 patients who have used both disciplines. The results obtained indicate that this situation is intensified due to the inaction of the competent institutions and the lack of regulation.

Child participation in early childhood education in Spain: When having rights does not mean being able to exercise them

This article carries out a systematic review of the scientific literature on child participation in the formal education system in Spain between 2010 and 2022. Recognising the importance of child participation in the context of the European Union, the theoretical principles of this study are in line with the perspective that child participation involves recognising the fundamental right of children to be heard and taken into consideration from an early age and providing them with the opportunity to convert that listening into positive changes to aspects that affect their lives. Child participation has significant benefits, both from an individual point of view (the child’s own development and the recognition that all rights are for all children), and a social and collective point of view (the strengthening of democracy itself making the school a school for participation). The systematic review of the scientific literature was conducted according to the PRISMA statement 2020. The analysis of the selected articles was based on the Lundy model of child participation (2007) which considers four dimensions: space, voice, audience and influence. The results show that despite the Spanish scientific community’s growing interest in child participation in the field of early childhood education, school culture is still very adult-centric. Aspects related to the dimensions of voice, audience and influence could be improved for which more research is required. There is a clear need to broaden the techniques and instruments required for making child participation effective, and experiences that go beyond consultative participation should be developed. This would enable forms of child participation focused on improving their lives based on their own needs being heard and taken into consideration.

Drivers and barriers in the transition to open science: the perspective of stakeholders in the Spanish scientific community

This paper presents the results of a research study whose objective was to identify the facilitating factors and barriers that, in the opinion of representatives of the Spanish scientific community, impact the implementation of the new open science model in four areas: open access, open research data, research assessment and open peer review. A qualitative study was designed in which information was obtained through interviews with researchers, editors of scientific journals, representatives of assessment agencies and vice-chancellors, and through a focus group of librarians with expertise in aspects of open science. The enabling factors and barriers identified were related to the researcher and the fruit of their research, as well as to the scientific ecosystem, which provides direct institutional support and backing (universities/research centres), the regulatory framework (management of the science system) and the science communication system (media). The results indicate that a shift in scientific practices toward the open science model can only be achieved if there is a policy framework that integrates all initiatives and links into the scientific assessment and reward system, and if the necessary funding is in place to support this transition.

A Bibliometric Overview of the International Journal of Interactive Multimedia and Artificial Intelligence

The International Journal of Interactive Multimedia and Artificial Intelligence (IJIMAI) published its first issue ten years ago. Currently, IJIMAI is indexed in the important database Emerging Sources Citation Index. This paper aims to identify, through a mapping of science, those most relevant aspects of the structure of publications made during the first 10 years of IJIMAI. Using VOSviewer software, the structural maps of the IJIMAI publications are analysed according to techniques such as bibliographic coupling, co-citations and cooccurrence of keywords. In addition, the evolution of the publications, citations and an analysis of the most cited papers of the journal are presented. The results show that IJIMAI has experienced a remarkable growth of both publications and citations in the last five years. We also observe that IJIMAI does not only capture the attention of the Spanish scientific community, but also of emerging countries such as India and Iran and emerging Latin American countries such as Colombia. With a such increasing behaviour, it is expected in the coming years that IJIMAI will position itself among the best journals with similar scientific scope.

OWLS as platform technology in OPTOS satellite

The aim of this work is to show the Optical Wireless Link to intraSpacecraft Communications (OWLS) technology as a platform technology for space missions, and more specifically its use within the On-Board Communication system of OPTOS satellite. OWLS technology was proposed by Instituto Nacional de Tecnica Aeroespacial (INTA) at the end of the 1990s and developed along 10 years through a number of ground demonstrations, technological developments and in-orbit experiments. Its main benefits are: mass reduction, flexibility, and simplification of the Assembly, Integration and Tests phases. The final step was to go from an experimental technology to a platform one. This step was carried out in the OPTOS satellite, which makes use of optical wireless links in a distributed network based on an OLWS implementation of the CAN bus. OPTOS is the first fully wireless satellite. It is based on the triple configuration (3U) of the popular Cubesat standard, and was completely built at INTA. It was conceived to procure a fast development, low cost, and yet reliable platform to the Spanish scientific community, acting as a test bed for space born science and technology. OPTOS presents a distributed OBDH architecture in which all satellite’s subsystems and payloads incorporate a small Distributed On-Board Computer (OBC) Terminal (DOT). All DOTs (7 in total) communicate between them by means of the OWLS-CAN that enables full data sharing capabilities. This collaboration allows them to perform all tasks that would normally be carried out by a centralized On-Board Computer.

The choice of pseudoscientific therapies as an alternative to scientific medicine

During the last decades, there has been an increasing interest in the analysis of a potentially dangerous phenomenon for the public health: pseudoscience. It can be defined as the set of false knowledge that attempts to resemble science even though it is not. Nowadays there are many who opt for these therapies not scientifically endorsed to solve their health problems. This situation is increased for risk patients or chronic diseases, who come to this type of therapies as a last resort. In these cases, the choice between science and pseudoscience can become a matter of life or death. Through qualitative and quantitative research techniques, we analyze the reasons why patients choose pseudoscience instead of conventional and scientific medicine. The data obtained from this research reveal that in extreme situations patients value most the human contact with the therapist that the validity of the therapy itself. This factor, coupled with the precariousness of the health system, generates a dynamic in which pseudosciences gain ground over scientific medicine. According to the experts interviewed, this phenomenon is increasing and may represent a danger to public health. This research reveals the possible causes and consequences of this phenomenon from the point of view of more than 60 professionals of the Spanish scientific community and 30 patients who have used both disciplines. The results obtained indicate that this situation is intensified due to the inaction of the competent institutions and the lack of regulation.

The choice of pseudoscientific therapies as an alternative to scientific medicine

During the last decades, there has been an increasing interest in the analysis of a potentially dangerous phenomenon for the public health: pseudoscience. It can be defined as the set of false knowledge that attempts to resemble science even though it is not. Nowadays there are many who opt for these therapies not scientifically endorsed to solve their health problems. This situation is increased for risk patients or chronic diseases, who come to this type of therapies as a last resort. In these cases, the choice between science and pseudoscience can become a matter of life or death. Through qualitative and quantitative research techniques, we analyze the reasons why patients choose pseudoscience instead of conventional and scientific medicine. The data obtained from this research reveal that in extreme situations patients value most the human contact with the therapist that the validity of the therapy itself. This factor, coupled with the precariousness of the health system, generates a dynamic in which pseudosciences gain ground over scientific medicine. According to the experts interviewed, this phenomenon is increasing and may represent a danger to public health. This research reveals the possible causes and consequences of this phenomenon from the point of view of more than 60 professionals of the Spanish scientific community and 30 patients who have used both disciplines. The results obtained indicate that this situation is intensified due to the inaction of the competent institutions and the lack of regulation.

EL IMPACTO BIBLIOMÉTRICO DEL MOVIMIENTO MOOC EN LA COMUNIDAD CIENTÍFICA ESPAÑOLA

Spain was in 2013 the leading European country in MOOC course offeringsand is in a leading position worldwide in the number of massive courses offered in 2014 This prolific activity is being transferred to the educational and scientific world in the form of posts in blogs, social networks and web pages, as well as scientific papers and books that attempt to analyze the movement from different methodological approaches. To date there is not any research that analyzes the bibliometric impact of MOOC movement in the Spanish scientific community. Therefore the objective of this research is to perform a bibliometric study of the scientific impact in the form of scientific article or research book in journals and Spanish publishers from January 2010 to June 2014. The study was approached from a descriptive and quantitative methodology taking as reference bibliometric indicators of production, number of citations, and indicators of visibility according to their impact on different databases: Wos / Social Science Citation Index, Scopus, In-Recs, Google Scholar and categorization of Spanish scientific journals (ANEP / FECYT). The results show that the impact of the Spanish scientific production in form of book and scientific article in prestigious international databases (Wos-SSCI / Scopus) is very low, although the national impact categorization according to ANEP / FECYT and In-Recs is moderately high.

Análisis acerca de las claves en las Políticas Educativas para el Empoderamiento Ciudadano

El artículo tiene por objetivo evaluar la relevancia existente, entre la comunidad científica española, del tratamiento de la información, las políticas educativas y la competencia digital con el propósito de aprovechar el potencial informativo de los nuevos productos comunicativos y educativos para la eficacia del empoderamiento ciudadano. Para ello, se ha utilizado la metodología cualitativa del análisis de contenido intensivo sobre treinta artículos científicos escritos en español, seleccionados por su relevancia e impacto científico en el período comprendido entre 2008 y 2013. Se han analizado la relevancia de los códigos del discurso y las relaciones entre las variables estudiadas obteniendo como resultado una red descriptiva causal que muestra la relación de las dinámicas que interactúan entre las variables: alfabetización digital, políticas educativas, empoderamiento ciudadano y datos abiertos (open data) con la finalidad, a modo de conclusión y discusión, de proponer sugerencias para orientar y mejorar la acción educativa.

Vulnerability of state-interdependent networks under malware spreading

Computer viruses are evolving by developing spreading mechanisms based on the use of multiple vectors of propagation. The use of the social network as an extra vector of attack to penetrate the security measures in IP networks is improving the effectiveness of malware, and have therefore been used by the most aggressive viruses, like Conficker and Stuxnet. In this work we use interdependent networks to model the propagation of these kind of viruses. In particular, we study the propagation of a SIS model on interdependent networks where the state of each node is layer-independent and the dynamics in each network follows either a contact process or a reactive process, with different propagation rates. We apply this study to the case of existing interdependent networks, namely a Spanish scientific community of Statistical Physics, formed by a social network of scientific collaborations and a physical network of connected computers in each institution. We show that the interplay between layers increases dramatically the infectivity of viruses in the long term and their robustness against immunization.

XtremeD – a new neutron diffractometer for high pressures and magnetic fields at ILL developed by Spain

Neutron diffraction has unique capabilities for scientific research under extreme conditions, mainly in two large areas: crystallography/geosciences and magnetism/solid-state physics. The growing interest in these fields is attested by the quantity and quality of publications, by the number of experiments proposed at the different neutron sources and by the new instrumentation projects under development all around the world. Therefore, the Spanish scientific community and the ILL are considering the construction of a CRG "eXtreme conditions Diffractometer (XtremeD)" for both single crystals and powders, operating at high pressures (up to 50 GPa) and high magnetic fields (up to 15 Tesla). At the present time we are working on the finalization of the technical project, and the construction phase is expected to start in 2011. The scientific areas in which the projected instrument can make significant contributions and the main technical characteristics of the project are discussed in this paper.

Ultramicroelectrode Array Based Sensors: A Promising Analytical Tool for Environmental Monitoring

The particular analytical performance of ultramicroelectrode arrays (UMEAs) has attracted a high interest by the research community and has led to the development of a variety of electroanalytical applications. UMEA-based approaches have demonstrated to be powerful, simple, rapid and cost-effective analytical tools for environmental analysis compared to available conventional electrodes and standardised analytical techniques. An overview of the fabrication processes of UMEAs, their characterization and applications carried out by the Spanish scientific community is presented. A brief explanation of theoretical aspects that highlight their electrochemical behavior is also given. Finally, the applications of this transducer platform in the environmental field are discussed.

Debatiendo sobre Darwin en España: antidarwinismo, teorías evolucionistas alternativas y síntesis moderna

Centenary celebrations of Darwin's birth were held in Valencia and Lorca in 1909. Fifty years later, the meetings and the publications of the Spanish scientific community on the occasion of the centenary of the publication of "On the Origin of Species" showed a proximity and an acceptance towards the theses of the evolutionary modern synthesis. During the first half of the 20th century, there were controversies in Spain between the Darwinian and anti-Darwinian positions. In addition, non-Darwinian evolutionary theories were spread and supported. Though the assumptions of the synthetic theory of evolution were soon known, commented and discussed, the majority trend in the 40s and 50s was to incline towards finalist and vitalist interpretations of evolution.

La expatriación intelectual española

La emigración intelectual española comenzó con anterioridad a la Guerra Civil. La República movió a la expatriación a numerosas familias conservadoras que se dirigieron a lugares como Portugal, Gran Bretaña y Argentina. También el resultado de la sublevación militar y el clima revolucionario que se originó, tuvieron como consecuencia, principalmente en Cataluña, un notable éxodo hacia Italia y Francia. La pérdida de la guerra por el bando republicano y el estallido de la II Guerra Mundial generaron un importante éxodo dirigido sobre todo a América (Norte o Sur). Gracias a esta acogida se pudo salvar una buena parte del pensamiento científico español. Incluso logró desarrollarse y en algunas partes de Hispanoamérica alcanzar un fructífero maridaje con los medios científico o intelectuales locales.

Resultados actuales de la investigación sobre 'framing': sólido avance internacional y arranque de la especialidad en España

The Spanish Communication Research about Framing receives the legacy of the leading trends at the international sphere. However, the lack of powerful research teams and the prevalence of individual efforts locate the Spanish scholars at a secondary role in comparison with the leaders of this line of research. This paper reviews the state of the art of the Communication Research about Framing, offering a new distribution of this scientific production in four main fields and two general perspectives. After that, the analytical focus is reduced to the Spanish scientific community, identifying its main strengthens and debilities.

Cribado de la retinopatía de la prematuridad en las unidades neonatales españolas

A wide variety of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) screening criteria exists in the different hospitals. In 1988, the benefits of cryotherapy treatment in severe ROP cases were demonstrated, and since then, some scientific societies have made recommendations on the screening and treatment of ROP. Within the Spanish scientific community, there are no specific recommendations on screening, diagnosis or treatment. To describe the criteria used in the screening of retinopathy in premature newborns by those Spanish hospitals caring for babies with birth weights below 1,500 g. A cross-sectional study was performed based on a 50 question questionnaire on screening criteria and other related issues. This questionnaire was sent to those public and private neonatal units in Spain caring for babies with birth weights below 1,500 grams. The questionnaire was sent and returned between January 2002 and May 2003. Units in all of the 17 autonomous communities and both autonomous cities in territorial Spain (Ceuta and Melilla) responded. There was a 90% response rate. All the participating hospitals perform ROP screening. Only 62.9% of the hospitals follow a written protocol on screening. A large majority of hospitals (79.8%) perform a retinal eye examination on all newborns below 1500 g at birth. Half of the hospitals included in the study, 51.6%, determine the cut-off point for performing the screening at 32 weeks of gestational age. Around 73% of the hospitals include the administering of oxygen supplements to premature babies as part of the criteria for screening, regardless of the babies' weight and gestational age. Weight, gestational age and oxygen are the only criteria used in 51% of the units. That all hospitals in Spain should establish some screening criteria was suggested by 90% of the responses. Only 10% use analgesia or sedation, other than topical, when examining the retina. Even though all the hospitals participating in the study screen for ROP, there is little agreement on which criteria should be followed when screening and on other aspects related to its practice.

"Informes de la Construcción": pasado, presente y futuro

This paper aims to contribute to the activities planned by the IETcc on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the journal Informes de la Construccion , including this special issue of Informes – as the journal is familiarly known within the Spanish scientific community –, which has been and continues to be the Institute’s flag bearer, its senior-most journal with the longest uninterrupted history. The paper highlights its importance as a source of information for the study of the scientific and technical development of construction in Spain over the last six decades, as well as its role in the technology transfer in construction, not only in Spain, for beyond the national borders it continues to be a benchmark in Latin America and it is present in most of the countries known for their highly advanced construction techniques. After a brief introduction on the origins of Informes in the IETcc as a vehicle for publicizing the technical novelties generated in construction, the paper analyzes the main stages in its evolution, particularly 1948-1981, 1981-2005 and from 2006 to the present. With a diachronic study, it shows the variations in the journal’s content, form – particularly its layout –, and circulation strategies. Finally, it reflects on the future in store for Informes in today’s society where access to information has changed so radically since the advent of the Internet.

De Einstein a Gómez de la Serna. La Teoría de la Relatividad y el secreto del arte moderno

Albert Einstein’s visit to Spain in 1923 was a major scientific, social and mass media event. Apart from the major impact of his conferences for the Spanish scientific community, the theory of relativity had a relevant influence in Spanish avant-garde narrative. The philosophical interpretation of Einstein’s relativity by Henri Bergson and Jose Ortega y Gasset had its echoes in Spanish prose through Ramon Gomez de la Serna, and favoured a change in aesthetic that had timidly began few years before. This work examines the underlying role of Einstein’s relativity on Gomez de la Serna’s work El novelista (1923), and the implications of the concept of relativity on the development of the Spanish modern narrative at the onset of 20th century.

Analysis of psychosocial factors influencing the distribution and projection of Spanish scientific activity: report of the initial qualitative study

In this first phase of a longer study, we identify a number of psycho-social factors which are affecting science in Spain: attitudes, stereotypes, prejudices, values, beliefs, and attribution processes. We also examine how these factors might help or hinder Spanish science's greater impact in the international scientific community. This study falls within the framework of the Social Psychology of Science, the main principle of which is to explain scientific work by appeal to psycho-social variables and processes. We use qualitative methods to analyse a wide sample of material gleaned from the Spanish scientific community, and report on those elements that construct and perpetuate the perceptions, images and representations of current Spanish science research.

The Spanish Presence in the Molecular Sieve Technology Scenario

AbstractFor Abstract see ChemInform Abstract in Full Text.