Early Paleogene climate at mid latitude in South America: mineralogical and paleobotanical proxies from continental sequences in Golfo San Jorge basin (Patagonia, Argentina)

The Paleocene-Eocene boundary was a period of transient and intense global warming that had a deep effect on middle and high latitude plant groups. Nevertheless, only scarce early Paleogene paleoclimatic records are known from the South American continental sequences deposited at these latitudes. In this contribution clay mineralogy and paleobotanical analyses (fossil woods and phytoliths) were used as paleoclimate proxies from the lower and middle parts of the Río Chico Group (Golfo San Jorge basin, Patagonia, Argentina). These new data may enable to understand the changing climatic conditions during part of the Paleocene-Eocene transition. In this setting, three clay mineral assemblages were identified: S1 assemblage (smectite) dominates the Peñas Coloradas Formation; S2 assemblage (smectite>kaolinite) occurs in the stratigraphic transition to the Las Flores Formation; and S3 assemblage (kaolinite>smectite) dominates the Las Flores Formation. These trend of change in the detrital clay mineral composition is interpreted as resulting mainly from the changing paleoclimatic conditions that shifted from seasonal warm temperate to tropical affecting the same source area lithology. Moreover, the paleobotanical data suggest that the Early Paleogene vegetation in the Golfo San Jorge basin underwent significant composition and diversity changes, ranging from mixed temperate - subtropical forest to mixed subtropical - tropical, humid forest. The integrated analysis of the clay mineral composition and the palaeobotanical assemblages suggests that, in central Argentinean Patagonia, the Paleocene-Eocene climate changed from temperate warm, humid and highly seasonal precipitation conditions to subtropical-tropical, more continuous year-round rainfall conditions

Analisi esplorativa della statuina neolitica di Vicofertile

La statuina neolitica femminile rinvenuta in una sepoltura a Vicofertile risulta prodotta localmente (analoga per composizione alle altre ceramiche dell'area parmense) e plasmata in tre parti successivamente assemblat

The Pereiras Pequenas deposit in Vila de Punhe, Viana do Castelo (North of Portugal). A review of the depositional context

El objeto de este trabajo es revisar las circunstancias de hallazgo de un conjunto de hachas de tope con dos anillas laterales y cono de fundición encontrado en la finca de Pereiras Pequenas/Rexio, lugar de Arque, parroquia de Vila de Punhe, municipio de Viana do Castelo, en 1916, mientras se realizaban labores agrícolas en unos viñedos. El hallazgo fue dado a conocer por Serpa Pinto (1928, 1933a, 1933b), aunque la noticia del descubrimento fue publicada años más tarde por Viana (1938). Este conjunto formado por más de cien ejemplares, constituye uno de los depósitos monotipológicos más numerosos de la Península Ibérica. A partir de su contexto espacial se ofrecen algunas interpretaciones sobre la localización de ésta y otras deposiciones similares en el Noroeste de la Península Ibérica.The aim of this work is to review the discovery of a group of double looped palstaves with casting jets found on the Pereiras Pequenas/Rexio estate, Arque, parish of Vila de Punhe in 1916, while doing agricultural works in a vineyard. The hoard was acknowledged by Rui de Serpa Pinto (1928, 1933a, 1933b), although the discovery circumstances were published years later by Viana (1938). This assemblage formed by more than one hundred objects, constitutes one of the more numerous single type hoards of the Iberian Peninsula. Some interpretations are given, considering the context location of this hoard, and other similar deposits in the Northwest of Iberia.Este trabajo fue efectuado en el ámbito del proyecto Espaços Naturais, Arquiteturas, Arte Rupestre e Deposições na Pré-história Recente da Fachada Ocidental do Centro e Norte Português: das Ações aos Significados - ENARDAS (PTDC/HIS-ARQ/112983/2009), financiado por el Programa Operacional Temático Factores de Competitividad (COMPETE) y coparticipado por el Fondo Comunitario Europeo FEDERinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Contenção farmacológica de jacares com Triiodoetilato de Galamina.

Para atender aos trabalhos que exigem a manipulação de jacares, como obtenção de dados biometricos, coleta de amostra de conteudo estomacal,procurou-se verificar o efeito do triiodoetilato de galamina(flaxedil) como agente contensor, para a espécie caima crocodilus yacare

Archaeometalurgical analysis and archaeological contextualization of a bronze spearhead from Gralheira (Muro Mountain Range, Baltar, Paredes, North Portugal).

Este trabalho visa dar a conhecer o contexto de achado e a composição química de uma ponta de lança de alvado curto e de folha ligeiramente losângica com nervura central, inserível no Bronze Final e inédita. Esta foi encontrada na serra do Muro, freguesia de Baltar, concelho de Paredes, distrito do Porto. A serra do Muro corresponde a um monte com uma implantação orográfica dominante na região sobre os vales dos rios Ferreira e Sousa, este afluente da margem norte da bacia do Douro, em área rica em recursos primários e secundários de estanho. No topo deste acidente geomorfológico foi edificado um povoado proto-histórico que figura na literatura arqueológica especialmente pelo grande perímetro e espessura das suas muralhas pétreas. Apesar da proximidade destes dois contextos arqueológicos não há qualquer indicação precisa de que estejam vinculados, podendo esta peça constituir um depósito. Não sendo muito frequente o achado de pontas de lança no NO português, conhecem-se todavia alguns contextos, todos eles correspondentes a depósitos. É o caso da ponta de lança de Badim, de morfologia similar, que apareceu enterrada na base do monte cónico de Nossa Senhora da Graça, em Monção, e desvinculada do castro aí existente, localizado, aliás, em vertente oposta. Outros achados similares associados a montes são os do Outeiro do Rego, em Lama Chã, Montalegre, e o da Quinta do Telhado, no Monte da Penha, em Guimarães, ambos associados a afloramentos. Apesar das diversas pontas de lança conhecidas no NW português, apenas as duas de Vale Travesso, em Montalegre, foram alvo de análise de composição química (BOTTAINI 2012: 49-52), pelo que os resultados das análises arqueometalúrgicas obtidas por espectrometria de fluorescência de raios X da ponta de lança do Muro, contribuirão, certamente, para o conhecimento da metalurgia do Bronze Final do NO.$ is work was carried out under the project: Natural spaces, architectures, rock art and depositions from the Late Prehistory of the Western front of Cen-tral and Northern Portugal: from actions to meanings - ENARDAS (reference PTDC/HIS-ARQ/112983/2009), su-pported by FCT, COMPETE and FEDER and Bronze Age Hoards of the Western Atlantic facade of Iberia between the Vouga and Ulla Rivers: Contexts and In-terpretationsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Evaluation of antigens for the serodiagnosis of kala-azar and oriental sores by means of the indirect immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT)

Antigens and corresponding sera were collected from travellers with leishmaniasis returning to Germany from different endemic areas of the old world. The antigenicity of these Leishmania strains, which were maintained in Syrian hamsters, was compared by indirect immunofluorescence (IFAT). Antigenicity was demonstrated by antibody titres in 18 sera from 11 patients. The amastigotic stages of nine strains of Leishmania donovani and four strains of Leishmania tropica were compared with each other and with the culture forms of insect flagellates (Strigomonas oncopelti and Leptomonas ctenocephali). Eighteen sera from 11 patients were available for antibody determination with these antigens. The maximal antibody titres in a single serum varied considerably depending on which antigen was used for the test. High antibody levels could only be maintained when Leishmania donovani was employed as the antigen, but considerable differences also occurred between the different strains of this species. The other antigens were weaker. No differences in antigenicity between amastigotes and promastigotes of the same strain were observed. It is important to select suitable antigens. Low titres may be of doubtful specificity and are a poor baseline for the fall in titre which is an essential index of effective treatment.Wir sammelten Parasiten und Seren von Reisenden, die aus verschiedenen endemischen Gebieten der Alten Welt mit einer Leishmaniasis nach Deutschland zurückkehrten. Die Antigenaktivitäten der isolierten und fortlaufend in Goldhamstern gehaltenenLeishmania-Stämme wurden im indirekten Immunofluoreszenztest (IFAT) verglichen. Die Antigenität wurde an Hand von Antikörpertitern in 18 Serumproben von 11 Patienten bewiesen. Neun Stämme desLeishmania donovani-Komplexes und vierLeishmania tropica-Isolate wurden in ihrem amastigoten Stadium miteinander verglichen. Hinzu kamen zwei Insekten-Flagellaten als Kulturformen:Strigomonas oncopelti undLeptomonas ctenocephali. 18 Serumproben von 11 Patienten standen für die Antikörperbestimmung mit diesen Antigenen zur Verfügung. Die maximalen Titerhöhen variierten in ein- und derselben antiserumprobe zum Teil erheblich, je nachdem, welches Antigen für den Test benutzt wurde. Hohe Antikörpertiter konnten nur erhalten werden, wennLeishmania donovani als Antigen vorlag, es ergaben sich aber auch zwischen den einzelnen Stämmen dieser Leishmaniaart erhebliche Unterschiede in der Antigenaktivität. Antigene anderer Art erwiesen sich als wenig wirksam. Zwischen amastigoten und promastigoten Entwicklungsformen einesLeishmania donovani-Stammes konnten keine Unterschiede in der Antigenaktivität erkannt werden. Für den Nachweis möglichst hoher Antikörpertiter im IFAT ist die Auswahl geeigneter Antigene von ausschlaggebender Bedeutung. Niedrige Titer erschweren deren Beurteilung als spezifisch und sind eine schlechte Ausgangsposition für die Beobachtung des obligatorischen Titerabfalles nach erfolgreicher Therapie

Testing two competing hypotheses for Eurasian jays’ caching for the future

Abstract: Previous research reported that corvids preferentially cache food in a location where no food will be available or cache more of a specific food in a location where this food will not be available. Here, we consider possible explanations for these prospective caching behaviours and directly compare two competing hypotheses. The Compensatory Caching Hypothesis suggests that birds learn to cache more of a particular food in places where that food was less frequently available in the past. In contrast, the Future Planning Hypothesis suggests that birds recall the ‘what–when–where’ features of specific past events to predict the future availability of food. We designed a protocol in which the two hypotheses predict different caching patterns across different caching locations such that the two explanations can be disambiguated. We formalised the hypotheses in a Bayesian model comparison and tested this protocol in two experiments with one of the previously tested species, namely Eurasian jays. Consistently across the two experiments, the observed caching pattern did not support either hypothesis; rather it was best explained by a uniform distribution of caches over the different caching locations. Future research is needed to gain more insight into the cognitive mechanism underpinning corvids’ caching for the future