First reports of Bactrophora dominans Westwood, 1842 (Orthoptera: Romaleidae) from Venezuela and French Guiana (South America), with comments on biology, ecology and distribution of the species

New records of Bactrophora dominans Westwood, 1842 collected for the first time in Venezuela (Tepui Ichum), and French Guiana (Bélizon and Regina), are presented. Description of the insect, its colors, as well as ecological and biological notes and a historical overview of the known specimens in the genus and species are also included

Aspectos generales de la vegetación, flora y plantas útiles del valle del río Kanarakuni, Alto río Caura, estado Bolívar, Venezuela

Resumen. Se presenta información sobre la vegetación y la flora del valle de Kanarakuni en la cuenca alta del río Caura, Venezuela; habitado por la etnia Ye’kwana. Se indican cuatro de las unidades de vegetación existentes en el área: bosque siempreverde macrotérmico; karanal (agrupación de Mauritiella armata); arbustal; sabana y vegetación acuática. Se registran 289 especies agrupadas en 221 géneros y 99 familias, que fueron herborizadas en expediciones botánicas y depositadas en herbarios nacionales (VEN, CAR, GUYN, PORT). Se indica para cada especie su hábito, forma de vida y hábitat. Se señala la presencia de otras 32 especies que no fueron colectadas por las expediciones botánicas, donde se incluyen 5 Arecaceae y 4 Poaceae. Se proporciona una lista con 136 nombres de plantas silvestres, utilitarias y cultivadas en el idioma indígena local, mencionado sus usos. De estas especies, excluyendo las cultivadas no nativas (14), 99 tienen aplicación utilitaria in situ por esa etnia. Las familias con más representantes entre las Pteridophyta son Dryopteridaceae e Hymenophyllaceae; en cuanto a la clase Magnoliopsida las Melastomataceae, Rubiaceae, Fabaceae, Asteraceae; y de las Liliopsida, Orchidaceae, Poaceae, Cyperaceae y Arecaceae. El helecho Actinostachys subtrijuga se cita como una nueva adición a la flora del estado Bolívar. También se exponen generalidades y costumbres de la comunidad Ye'kwana de Kanarakuni, especificando su relación con las plantas nativas de su entorno, señalando los diversos usos medicinales, alimenticios, objetos - herramientas, aplicación en la construcción y culturales. Incluyendo además notas sobre sus cultivos de subsistencia con plantas introducidas y el aprovechamiento de algunos animales de la fauna local.     General aspects of the vegetation, flora and useful plants of the Kanarakuni river valley, Alto Caura river, Bolívar state, Venezuela Abstract: Information on the vegetation and flora of the Kanarakuni valley in the upper basin of the Caura river, Venezuela, is presented. The valley is inhabited by the Ye'kwana ethnic group. Four of the existing vegetation units in the area are indicated: macrothermal evergreen forest; karanal (group of Mauritiella armata); scrubland; savannah and aquatic vegetation. There are 289 species grouped in 221 genera and 99 families, which were herborized in botanical expeditions and deposited in national herbaria (VEN, CAR, GUYN, PORT). For each specie their habit, way of life and habitat is indicated. The presence of another 32 species that were not collected by the botanical expeditions are signaled, including 5 Arecaceae and 4 Poaceae. A list with 136 names of wild, utilitarian and cultivated plants in the local indigenous language, mentioning their uses is provided. Of these species, excluding non-native cultivated ones (14), 99 have utilitarian application in situ by this Ye'kwana ethnic group. The families with the most representatives among the Pteridophyta are Dryopteridaceae and Hymenophyllaceae; as for the Magnoliopsida class, the Melastomataceae, Rubiaceae, Fabaceae, Asteraceae; and of the Liliopsida, Orchidaceae, Poaceae, Cyperaceae and Arecaceae. The fern Actinostachys subtrijuga is cited as a new addition to the flora of Bolívar state. Generalities and customs of the Ye'kwana community of Kanarakuni are also exposed, specifying their relationship with the native plants of their environment, pointing out the various medicinal, food, object-tool, construction and cultural uses. Also including notes on their subsistence crops with introduced plants and the use of some animals of the local fauna

On biospeleothems from a Venezuelan tepui cave: U-Th dating, growth rates, and morphology

Seven silica biospeleothems from Cueva Charles Brewer, Chimantá Plateau, Venezuela have been successfully U-Th dated despite very low U and high detrital Th concentrations. Growth rates are low, between ~100 to ~800 µm/ka, and are greater closer to water level. Dates in unaltered material are in good stratigraphic order, but secondary silicification may compromise the U-Th system, yielding unreliable sequences of ages. Detritally-enriched layers correlate with global climate cycles of the Late Quaternary, in particular the cooler, drier phases of MIS 5d, 5a, and 4. SEM studies indicate that the peloidal material is made up of silica nano-particles assembled to form hollow tubules ~1 µm in diameter. Secondary silicification inside and outside the tubules fills most of the pores. Barite crystals are deposited close to the silicified core material. Chemical analyses suggest that the white peloidal material is deposited by stream-generated foam, while the silicified material and dark core material are closer to rock composition

A Commentary on LC v Peru

In LC v Peru, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women held that Peru was in breach of its obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women when it denied a 13 year old girl emergency surgery as well as an abortion. This commentary discusses the human rights significance of LC v Peru, especially in relation to the advancement of abortion jurisprudence in the African region. It is submitted that LC v Peru makes an important contribution towards the development of abortion laws that are transparent and accountable to women, as well as responsive to equal protection under the law. The duty of states to operationalize LC v Peru in their domestic law is an innovative juridical resource for reforming abortion laws. This is particularly so in those regions, including the African region, where the continued criminalization of abortion serves as a significant incentive for unsafe, illegal abortion.http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayJournal?jid=JALam2014ai201

Venezuelan sandstone caves: a new view on their genesis, hydrogeology and speleothems

Caves in arenites of the Roraima Group in Venezuela have been explored on the Chimantá and Roraima plateaus (tepuis). Geological and geomorphological research showed that the most feasible method of caves genesis was the winnowing and erosion of unlithified or poorly lithified arenites. The unlithified arenitic beds were isolated by wellcemented overlying and underlying rocks. There is a sharp contrast between these well-lithified rocks and the loose sands which form the poorly lithified to unlithified beds. They are only penetrated by well lithifi ed pillars originated by vertical finger flow of the diagenetic fluids from the overlying beds. Such finger flow is only typical for loose sands and soils where there is a sharp difference in hydraulic conductivity. The pillars exhibit no signs of further dissolution. The caves form when the flowing water accesses the poorly lithified beds through clefts. Collapse of several superimposed winnowed-horizons can create huge subterranean spaces. Futher upward propagation of the collapses can lead to large collapse zones which are commonly observed on the tepuis. Dissolution is also present but it probably plays neither a trigger role, nor a volumetrically important role in the cave-forming processes. The strongest dissolution/reprecipitation agent is condensed air moisture which is most likely the main agent contributing to growth of siliceous speleothems. As such, it can be active only after, but not before the cave is created. Siliceous speleothems are mostly microbialites except for some normal stalactites, cobweb stalactites and flowstones which are formed inorganically. They consist of two main types: 1. fine-laminated columnar stromatolite formed by silicified filamentous microbes (either heterotrophic filamentous bacteria or cyanobacteria) and 2. a porous peloidal stromatolite formed by Nostoc-type cyanobacteria. The initial stages of encrusted shrubs and mats of microbes were observed, too, but the surrounding arenitic substrate was intact. This is strong evidence for the microbial mediation of silica precipitation