Millets and Herders: The Origins of Plant Cultivation in Semiarid North Gujarat (India)

Botanical evidence suggests that North Gujarat (India) was a primary center of plant domestication during the mid-Holocene. However, lack of systematic archaeobotanical research and significant taphonomic processes have so far hampered the possibility of substantiating this hypothesis. This paper explores the role of plants in the subsistence strategies of early-middle Holocene populations in this semiarid region and the processes leading to plant cultivation. To do so, we carry out a multiproxy archaeobotanical study —integrating macro and microbotanical remains— at two hunter-gatherer and agropastoral occupations. The results show that the progressive weakening of the Indian summer monsoon ca. 7,000 years ago compelled human populations to adopt seminomadic pastoralism and plant cultivation, which resulted in the domestication of several small millet species, pulses, and sesame.Peer Reviewe

Navigating surgical anatomy of the Denonvilliers' fascia and dissection planes of the anterior mesorectum with a cadaveric simulation model

Anterior dissection of the rectum in the male pelvis represents one of the most complex phases of total meso-rectal excision. However, the possible existence of different anatomical planes is controversial and the exact anatomical topography of Denonvilliers' fascia is still debated. The aim of the study is to accurately define in a cadaveric simulation model the existence and boundaries of Denonvilliers' fascia, identifying the anatomical planes suitable for surgical dissection. The pelvises of 31 formalin-preserved male cadavers were dissected. Careful and detailed dissection was carried out to visualize the anatomical structures and the potential dissection planes, simulating an anterior meso-rectum dissection. Denonvilliers' fascia was identified in 100% of the pelvises, as a single-layer fascia that originates from the peritoneal reflection and descends until its firm adhesion to the prostate capsule. The fascia divides the space providing an anterior and a posterior plane. Anteriorly to the fascia, during the caudal dissection, its firm adhesion to the prostate capsule forces to section it sharply. The cadaveric simulation model allowed an accurate description of Denonvilliers' fascia, defining several planes for anterior dissection of the meso-rectum

Resilience of small-scale societies’ livelihoods: a framework for studying the transition from food gathering to food production

The origins of agriculture and the shift from hunting and gathering to committed agriculture is regarded as one of the major transitions in human history. Archeologists and anthropologists have invested significant efforts in explaining the origins of agriculture. A period of gathering intensification and experimentation and pursuing a mixed economic strategy seems the most plausible explanation for the transition to agriculture and provides an approach to study a process in which several nonlinear processes may have played a role. However, the mechanisms underlying the transition to full agriculture are not completely clear. This is partly due to the nature of the archeological record, which registers a practice only once it has become clearly established. Thus, points of transitions have limited visibility and the mechanisms involved in the process are difficult to untangle. The complexity of such transitions also implies that shifts can be distinctively different in particular environments and under varying historical and social conditions. In this paper we discuss some of the elements involved in the transition to food production within the framework of resilience theory. We propose a theoretical conceptual model in which the resilience of livelihood strategies lies at the intersection of three spheres: the environmental, economical, and social domains. Transitions occur when the rate of change, in one or more of these domains, is so elevated or its magnitude so large that the livelihood system is unable to bounce back to its original state. In this situation, the system moves to an alternative stable state, from one livelihood strategy to another.This paper is the result of a two-day workshop funded by ICREA (Catalan Higher Research Institution) and organized at the ICTA (Institute for Environmental Studies) of the Autonomous University of Barcelona and the Department of Humanities of the Universitat Pompeu Fabra. The workshop was cofounded by the SimulPast project (former Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, CSD2010-00034). CL, DZ, MM, and JJGG are part of CaSEs (Complexity and Socio-Ecological Dynamics Research Group), a Grup de Recerca Emergent of the Generalitat de Catalunya (SGR-e 1417). CL is currently a UPFellow; JJGG was supported by a JAE PreDOC PhD scholarship (Spanish National Research Council and European Social Fund) and the SimulPast project.Peer Reviewe

Mechanical barriers and transforming growth factor beta inhibitor on epidural fibrosis in a rabbit laminectomy model

Background: TGF-β has been described as a mediator of fibrosis and scarring. Several studies achieved reduction in experimental scarring through the inhibition of TGF-β. Fibroblasts have been defined as the cell population originating fibrosis, blocking fibroblast invasion may impair epidural fibrosis appearance. For this purpose, biocompatible materials used as mechanical barriers and a TGF-β inhibitor peptide were evaluated in the reduction of epidural fibrosis. Methods: A L6 laminectomy was performed in 40 New Zealand white rabbits. Divided into four groups, each rabbit was assigned to receive either collagen sponge scaffold (CS group), gelatin-based gel (GCP group), P144® (iTGFβ group), or left untreated (control group). Four weeks after surgery, cell density, collagen content, and new bone formation of the scar area were determined by histomorphometry. Two experienced pathologists scored dura mater adhesion, scar density, and inflammatory infiltrate in a blinded manner. Results: In all groups, laminectomy site was filled with fibrous tissue and the dura mater presented adhesions. Only GCP group presented a significant reduction in collagen content and scar density. Conclusion: GCP treatment reduces epidural fibrosis although did not prevent dura mater adhesion completely

Adquisición de competencias profesionales en los estudiantes del Grado de Trabajo Social. La argumentación y elaboración en el diagnóstico social a través de diferentes instrumentos

Se presentan los resultados obtenidos en el Proyecto Nº 21 Adquisición de competencias profesionales en los estudiantes del Grado de Trabajo Social. La argumentación y elaboración en el diagnóstico social a través de diferentes instrumentos, acerca de reforzar la argumentación en el alumnado del Grado de Trabajo Social a través de instrumentos, que refuercen su aprendizaje en la elaboración del diagnóstico social, donde se visualiza la calidad y eficacia de la intervención profesional

Anales del III Congreso Internacional de Vivienda y Ciudad "Debate en torno a la nueva agenda urbana"

Acta de congresoEl III Congreso Internacional de Vivienda y Ciudad “Debates en torno a la NUEVa Agenda Urbana”, ha sido una apuesta de alto compromiso por acercar los debates centrales y urgentes que tensionan el pleno ejercicio del derecho a la ciudad. Para ello las instituciones organizadoras (INVIHAB –Instituto de Investigación de Vivienda y Hábitat y MGyDH-Maestría en Gestión y Desarrollo Habitacional-1), hemos convidado un espacio que se concretó con potencia en un debate transdisciplinario. Convocó a intelectuales de prestigio internacional, investigadores, académicos y gestores estatales, y en una metodología de innovación articuló las voces académicas con las de las organizaciones sociales y/o barriales en el Foro de las Organizaciones Sociales que tuvo su espacio propio para dar voz a quienes están trabajando en los desafíos para garantizar los derechos a la vivienda y los bienes urbanos en nuestras ciudades del Siglo XXI

From gathering to farming in semi-arid Northern Gujarat (India): a multi-proxy approach

[cat] Aquesta tesi s’ha dut a terme en el marc del projecte NoGAP (North Gujarat Archaeological Project), un acord de col·laboració entre el grup de recerca CaSEs (Complexity and Socio-Ecological Dynamics) del Departament d’Arqueologia i Antropologia de la Institució Milà i Fontanals del Consell Superior d’Investigacions Científiques (IMF-CISC, Barcelona), i el Departament d’Arqueologia i Història Antiga de la Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda (MSUB, Vadodara, Índia). Les mostres arqueològiques analitzades com a part d’aquesta tesi doctoral provenen de tres excavacions desenvolupades dins el marc del projecte NoGAP (Loteswar al 2009, Datrana IV al 2010 i Vaharvo Timbo al 2011), i una excavació del Departament d’Arqueologia i Història Antiga de la MSUB (Shikarpur al 2012). El treball de laboratori es dugué a terme majoritàriament al laboratori BioGeoPal de la IMF-CSIC. Aquesta tesi es presenta com a compendi de sis articles publicats a revistes de reconegut prestigi internacional. Alguns dels articles són metodològics i d’altres es centren en un cas d’estudi, però tots tenen una mateixa finalitat: entendre el paper dels recursos vegetals en la subsistència de les poblacions que ocuparen el Gujarat del Nord durant l’holocè. Dos d’aquests articles versen sobre la identificació de mills petits (el principal cultiu al Gujarat del nord durant la prehistòria) al registre arqueològic mitjançant l’estudi de col·leccions de referència de plantes modernes, i estan publicats a Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences (Madella et al. 2013) i Vegetation History and Archaeobotany (García-Granero et al. enviat per publicació a). Els altres quatre articles discuteixen els resultats de l’anàlisi de les restes arqueobotàniques dels quatre jaciments mencionats, i estan publicats a Vegetation History and Archaeobotany (García-Granero et al. 2015), Current Anthropology (García-Granero et al. en premsa), Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences (García-Granero et al. enviat per publicació b) i de nou Vegetation History and Archaeobotany (García-Granero et al. enviat per publicació c). Aquesta tesi està organitzada en dues parts principals: la Introducció (Capítols 1-4) i la Discussió (Capítols 5-7). La Introducció inclou la Presentació de la tesi (Capítol 1), les Preguntes de la Recerca (Capítol 2), el Marc de la Recerca (Capítol 3) i els Materials i Mètodes emprats (Capítol 4); mentre que la Discussió inclou els Resultats Principals (Capítol 5), la Discussió d’aquests resultats (Capítol 6) i les Conclusions (Capítol 7). Els sis articles que formen part d’aquesta tesi es presenten a continuació, ja sigui en format final (articles publicats) o adaptats a l’estil de la resta de la tesi (articles encara en procés de revisió/publicació). Finalment, s’inclouen una sèrie d’apèndixs amb les dades en brut de les anàlisis arqueobotàniques.[eng] Understanding how human societies adapted to past environmental and climatic variability is fundamental to face present and future climatic events, particularly in highly vulnerable arid and semi-arid regions. Northern Gujarat (northwestern India) is a semi-arid ecotone where high intra- and inter-annual precipitation variability has a great impact on the availability of resources and, consequently, on human populations that depend upon them. The main aim of this thesis is to understand how and why plant-related subsistence strategies changed throughout the Holocene in northern Gujarat, with special emphasis on the transition from gathering to farming. This study considers macro and microbotanical remains from two hunter-gatherer occupations (Vaharvo Timbo and the Mesolithic levels at Loteshwar) and two agro-pastoral camps (Datrana IV and the Anarta levels at Loteshwar) to understand how early and middle Holocene populations interacted with the environment in terms of livelihood strategies. Moreover, archaeobotanical remains from one late Holocene urban settlement (Shikarpur) are also analysed to ascertain how urban societies exploited this semi-arid environment in terms of plant acquisition and consumption. The results show that hunter-gatherer groups that inhabited northern Gujarat during the early-mid (semi)permanent water bodies, including grasses, pulses, sedges, tubers and sesame. Holocene exploited a wide range of wild plants originating from The progressive weakening of the Indian Summer Monsoon ca. 7000 years ago compelled human populations to adopt semi-nomadic pastoralism and plant cultivation, which resulted in the domestication of several small millet species, pulses and sesame. With the advent of settled urban life in the late Holocene the inhabitants of northern Gujarat developed a more intensive land-use strategy involving a cereal-pulse intercropping agricultural system. This study is an illustrative example of human adaptation to climatic and environmental changes in semi-arid regions. From a methodological perspective, the results of this thesis show that an integrated multi-proxy approach, in which several botanical proxies and a broad-spectrum sampling strategy are used together, is the best possible way to explore diet and plant use strategies in past societies. Future research will integrate archaeobotanical data in a multi-disciplinary perspective to help designing sustainable land use strategies in northern Gujarat and other marginal areas worldwide