Age and date for early arrival of the Acheulian in Europe (Barranc de la Boella, la Canonja, Spain)

The first arrivals of hominin populations into Eurasia during the Early Pleistocene are currently considered to have occurred as short and poorly dated biological dispersions. Questions as to the tempo and mode of these early prehistoric settlements have given rise to debates concerning the taxonomic significance of the lithic assemblages, as trace fossils, and the geographical distribution of the technological traditions found in the Lower Palaeolithic record. Here, we report on the Barranc de la Boella site which has yielded a lithic assemblage dating to ,1 million years ago that includes large cutting tools (LCT). We argue that distinct technological traditions coexisted in the Iberian archaeological repertoires of the late Early Pleistocene age in a similar way to the earliest sub-Saharan African artefact assemblages. These differences between stone tool assemblages may be attributed to the different chronologies of hominin dispersal events. The archaeological record of Barranc de la Boella completes the geographical distribution of LCT assemblages across southern Eurasia during the EMPT (Early-Middle Pleistocene Transition, circa 942 to 641 kyr). Up to now, chronology of the earliest European LCT assemblages is based on the abundant Palaeolithic record found in terrace river sequences which have been dated to the end of the EMPT and later. However, the findings at Barranc de la Boella suggest that early LCT lithic assemblages appeared in the SW of Europe during earlier hominin dispersal episodes before the definitive colonization of temperate Eurasia took place.The research at Barranc de la Boella has been carried out with the financial support of the Spanish Ministerio de Economı´a y Competitividad (CGL2012- 36682; CGL2012-38358, CGL2012-38434-C03-03 and CGL2010-15326; MICINN project HAR2009-7223/HIST), Generalitat de Catalunya, AGAUR agence (projects 2014SGR-901; 2014SGR-899; 2009SGR-324, 2009PBR-0033 and 2009SGR-188) and Junta de Castilla y Leo´n BU1004A09. Financial support for Barranc de la Boella field work and archaeological excavations is provided by the Ajuntament de la Canonja and Departament de Cultura (Servei d’Arqueologia i Paleontologia) de la Generalitat de Catalunya. A. Carrancho’s research was funded by the International Excellence Programme, Reinforcement subprogramme of the Spanish Ministry of Education. I. Lozano-Ferna´ndez acknowledges the pre-doctoral grant from the Fundacio´n Atapuerca. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript

Parentesco y herencia entre los chibchas de la sabana de Bogotá al tiempo de la conquista española

Las comunidades prehispánicas Chibchas de la Sabana de Bogotá poseían una jerarquía de unidades socio-territoriales —uta, capitanía y comunidad— que estaban vinculadas mediante parentesco y lazos matrimoniales. Prefe­rencialmente, el matrimonio tenía un sesgo matrilateral entre primos cruza­dos, con residencia marital virílocal y eventual residencia avunculocal para los hijos. Los Chibchas de la Sabana de Bogotá eran uniformemente matrilineales. La herencia se determinó matrilinealmente tanto entre los plebeyos como entre las familias de mayor status, así mismo la posición política. Los derechos de tierra también se heredaban matrilinealmente entre los Chib­chas de la pre-conquista. En e! período colonial, con la introducción de las nuevas formas españolas de herencia, adquisición y tenencia de tierras, im­puestas por los corregidores y los sacerdotes, esta herencia patrilinal de la tierra y posiblemente de la propiedad mueble vino a coexistir al lado de los patrones matrilineales tradicionales

Parentesco y herencia entre los chibchas de la sabana de Bogotá al tiempo de la conquista española

Las comunidades prehispánicas Chibchas de la Sabana de Bogotá poseían una jerarquía de unidades socio-territoriales —uta, capitanía y comunidad— que estaban vinculadas mediante parentesco y lazos matrimoniales. Prefe­rencialmente, el matrimonio tenía un sesgo matrilateral entre primos cruza­dos, con residencia marital virílocal y eventual residencia avunculocal para los hijos. Los Chibchas de la Sabana de Bogotá eran uniformemente matrilineales. La herencia se determinó matrilinealmente tanto entre los plebeyos como entre las familias de mayor status, así mismo la posición política. Los derechos de tierra también se heredaban matrilinealmente entre los Chib­chas de la pre-conquista. En e! período colonial, con la introducción de las nuevas formas españolas de herencia, adquisición y tenencia de tierras, im­puestas por los corregidores y los sacerdotes, esta herencia patrilinal de la tierra y posiblemente de la propiedad mueble vino a coexistir al lado de los patrones matrilineales tradicionales

Long-term monitoring reveals population decline of spectacled caimans (Caiman crocodilus) at a black-water lake in Ecuadorian Amazon

Knowledge on long-term population trends in crocodilians is essential to assess the effectiveness of conservation areas and to guide sustainable management practices. We studied changes in population size of spectacled (Caiman crocodilus) and black caimans (Melanosuchus Niger) over a period of 17 yr at Mateococha, a black-water lake located in Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve, western Amazonia, Ecuador. Using standardized spotlight counts and two mark-recapture surveys, we estimated the population abundance, body size structure, and sex ratio in 1994, 2004, and 2011. The maximum number of C. crocodilus recorded in 1994 (147 individuals; 33 individuals/kilometer [ind/km] of lakeshore) declined by 2004 to 94 individuals (21.1 ind/km) and by 2011 to 63 individuals (14.2 ind/km). The number of M. Niger recorded was low but constant (5-7 individuals; 1.1-1.6 ind/km) throughout the study, suggesting that factors causing the decline in C. crocodilus were not related to the M. Niger population trend. Large C. crocodilus adults (total length 150-220 cm) were frequent in 1994 but became rare in 2004 and 2011. The sex ratio of captured C. crocodilus was male-biased during all periods. The causes of the population decline are unknown, but available evidence suggests that illegal hunting and habitat degradation are likely culprits despite the protected status of the Cuyabeno Reserve. Our findings question the effectiveness of protected areas to ensure long-term survival of caiman populations in Ecuador

Dynamic of Phenolic Compounds in <i>Guadua angustifolia</i> Kunth under Chemical, Organic, and Biological Fertilization

Guadua angustifolia produces phenolic compounds, and this production may be influenced by the application of chemical, organic, and biological fertilizers. Currently, the effect of such fertilizers on the synthesis dynamics of this group of metabolites in bamboo is unknown. In this study, the total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) in the leaves of plants fertilized with diammonium phosphate (DAP) and humus in combination with the biofertilizers Promofort®, Azospirillum brasilense, Pseudomonas fluorescens, and Stenotrophomonas sp. were determined using colorimetric techniques across three sampling events (four, five, and seven months after planting). Additionally, an approximation of the bacterial profile of G. angustifolia roots was performed using the DGGE-PCR fingerprint technique. Through repeated measures ANOVA (rmANOVA), it was determined that there is no statistically significant three-way interaction between humus or DAP application, biological fertilizers, and time for either TPC or TFC. However, there were interactions between the sampling event and the application of biological fertilizers for both TPC and TFC, with the latter being promoted by the application of Promofort®. Finally, NMDS analyses and heatmaps with hierarchical clustering showed that the composition and abundance of OTUs in the bacterial profile varied with fertilization type and increased over time

Primer Encuentro Internacional de Experiencias de Investigación en Ciencias Administrativas

Este evento de investigación organizado por la Escuela de Administración de la Universidad del Rosario surgió como una iniciativa para fomentar la investigación formativa en áreas administrativas. El evento, al que asistieron 165 participantes, contó con dos conferencias centrales, 30 ponencias presentadas en 8 simposios y 7 posters. La participación de distintas universidades permitió un intercambio académico muy importante y formativo para los ponentes y asistentes en general, promoviendo el interés por la investigación en el campo de la administración, el cual fue el interés central de este encuentro. Este encuentro recibió el apoyo de las directivas de la Universidad del Rosario, la Señora vicerrectora Stephanie Lavaux, el Señor Decano de la Escuela de Administración, Dr. Alejandro Cheyne, ACBSP (Accreditation Council for Business Schools & Programs) y Asociación Colombiana de Facultades de Administración (ASCOLFA)

Shapes of love in the miracle testimonies of the Virgin of Chiquinquirá, New Kingdom of Granada, 1587 to 1694

A trilogy of texts composed between 1587 and 1694 memorialize the origin of and early devotion to the Virgin of Chiquinquirá in the New Kingdom of Granada: an información jurídica (original ecclesiastical investigation of reported miracles ordered by the archbishop of Bogotá); a manuscript collection of 234 miracle testimonies, long-lost and never studied until now; and the first published history of the cult. The devotees whose experiences comprise these texts had turned to Mary of Chiquinquirá with deeply personal needs and received miraculous interventions. Later, they recounted their experiences under oath before witnesses. This essay examines those accounts, finding vestiges of local society and culture and, more importantly, illumination of the testators\u27 enacted feelings about themselves and others. The essay argues that within the intimate space of a spiritual emotional community, miracle testimonies which purport to focus on love for the Virgin of Chiquinquirá actually reveal a great deal about human love

Evaluation of a quality improvement intervention to reduce anastomotic leak following right colectomy (EAGLE): pragmatic, batched stepped-wedge, cluster-randomized trial in 64 countries

Background Anastomotic leak affects 8 per cent of patients after right colectomy with a 10-fold increased risk of postoperative death. The EAGLE study aimed to develop and test whether an international, standardized quality improvement intervention could reduce anastomotic leaks. Methods The internationally intended protocol, iteratively co-developed by a multistage Delphi process, comprised an online educational module introducing risk stratification, an intraoperative checklist, and harmonized surgical techniques. Clusters (hospital teams) were randomized to one of three arms with varied sequences of intervention/data collection by a derived stepped-wedge batch design (at least 18 hospital teams per batch). Patients were blinded to the study allocation. Low- and middle-income country enrolment was encouraged. The primary outcome (assessed by intention to treat) was anastomotic leak rate, and subgroup analyses by module completion (at least 80 per cent of surgeons, high engagement; less than 50 per cent, low engagement) were preplanned. Results A total 355 hospital teams registered, with 332 from 64 countries (39.2 per cent low and middle income) included in the final analysis. The online modules were completed by half of the surgeons (2143 of 4411). The primary analysis included 3039 of the 3268 patients recruited (206 patients had no anastomosis and 23 were lost to follow-up), with anastomotic leaks arising before and after the intervention in 10.1 and 9.6 per cent respectively (adjusted OR 0.87, 95 per cent c.i. 0.59 to 1.30; P = 0.498). The proportion of surgeons completing the educational modules was an influence: the leak rate decreased from 12.2 per cent (61 of 500) before intervention to 5.1 per cent (24 of 473) after intervention in high-engagement centres (adjusted OR 0.36, 0.20 to 0.64; P &lt; 0.001), but this was not observed in low-engagement hospitals (8.3 per cent (59 of 714) and 13.8 per cent (61 of 443) respectively; adjusted OR 2.09, 1.31 to 3.31). Conclusion Completion of globally available digital training by engaged teams can alter anastomotic leak rates. Registration number: NCT04270721 (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov)