Uses and Conservation of Plant Species in a National Park—A Case Study of Ben En, Vietnam

Uses and Conservation of Plant Species in a National Park—A Case Study of Ben En, Vietnam. This paper surveys the use of wild and cultivated plants by local people in Ben En National Park, Vietnam, and analyzes its impact on the conservation status of some of the utilized species. A total of 208 species used for a range of nonmedicinal purposes are listed. See Hoang et al. (2008a) for 230 medicinal plants used in the park. Most species are used for food. The use of plants contributes very significantly to the livelihood of local people in the park, but the current use patterns are not sustainable and would lead to local extinction of rare and endangered species if no additional conservation measures are introduced. Men collect nonmedicinal plants more often than women. A total of 38 useful plant species are commercialized, and contribute 12% of the average income of individual households. Bamboo shoots of Schizostachyum funghomii (Poaceae) are the most important for income generation. The monetary equivalent of noncommercialized useful plants probably far exceeds the value of the traded plant products. Plant use is independent of the ethnicity of the different populations living in the park. Larger households make use of a greater variety of useful plant species than small families. Abundant species in the forest have a higher use index (UI) than less common species. Out of the 208 useful species, as many as 27 were found to be endangered locally, many more than the 11 or 8 endangered species included in national or global red lists. Currently, useful plants, especially important timber trees, are more abundant in the less disturbed parts of the park, far away from the villages, indicating the pressures of illegal logging and harvesting near villages on the ecosystems.     

Le Middle Stone Age de la grotte du Porc-Épic (Dire Dawa, Éthiopie) : gestion des matières premières et comportements techniques

With the emergence of Modern Humans in Africa a new post-Acheulean culture seems to take form: the Middle Stone Age. Although the geo-chronological limits of this period remain unclear, it may however be characterised by behavioural modifications, in particular an important change in the relationship between humans and their environment. Theses changes may partially result from the diversification of stone-tool production techniques, as well as socio-economical conditions. Sites dating of this period show that flake types are more abundant and result from exploitation methods that become gradually more sophisticated from about 300ka.In this context, study of the lithic assemblage from Porc-Epic Cave in Ethiopia contributes to the knowledge about operative methods used during the Middle Stone Age. The combined production of flakes, blades, bladelets and points using various methods, a differential economy towards raw materials and the diversity of tool types produced, underline the large extent of technological variability that the Porc-Epic tool-makers were capable of. We may conclude that, in spite of certain differences concerning raw material acquisition, a chronological homogeneity exists in the production modes and their variability. This apparent homogeneity throughout the stratigraphical sequence underlines the difficulty of attributing a cultural characteristic to stone assemblages of this period.     

Human skeletal remains from Mumba Rock Shelter,Northern Tanzania

During their expeditions in Northern Tanzania in 1934/38, Ludwig and Margit Kohl-Larsen (discoverer of Eyasi and Garusi hominids)excavated i. a. the Mumba Rock Shelter. This important excavation yielded human skeletal remains of 18 individuals. The most relevant results of the morphological analyses are presented here. According to the affinities and absolute dating (hominid IX, 3700 B. C. ), the present study supports recent indications of the presence of Negroid groups in East Africa at an early stage in Later Stone Age times.     

Determinants of Land Degradation and Fragmentation in Semiarid Vegetation at Landscape Scale

The objective of this paper was to investigate the sensitivity to degradation of semiarid plant communities in terms of plant cover and fragmentation, quantifying relationships between landscape characteristic (physical, socio-economical and historical) and vegetation degradation. The degradation of vegetation was measured as the degree of coverage of the two dominant vegetation types (i.e. tall arid brush and tall grass steppe), while fragmentation was measured as patch size and isolation. Data were obtained using GIS tools, and analyzed by logistic regression and linear multivariate regression. Results showed denser coverage at more elevated, gradual slopes that were not sea-oriented. Historical elements of the landscape had a significant effect on current natural vegetation. According to the fragmentation patterns, the vegetation is in fairly good condition (medium coverage had the largest patches but dense coverage was less isolated) but attention must be given to preserve vegetation, due to the relationships between fragmentation and human activities. Moreover, the protection plan under way in the area appeared to favour denser vegetation cover, while human activities had a measurable effect on vegetation degradation.     

许昌人遗址研究的新收获及展望

许昌人遗址位于河南省许昌市灵井镇,2005-2017年发掘,揭露面积500余平方米,2007、2014年在9号探方出土包括2颗"许昌人"头骨在内的5个古人类个体,大量的石制品和21种哺乳动物化石。头骨具有东亚古人类、欧洲尼安德特人和早期现代人的镶嵌特征,可能代表一种新型的古老型人类。石制品研究显示,石核类型多样,且以小型双锥形盘状石核为特色;小型工具类型分异明显、加工精细,显示出不同于旧石器时代早期遗址中的工具技术,而与西方旧石器时代中期遗址工具技术上的特点较为一致。此外,遗址出土7件软锤工具,以动物长骨或鹿角为原料,用以修理石质工具。软锤工具的发现,对于认识中国旧石器时代技术的发展有重要意义。通过对遗址形成过程的分析,"许昌人"生活时期的沉积环境经历了三个阶段:下部灰绿色滨湖相粉砂堆积所指示的水流动力相对较弱的沉积环境,中部综红色粉砂堆积所指示的水流动力相对较强的沉积环境,以及上部浅棕红色粉砂堆积所指示的相对冷湿、水动力仍然较强的沉积环境。尽管存在水动力强弱上的相对变化,但水动力总体上并不大,以低能量水流为主,文化遗物属于原地埋藏。今后将开展人类艺术行为能力、古人用软锤和压制法制作石器的技术、动物埋藏学和年代学等方面的深入研究。     

Is urine a reliable clinical sample for the diagnosis of human visceral leishmaniasis? A systematic review and meta-analysis

Visualization of amastigotes in lymph nodes, bone marrow, and other tissues samples remains the gold standard method for the diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in humans. This gold standard diagnostic method uses a technically challenging microscopy procedure that is often not accessible in many places in the world where VL is endemic. Here, we report the current systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate whether urine is a reliable clinical sample for diagnosis of human VL. Data were extracted from ten available databases during the period from 2002 to 2017. Overall, 29 articles fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were used for data extraction in this systematic review. Most studies (72.4%) using urine specimens were reported from five countries: India 6 (20.7%), Iran 5 (17.2%), Bangladesh 4 (13.8%), Japan 3 (10.3%) and Spain 3 (10.3%), respectively. The most common diagnostic tests performed on urine were Katex (62.1%), ELISA (24.1%), and the rK39 (17.2%) assays. In meta-analysis the sensitivity and specificity of the three most commonly used diagnostic assays were rK39 (97%; CI: 91–99; 98%;76–100), ELISA (91%; 82–95; 99%; CI: 94–100), and Katex (83%; 73–90; 98%; 98–100), suggesting that the rK39 assay provided the highest sensitivity and the ELISA assay provided the highest specificity for diagnosis of VL from urine samples. Our findings suggest that urine is a valuable clinical sample for the diagnosis of human VL, particularly in areas where the gold standard test for VL is not available.     

Diversity and multiplicity in the Asian Acheulian

The emergence of the Acheulian Techno-Complex in Asia appears to have occurred quasi-concurrently in the Levant, South Asia, East and South Africa. Throughout many parts of the huge geographical expanse of Asia, as elsewhere, this genesis was followed by the rapid diffusion of Acheulian techno-behaviors. This phenomenon of cultural radiation is attested in the archeological record throughout the Old World by an increased number of occurrences documenting growing demographic trends of Acheulian peoples, into the latter phases of the Middle Pleistocene. The “Homogeneity to Multiplicity Model” (HMM) is used here to provide a window for understanding the mechanisms behind the evolutionary changes observed throughout the very long duration and extensive geographical context of the Asian Acheulian. Since the beginning of the 19th century, Asia has continuously provided archeological evidence that is vital to our understanding of the “Acheulian revolution” and the plausible links it may have had with the appearance and evolution of Homo erectus s. l. The emphasis traditionally put on handaxes as hallmarks of Acheulian culture has falsely led many archeologists to propose models of cultural diffusion that have masked the true nature of the Acheulian as a worldwide phenomenon in which Asia has always played a key role.