Intercultural-Bilingual Education for an Interethnic-Plurilingual Society? The Case of Nicaragua's Caribbean Coast.

Science.gov (United States)

Freeland, Jane

2003-01-01

Latin American models of "intercultural-bilingual" education may be inappropriate for multilingual, interethnic regions such as Nicaragua's Caribbean Coast, where five indigenous and Afro-Caribbean minorities interact in overlapping territories. Examination of one such program and of Coast people's complex linguistic and cultural…

Maturity Stages of Pink Shrimp Farfantepenaeus notialis (Penaeidae in the Colombian Caribbean

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Daniel Giovanny Pérez Ferro

2014-05-01

shrimp commercial vessels in the Colombian Caribbean. The females of F. notialiswere identified and preserved for the histologic analysis and some gonads were fixed. Data of size, weight and sex were taken. The gonadal stages were determined from the morphology and coloration of gonad and to microscopic determination were carried out histologic cut from samples of thirty gonads from all stages. A total of 3019 females were obtained from F. notialis, to which five stages of gonadal development    ESTADIOS DE MADUREZ DEL CAMARÓN ROSADO Farfantepenaeus notialis (PENAEIDAE EN EL CARIBE COLOMBIANO

Occurrence of energetic extreme oceanic events in the Colombian Caribbean coasts and some approaches to assess their impact on ecosystems

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Bernal, G.; Osorio, A. F.; Urrego, L.; Peláez, D.; Molina, E.; Zea, S.; Montoya, R. D.; Villegas, N.

2016-12-01

Above-normal meteorological and oceanographic conditions that generate damage on coastal ecosystems and associated human communities are called extreme oceanic events. Accurate data are needed to predict their occurrence and to understand their effects. We analyzed available data from four localities in the Colombian Caribbean to study the effect of wave-related extreme events (hurricanes, surges) in three coastal ecosystems, i.e., mangroves, beaches, and reefs. Three localities were continental (Portete Bay mangroves at the Guajira Peninsula, Bocagrande Public Beach at Cartagena City, Tayrona Natural Park reefs near Santa Marta City), and one was oceanic (Old Providence Island reefs in the San Andres and Old Providence Archipelago, SW Caribbean). We gathered data on ocean surface winds (1978-2011) for the four locations, then modeled significant wave heights, then identified extreme events, and finally tried to identify effects on the ecosystems, directly or from published literature. Wave-related extreme surges were also compiled from Colombian press news (1970-2008). Modeled wave maximums (> 5 m significant wave height) and press-reported events coincided with hurricanes, extreme dry season, mid-summer drought and northern hemisphere winter cold fronts, with neither a relationship to ENSO events, nor a temporal trend of increase, excepting Portete Bay, with a marked increase after 1995. Changes in Portete Bay mangroves were analyzed from aerial photographs before and after Tropical Storm Cesar (1996). In the 38 years before Cesar there was mangrove inland colonization, with some loss associated to beach erosion, while during the 8 years following the storm there were localized retreats and important changes in vegetation composition related to the falling of large trees and subsequent recolonization by species that are faster colonizers, and changes in soil composition brought about by inundation. Cartagena's Bocagrande Beach was followed between 2009 and 2011

Analysis of Health Indicators in Two Rural Communities on the Colombian Caribbean Coast: Poor Water Supply and Education Level Are Associated with Water-Related Diseases.

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Ruiz-Díaz, María Stephany; Mora-García, Gustavo José; Salguedo-Madrid, Germán Israel; Alario, Ángelo; Gómez-Camargo, Doris Esther

2017-11-01

Water-related diseases are closely linked with drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) indicators, socioeconomic status, education level, or dwelling's conditions. Developing countries exhibit a particular vulnerability to these diseases, especially rural areas and urban slums. This study assessed socioeconomic features, WASH indicators, and water-related diseases in two rural areas of the Colombian Caribbean coast. Most of this population did not finish basic education (72.3%, N = 159). Only one of the communities had a water supply (aqueduct), whereas the other received water via an adapted tanker ship. No respondents reported sewage services; 92.7% ( N = 204) had garbage service. Reported cases of diarrhea were associated with low education levels ( P = 2.37 × 10 -9 ) and an unimproved drinking water supply ( P = 0.035). At least one fever episode was reported in 20% ( N = 44) of dwellings, but the cases were not related to any indicator. The Aedes/ House index (percentage of houses that tested positive for Aedes larvae and/or pupae) was 69%, the container index (percentage of water-holding containers positive for Aedes larvae or pupae) 29.4%, and the Breteau index (number of positive containers per 100 houses in a specific location) was three positive containers per 100 inspected houses. The presence of positive containers was associated with the absence of a drinking water supply ( P = 0.04). The community with poorer health indicators showed greater health vulnerability conditions for acquisition of water-related diseases. In summary, water supply and educational level were the main factors associated with the presence of water-related diseases in both communities.

Trophic levels of fish species of commercial importance in the Colombian Caribbean

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Camilo B García

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Ecological studies on commercial important fish species are of great value to support resource management issues. This study calculated trophic levels of those Colombian Caribbean fish species whose diet has been locally described. Usable diet data of 119 species resulted in 164 trophic level estimates. An ordinary regression model relating trophic level and fish size was formulated. The regression slope was positive and significantly different from zero (p<0.05 suggesting a scaling of trophic level with fish size. Both the list of trophic levels and the regression model should be of help in the formulation of trophic indicators and models of neotropical ecosystems. Rev. Biol. Trop. 59 (3: 1195-1203. Epub 2011 September 01.

Bleaching Susceptibility and Recovery of Colombian Caribbean Corals in Response to Water Current Exposure and Seasonal Upwelling

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Bayraktarov, Elisa; Pizarro, Valeria; Eidens, Corvin; Wilke, Thomas; Wild, Christian

2013-01-01

Coral bleaching events are globally occurring more frequently and with higher intensity, mainly caused by increases in seawater temperature. In Tayrona National Natural Park (TNNP) in the Colombian Caribbean, local coral communities are subjected to seasonal wind-triggered upwelling events coinciding with stronger water currents depending on location. This natural phenomenon offers the unique opportunity to study potential water current-induced mitigation mechanisms of coral bleaching in an u...

Range extension for the common dolphin (Delphinus sp. to the Colombian Caribbean, with taxonomic implications from genetic barcoding and phylogenetic analyses.

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Nohelia Farías-Curtidor

Full Text Available The nearest known population of common dolphins (Delphinus sp. to the Colombian Caribbean occurs in a fairly restricted range in eastern Venezuela. These dolphins have not been previously reported in the Colombian Caribbean, likely because of a lack of study of the local cetacean fauna. We collected cetacean observations in waters of the Guajira Department, northern Colombia (~11°N, 73°W during two separate efforts: (a a seismic vessel survey (December 2009-March 2010, and (b three coastal surveys from small boats (May-July 2012, May 2013, and May 2014. Here we document ten sightings of common dolphins collected during these surveys, which extend the known range of the species by ~1000 km into the southwestern Caribbean. We also collected nine skin biopsies in 2013 and 2014. In order to determine the taxonomic identity of the specimens, we conducted genetic barcoding and phylogenetic analyses using two mitochondrial markers, the Control Region (mtDNA and Cytochrome b (Cytb. Results indicate that these specimens are genetically closer to the short-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus delphis even though morphologically they resemble a long-beaked form (Delphinus sp.. However, the specific taxonomic status of common dolphins in the Caribbean and in the Western Atlantic remains unresolved. It is also unclear whether the distribution of the species between northern Colombia and eastern Venezuela is continuous or disjoined, or whether they can be considered part of the same stock.

Herpetofauna of Neguanje, Tayrona National Natural Park, Colombian Caribbean

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rueda Solano, Luis Alberto; Castellanos Barliza, Jeiner

2010-01-01

The Herpetofauna of the Tayrona National Natural Park (Neguanje sector) was studied during 30 days between September and October 2004 by visual records, an active search and the arrangement of barriers with pitfall traps interception. 44 species (11 of amphibians and 33 of reptiles), distributed in 18 families and 37 genera, were registered. The species accumulation curves showed that approximately 20 days are sufficient to record all species of lizards, but not for the species of frogs and snakes. The lizard Lepidoblepharis sanctaemartae was the most abundant species recorded on the sector, which implies a potential advantage to assure its protection. The local distribution of the Colostethus ruthveni species, which had been reported in 1997 elsewhere for the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, was extended. Finally, this study reveals that the herpetofauna at Neguanje represents 33% of the total number of species reported for the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, which has positioned this area as one of the most representative in terms of biodiversity in the Colombian Caribbean.

Distribution of tortoises and freshwater turtles of the Colombian Caribbean

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Montes Correa, Andres Camilo; Saboya Acosta, Liliana Patricia; Paez, Vivian; Vega, Karen; Renjifo, Juan Manuel

2014-01-01

This research reviews the Colombian Caribbean distribution of the species Kinosternon scorpioides, Trachemys callirostris, Mesoclemmys dahli and Chelonoidis carbonaria, and to present new records for the region. The species K. scorpioides is reported for the first time in the Manzanares River drainage, Santa Marta, Department of Magdalena. Trachemys callirostris was recorded in the Canas River, Department of La Guajira, being the first record for this species in a small river on the north side of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. Chelonoidis carbonaria was recorded in a wetland in Santa Marta. We recorded a female M. dahli in the village of Monterrubio, municipality of Sabanas de San Angel, Department of Magdalena. Three of the four species included in this account are listed in some category of threat. The lack of knowledge of the biology and distribution of these species could be considered a threat to them because ignorance precludes the establishment of their true conservation status and hinders the development of management plans required for their protection.

Marine protected area design for Bahia Portete - La Guajira, Colombian Caribbean

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gutierrez Moreno, Carolina; Alonso C, David; Segura Quintero, Carolina

2008-01-01

Using an ecorregional planning process for the selection of conservation priority sites in the Colombian Caribbean region and the qualification of ecological criteria, Bahia Portete was identified as a potential site for the establishment of a new Marine Protected Area (MPA). This bay encompass a great variety of marine and coastal ecosystems, including fish, planktonic, and benthic communities as well as species that in conjunction with the environmental features form an area of high heterogeneity and unique biodiversity in the province of La Guajira. The purpose of this research was to design the first MPA in the north of the Province through the evaluation of ecologic criteria, as well as proposed conservation and management objectives; setting up a management category within the existing National Protected Areas System (SINAP in Spanish). Therefore, based on secondary information and following the The five S framework, methodology design by The Nature Conservancy for site planning, five conservation objectives (OdC) of coarse-filter or habitats were identified: corals, sea grasses, sandy beaches, rocky coasts and mangroves ecosystems, and three OdC of fine filter: areas with presence of Crocodylus acutus, sea turtles feeding areas, and areas of birds congregation. A viability analysis was developed for each healthy object found within the area, thus reflecting the biodiversity health of the area. The analysis of criteria, viability and the definition of the management objectives for the area, allowed the election of National Natural Park as the most appropriate management category for the area. Based on a systematic process and with the use of the MARXAN (University of Queensland) Decision Support System (DSS), three no-take zones were identified, with which the protection of a minimum of 30% of the coverage area for each of the objects is guaranteed as the initial contribution to the internal zoning of the new MPA

The geochemistry and tectonic setting of late Cretaceous Caribbean and Colombian volcanism

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Kerr, Andrew C.; Tarney, John; Marriner, Giselle F.; Nivia, Alvaro; Klaver, Gerard Th.; Saunders, Andrew D.

1996-03-01

Late Cretaceous mafic volcanic sequences in Western Colombia and in the southern Caribbean have a striking coherence in their chemistry and compositional range which suggests they are part of the same magmatic province. The chemical characteristics of the majority of the mafic lavas are totally unlike those of island arc or marginal basin basalts, so the sequences cannot represent accreted arc terranes. On the other hand their trace element characteristics closely resemble those of Icelandic/Reykjanes Ridge basalts that represent an oceanic plateau formed by extensive decompression melting of an uprising deep mantle plume. The occurrence of komatiites on Gorgona and high-MgO picritic lavas in S.E. Colombia and on Curaçao, representing high temperature melts of the plume tail, confirms this analogy. Likewise, late stage rhyolites within the Colombian mafic volcanics may well be the equivalent of the extensive silicic magmas on Iceland and at Galapagos, possibly formed by remelting of the deep parts of the overthickened basaltic crust above the plume head. These volcanics, plus others around the Caribbean, including the floor of the Central Caribbean, probably all represent part of an oceanic plateau that formed rapidly at the Galapagos hotspot at 88 Ma, and that was too hot and buoyant to subduct beneath the margin of S. America as it migrated westwards with the opening of the South Atlantic, and so was imbricated along the continental margin. Minor arc-like volcanics, tonalites and hornblende leucogabbro veins may represent the products of subduction-flip of normal ocean crust against the buoyant plateau, or hydrous melts developed during imbrication/obduction.

Methodology for calculating the tourist carrying capacity as a tool for environmental management and its implementation in five northern Colombian Caribbean beaches

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Botero, Camilo; Yuri, Hurtado; Gonzalez, Jose

2008-01-01

This paper presents a new methodology to calculate carrying capacity in tourist beaches, further than merely environmental issues. Moreover, it understands beaches as complex systems towards its sustainable development. Five beaches in the North Caribbean coast of Colombia were chosen and classified in four tourism beach sorts: intensive, conservation, shared and ethnic. The analysis was done with legal framework review, fieldwork and indicators design, within three components: environmental support, urban infrastructure and tourist services. A new model to calculate carrying capacity in tourist beaches was created, and later applied on the study beaches. Current conditions of the five beaches were highlighted, their tourist carrying capacity were calculated and more important actions in each component were recommended. The main conclusion foster to take in consideration natural conditions as a core factor in beach management, but including a holistic approach in making decision process. Also this paper showed the current conditions of Colombian beaches as a warning, giving recommendations in short and medium term. This document is result of the project Determinacion de un sistema de calificacion y certificacion de playas turisticas.

Distribución de cangrejos ermitaños (Anomura: Paguroidea en el mar Caribe colombiano Hermit crabs (Anomura: Paguroidea distribution patterns in the Colombian Caribbean Sea

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Bibian Martínez Campos

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Los cangrejos ermitaños son un grupo representativo de la fauna marina del Caribe colombiano, además, son importantes en el mantenimiento del equilibrio dinámico, en los ecosistemas por sus interacciones ecológicas y también por el impacto en la estabilidad de las redes tróficas. Sus patrones de distribución se identificaron mediante análisis multivariados de clasificación y ordenación espacial, se usaron registros históricos desde 1916 hasta el 2006. Los resultados indican diferencias por profundidad entre la fauna costera y la del talud continental y diferencias en la distribución latitudinal, en donde se encontraron tres grupos: Noreste, Centro y Suroeste, sustentados por diferencias en la composición faunística. Con base en los mapas de ecosistemas marinos de Colombia, se determinó que los principales factores que afectan su distribución son la influencia del talud Caribaná (profundidad, la temperatura de las masas de agua, las praderas de pastos marinos de la Guajira y las condiciones particulares de las ecorregiones Archipiélagos coralinos y Darién. Se identificó la distribución mundial de las especies colombianas y su afinidad geográfica, y se encontró mayor afinidad con el Atlántico norte y las Antillas que con el Atlántico sur y el Golfo de México, asimismo, las subprovincias geográficas que incluyen a Colombia son zonas de transición dentro de la subprovincias septentrionales y australes del Gran CaribeHermit crabs (Anomura: Paguroidea distribution patterns in the Colombian Caribbean Sea. Hermit crabs represent the marine life in the Colombian Caribbean, and are important for the dynamic equilibrium maintenance in ecosystems, the ecological interactions and their impact on food web stability. Generally, in order to come up with some conservation strategies, strong bio-geographical information is needed for policies definition. With this aim, this study analyzed the distribution patterns of hermit crabs in

[Tree above-ground biomass allometries for carbon stocks estimation in the Caribbean mangroves in Colombia].

Science.gov (United States)

Yepes, Adriana; Zapata, Mauricio; Bolivar, Jhoanata; Monsalve, Alejandra; Espinosa, Sandra Milena; Sierra-Correa, Paula Cristina; Sierra, Andrés

2016-06-01

The distribution of carbon in “Blue Carbon” ecosystems such as mangroves is little known, when compared with the highly known terrestrial forests, despite its particular and recognized high productivity and carbon storage capacity. The objective of this study was to analyze the above ground biomass (AGB) of the species Rhizophora mangle and Avicennia germinans from the Marine Protected Area of Distrito de Manejo Integrado (DMI), Cispatá-Tinajones-La Balsa, Caribbean Colombian coast. With official authorization, we harvested and studied 30 individuals of each species, and built allometric models in order to estimate AGB. Our AGB results indicated that the studied mangrove forests of the DMI Colombian Caribbean was of 129.69 ± 20.24 Mg/ha, equivalent to 64.85 ± 10.12 MgC/ha. The DMI has an area of 8 570.9 ha in mangrove forests, and we estimated that the total carbon potential stored was about 555 795.93 Mg C. The equations generated in this study can be considered as an alternative for the assessment of carbon stocks in AGB of mangrove forests in Colombia; as other available AGB allometric models do not discriminate mangrove forests, despite being particular ecosystems. They can be used for analysis at a more detailed scale and are considered useful to determine the carbon storage potential of mangrove forests, as a country alternative to support forest conservation and emission reduction strategies. In general, the potential of carbon storage from Colombian Caribbean mangrove forests is important and could promote the country leadership of the “blue carbon” stored.

Coral diseases and bleaching on Colombian Caribbean coral reefs.

Science.gov (United States)

Navas-Camacho, Raúl; Gil-Agudelo, Diego Luis; Rodríguez-Ramírez, Alberto; Reyes-Nivia, María Catalina; Garzón-Ferreira, Jaime

2010-05-01

Since 1998 the National Monitoring System for the Coral Reefs of Colombia (SIMAC) has monitored the occurrence of coral bleaching and diseases in some Colombian coral reefs (permanent stations at San Andres Island, Rosario Islands, Tayrona, San Bernardo Islands and Urabá). The main purpose is to evaluate their health status and to understand the factors that have been contributing to their decline. To estimate these occurrences, annual surveys in 126 permanent belt transects (10 x 2m) with different depth intervals (3-6 meters, 9-12 meters and 15-18 meters) are performed at all reef sites. Data from the 1998-2004 period, revealed that San Andrés Island had many colonies with diseases (38.9 colonies/m2), and Urabá had high numbers with bleaching (54.4 colonies/m2). Of the seven reported coral diseases studied, Dark Spots Disease (DSD), and White Plague Disease (WPD) were noteworthy because they occurred in all Caribbean monitored sites, and because of their high interannual infection incidence. Thirty five species of scleractinian corals were affected by at least one disease and a high incidence of coral diseases on the main reef builders is documented. Bleaching was present in 34 species. During the whole monitoring period, Agaricia agaricites and Siderastrea siderea were the species most severely affected by DSD and bleaching, respectively. Diseases on species such as Agaricia fragilis, A. grahamae, A. humilis, Diploria clivosa, Eusmilia fastigiata, Millepora complanata, and Mycetophyllia aliciae are recorded for first time in Colombia. We present bleaching and disease incidences, kinds of diseases, coral species affected, reef localities studied, depth intervals of surveys, and temporal (years) variation for each geographic area. This variation makes difficult to clearly determine defined patterns or general trends for monitored reefs. This is the first long-term study of coral diseases and bleaching in the Southwestern Caribbean, and one of the few long

Coral diseases and bleaching on Colombian Caribbean coral reefs

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Raúl Navas-Camacho

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Since 1998 the National Monitoring System for the Coral Reefs of Colombia (SIMAC has monitored the occurrence of coral bleaching and diseases in some Colombian coral reefs (permanent stations at San Andres Island, Rosario Islands, Tayrona, San Bernardo Islands and Urabá. The main purpose is to evaluate their health status and to understand the factors that have been contributing to their decline. To estimate these occurrences, annual surveys in 126 permanent belt transects (10x2m with different depth intervals (3-6 meters, 9-12 meters and 15-18 meters are performed at all reef sites. Data from the 1998-2004 period, revealed that San Andrés Island had many colonies with diseases (38.9 colonies/m2, and Urabá had high numbers with bleaching (54.4 colonies/m2. Of the seven reported coral diseases studied, Dark Spots Disease (DSD, and White Plague Disease (WPD were noteworthy because they occurred in all Caribbean monitored sites, and because of their high interannual infection incidence. Thirty five species of scleractinian corals were affected by at least one disease and a high incidence of coral diseases on the main reef builders is documented. Bleaching was present in 34 species. During the whole monitoring period, Agaricia agaricites and Siderastrea siderea were the species most severely affected by DSD and bleaching, respectively. Diseases on species such as Agaricia fragilis, A.grahamae, A. humilis, Diploria clivosa, Eusmilia fastigiata, Millepora complanata, and Mycetophyllia aliciae are recorded for first time in Colombia. We present bleaching and disease incidences, kinds of diseases, coral species affected, reef localities studied, depth intervals of surveys, and temporal (years variation for each geographic area. This variation makes difficult to clearly determine defined patterns or general trends for monitored reefs. This is the first long-term study of coral diseases and bleaching in the Southwestern Caribbean, and one of the few

Effect of deformation history on the stress relaxation behaviour of Colombian Caribbean coastal cheese from goat milk.

Science.gov (United States)

Tirado, Diego F; Acevedo, Diofanor; Torres-Gallo, Ramiro

2018-01-01

Textural attributes are a manifestation of the rheological properties and physical structure of foods, cheeses among these. In order to describe these physical properties, the objective of this work was to analyse the effect of deformation history on the stress relaxation behaviour of Colombian Caribbean coastal cheese made from goat milk with 3.75% (F1), 4.00% (F2) and 4.25% (F3) fat content, through prediction made by a four-term Prony series based on Chen's model. For this, stress relaxation data and stress relaxation spectra were analysed. Moreover, textural attributes by texture profile analysis were measured. Physicochemical results were similar to those published by other authors, and all samples meet national and international standards. Results from this work showed that Chen's model could be successfully used to describe the effect of deformation history on the stress relaxation behaviour of Colombian Caribbean coastal cheese made from goat milk. F1 had the highest elastic response, with the most significant residual modules ( P 0 ) and relaxation times (τ 1 , τ 2 and τ 3 ). On the other hand, residual modules and relaxation times (τ 1 , τ 2 and τ 3 ) for cheeses F2 and F3 did not present statistically significant differences (p > 0.05). Besides, by interpretation of the stress relaxation spectra, F1 presented the firmest structure (greatest distribution function and relaxation time) which was characterised by the highest elastic behaviour. Finally, according to texture profile analysis test, F1 had the highest hardness, cohesiveness and chewiness, whereas F2 and F3 did not present statistically significant differences (p > 0.05) between them.

teachers say reading and writing in a university degree in the colombian caribbean.

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Luis Manuel Cárdenas Cárdenas

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Literacy practices in higher education: what students andThis article is the result of a survey conducted in 10 degrees in a University Colombian Caribbean whose general purpose was to describe, interpret and understand the literacy practices that take place in these degrees. To achieve this article was taken into account one aspect that research in general was conceived as the first specific objective. This aspect refers to the conceptions which teachers and students of the degrees on the teaching and learning of reading and writing academic texts in college. The study usually takes as a theoretical concept of academic literacy. Data collected through classroom observations, also came from surveys and interviews with students and teachers of the degrees. The results of the investigation determined that the teaching and learning of reading and writing in the undergraduate classroom is very limited. The development of pedagogical and didactic classes lacks reading and writing practices. 

Pinnotherid crabs of the genus Dissodactylus Smith, 1870, associated with irregular sea urchins at the Caribbean coast of Colombia (Crustacea: Decapoda: Pinnotheridae)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Werding, B.; Sanchez, H.

1989-01-01

Three species of the pinnotherid genus Dissodactylus were observed at the northern coast of the Colombian mainland and at Isla Providencia, associated with irregular sea urchins. While D. crinitichelis was previously known to occur at the continental coast of South America, D. rugatus and D.

The Caribbean and the Wild Coast

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Marian Goslinga

1992-07-01

Full Text Available [First paragraph] Suriname: a bibliography, 1980-1989. Jo DERKX & IRENE ROLFES. Leiden, the Netherlands: Department of Caribbean Studies, KITLV/Royal Institute of Linguistics and Anthropology, 1990. x + 297 pp. (Paper NLG 25.00 La Caraïbe politique et internationale: bibliographie politologique avec références économiques et socio-culturelles. MICHEL L. MARTIN. Paris: L'Harmattan, 1990. xvii + 287 pp. Suriname. ROSEMARIJN HOEFTE. Oxford and Santa Barbara CA: Clio Press, 1990. xxx + 229 pp. (Cloth US$ 45.00 Although in North American academie circles interest in Suriname (or the Wild Coast, as the area was originally called has always been marginal, the same cannot be said for the Dutch, for whom the former colony continues to hold an enduring fascination. Not only have the Dutch studied the country's historical beginnings assiduously, but Suriname's controversial relationship with the former mother country assures it a definite place in contemporary social and political thought.

REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY OF THE VENEZUELA ROUND STINGRAY UROTRYGON VENEZUELAE SCHULTZ FROM THE COLOMBIAN CARIBBEAN

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KELLY ACEVEDO

2015-06-01

Full Text Available As for most batoid species, little is known about the basic biology of the Venezuela round stingray Urotrygon venezuelae (Urotrygonidae. This study presents information about the reproductive biology of the species, including fecundity, embryonic development stage, relationship between maternal size and fecundity, gonadosomatic (GSI and hepatosomatic (HSI indices, sex ratios, maturity size and size at birth. With all this information, a preliminary reproductive cycle is proposed. A total of 269 specimens were caught with beach seine in Salguero beach, Colombian Caribbean Sea, between August 2005 and October 2006. We propose for U. venezuelae a biological cycle with three reproductive peaks: November-December, March-April and August. Size at sexual maturity was calculated in 176 mm (total length for females and 227 mm for males; fecundity ranged between one and six embryos per female. We found that cloacal diameter and liver weight were better predictors for fecundity than total length for U. venezuelae.

Diet of some spring migrant landbirds on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica

Science.gov (United States)

Jared D. Wolfe

2009-01-01

Spring dietary patterns of migrants in tropical latitudes are largely unknown. Here I present diet data derived from an analysis of fecal samples for six migrant landbird species during spring migration along the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. High levels of insectivory were detected for all six species captured. The nature of the data presented is discussed in light...

Gestational and congenital syphilis epidemic in the Colombian Pacific Coast.

Science.gov (United States)

Cruz, Adriana R; Castrillón, Maria Alejandra; Minotta, Alba Yadira; Rubiano, Luisa C; Castaño, Martha C; Salazar, Juan C

2013-10-01

Congenital syphilis (CS) is a major global public health problem. Buenaventura, a socioeconomically deprived municipality in the Colombian Pacific Coast, accounts for 6.6% of all CS cases in Colombia. To begin to understand the main reasons for the high rates of the disease in Buenaventura, we conducted a retrospective electronic health record analysis of all infants admitted with CS during the first 7 months of 2011 to the Hospital Departamental de Buenaventura, the city's main birthing hospital. The diagnosis of gestational syphilis and CS was based on a predefined Colombian public health service algorithm. Clinical, laboratory, and sociodemographic parameters for all infants studied, including maternal access to prenatal care, syphilis serologic diagnosis, and adequacy of penicillin treatment, were abstracted and analyzed. A total of 89 infants met the case definition for CS. Most mothers (80%) were affiliated with government-regulated or private health care insurance plans. While 64 (70%) of 92 attended at least 1 antenatal care visit and 59 of these 64 (84%) were screened for syphilis, only 5 (8%) of 59 received appropriate antibiotic therapy. Although most infants were asymptomatic at birth, prematurity (15/82) was common. Two infants died in the neonatal period, and 5 pregnancies ended in stillbirth. Our findings confirm that Buenaventura has a very high incidence of CS and demonstrate that existing antenatal care gestational syphilis programs are flawed. Prevention strategies should emphasize enhanced early syphilis screening in pregnancy, preferably through the implementation of point-of-care testing in the community and same-day treatment with at least 1 dose of penicillin.

Determination of biological and physicochemical parameters of Artemia franciscana strains in hypersaline environments for aquaculture in the Colombian Caribbean.

Science.gov (United States)

Camargo, William N; Durán, Gabriel C; Rada, Orlando C; Hernández, Licet C; Linero, Juan-Carlos G; Muelle, Igor M; Sorgeloos, Patrick

2005-10-26

Artemia (Crustacea, Anostraca), also known as brine shrimp, are typical inhabitants of extreme environments. These hypersaline environments vary considerably in their physicochemical composition, and even their climatic conditions and elevation. Several thalassohaline (marine) environments along the Colombian Caribbean coast were surveyed in order to contribute to the knowledge of brine shrimp biotopes in South America by determining some vital biological and physicochemical parameters for Artemia survival. Additionally, cyst quality tests, biometrical and essential fatty acids analysis were performed to evaluate the economic viability of some of these strains for the aquaculture industry. In addition to the three locations (Galerazamba, Manaure, and Pozos Colorados) reported in the literature three decades ago in the Colombian Caribbean, six new locations were registered (Salina Cero, Kangaru, Tayrona, Bahía Hondita, Warrego and Pusheo). All habitats sampled showed that chloride was the prevailing anion, as expected, because of their thalassohaline origin. There were significant differences in cyst diameter grouping strains in the following manner according to this parameter: 1) San Francisco Bay (SFB-Control, USA), 2) Galerazamba and Tayrona, 3) Kangarú, 4) Manaure, and 5) Salina Cero and Pozos Colorados. Chorion thickness values were smaller in Tayrona, followed by Salina Cero, Galerazamba, Manaure, SFB, Kangarú and Pozos Colorados. There were significant differences in naupliar size, grouping strains as follows (smallest to largest): 1) Galerazamba, 2) Manaure, 3) SFB, Kangarú, and Salina Cero, 4) Pozos Colorados, and 5) Tayrona. Overall, cyst quality analysis conducted on samples from Manaure, Galerazamba, and Salina Cero revealed that all sites exhibited a relatively high number of cysts.g-1. Essential fatty acids (EFA) analysis performed on nauplii from cyst samples from Manaure, Galerazamba, Salina Cero and Tayrona revealed that cysts from all sites

Microhabitat partitioning between leiuperidae and bufonidae species (amphibia: anura) in tropical dry forest areas in Colombian Caribbean

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blanco Torres, Argelina; Bonilla Gomez, Maria Argenis

2010-01-01

We analyzed partitioning of microhabitats by five species of frogs in the families, Bufonidae (Rhinella marina, r. granulosa), and Leiuperidae (Engystomops pustulosus, Pleurodema brachyops and Pseudopaludicola pusilla) in six different localities of the Colombian Caribbean with tropical dry forest fragments and different land uses. We identified 29 types of microhabitats; permanent ponds in pastures with trees (CPPA) and flooded pastures without trees (PISA) were the most important environmental used. Engystomops pustulosus used the must microhabitats, and none are used by specialist species. Thus, differences in the use of resource on regional and local scales appeared. Dynamics of microhabitat uses was influenced by the climatic variations of the tropical dry forest. Microhabitats distribution as a mechanism of coexistence in these species is implemented for dry season but in rainfall season this mechanism not exists.

Bleaching Susceptibility and Recovery of Colombian Caribbean Corals in Response to Water Current Exposure and Seasonal Upwelling

Science.gov (United States)

Bayraktarov, Elisa; Pizarro, Valeria; Eidens, Corvin; Wilke, Thomas; Wild, Christian

2013-01-01

Coral bleaching events are globally occurring more frequently and with higher intensity, mainly caused by increases in seawater temperature. In Tayrona National Natural Park (TNNP) in the Colombian Caribbean, local coral communities are subjected to seasonal wind-triggered upwelling events coinciding with stronger water currents depending on location. This natural phenomenon offers the unique opportunity to study potential water current-induced mitigation mechanisms of coral bleaching in an upwelling influenced region. Therefore, coral bleaching susceptibility and recovery patterns were compared during a moderate and a mild bleaching event in December 2010 and 2011, and at the end of the subsequent upwelling periods at a water current-exposed and -sheltered site of an exemplary bay using permanent transect and labeling tools. This was accompanied by parallel monitoring of key environmental variables. Findings revealed that in 2010 overall coral bleaching before upwelling was significantly higher at the sheltered (34%) compared to the exposed site (8%). Whereas 97% of all previously bleached corals at the water current-exposed site had recovered from bleaching by April 2011, only 77% recovered at the sheltered site, but 12% had died there. In December 2011, only mild bleaching (bleaching. This indicates the existence of local resilience patterns against coral bleaching in Caribbean reefs. PMID:24282551

Yield, Phenotypical Stability and Micronutrients Contents in the Biofortified Bean in the Colombian Sub-humid Caribbean

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Adriana Patricia Tofiño-Rivera,

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The intake of protein and micronutrients in the Colombian sub-humid Caribbean has been a concern in recent years. About 57 % of the population in the sub-humid Caribbean region, has a deficit of amino acids —iron (Fe and zinc (Zn— in their diet. This study shows the results of the agronomic evaluation of the performance and quality of nine genotypes of biofortified bean and one local control in four environments of Cesar. The methodology included chemical and microbio-logical soil characterization, reaction evaluation to pests and diseases, multi-sited valuation by AMMI and selection of two varieties with better yield and nutritional content by ACP. In addition to these two prioritized genotypes, the Pearson correlation coefficient between seed micronutrient content for locations and years was determined. The biofortified genotypes surpassed the control group significantly in both yield and precocity. According to the ACP, the biofortified group differed from the control group in iron and zinc content in the seed, confirming its superior characteristics in nutritional quality, and resistance to pests and diseases. The AMMI showed that the genotype SMR43 reflected stability and predi-ctability between environments and SMR39 had specific adaptation in the best location for grain production. Both genotypes retained high levels of micronutrients between locations and years as according to the Pearson correlation.

Leptospirosis ocupacional en una región del Caribe colombiano Occupational leptospirosis in a Colombian Caribbean area

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Saholeth Nájera

2005-06-01

Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Establecer la seroprevalencia ocupacional a la infección por Leptospira en el departamento de Córdoba, Colombia. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Estudio de prevalencia en poblaciones en riesgo del departamento de Córdoba, Colombia, entre febrero y abril de 2004, con el fin de detectar anticuerpos IgM antileptospira en 344 trabajadores agrícolas, carniceros y recolectores de basuras (nivel de confianza 99.9%, error máximo 0.5%, prevalencia 72% y muestreo estratificado proporcional a habitantes y ocupación. Utilizando SPSSS 11.0 para Windows se hizo análisis mediante pruebas no paramédicas (Ji cuadrada pOBJECTIVE: To establish the seroprevalence of infection by Leptospira in an occupational setting in Cordoba. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 334 farmworkers, butchers, and garbage collectors, to identify the presence of anti-leptospira IgM antibodies, in the Department of Cordoba, Colombia. Stratified sampling proportional to the number of inhabitants and occupation was used to select the sample population (confidence level 99.9%, error 0.5%, prevalence 72%. The SPSS software 11.0 version was used to perform non parametric tests with p<0.05, as well as odds ratios with confidence intervals. RESULTS: The prevalence of previous infection by Leptospira was high (13.1%. No differences among areas were found, however, higher infection was associated with living in Cienaga de Oro municipality (OR= 3.52 CI 1.70-7.26 (p= 0,00283. Being a farmer was also a risk factor for infection (OR= 2.04 CI 1.080-3.85 (p= 0.025, as well as drinking water from a dam (OR= 2.4 CI 1,24-4,70 (p= 0.00787. CONCLUSIONS: The rate of infection is important and a significant public health problem in this area of the Colombian Caribbean coast.

Eco-geographical differentiation among Colombian populations of the Chagas disease vector Triatoma dimidiata (Hemiptera: Reduviidae).

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Gómez-Palacio, Andrés; Triana, Omar; Jaramillo-O, Nicolás; Dotson, Ellen M; Marcet, Paula L

2013-12-01

Triatoma dimidiata is currently the main vector of Chagas disease in Mexico, most Central American countries and several zones of Ecuador and Colombia. Although this species has been the subject of several recent phylogeographic studies, the relationship among different populations within the species remains unclear. To elucidate the population genetic structure of T. dimidiata in Colombia, we analyzed individuals from distinct geographical locations using the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene and 7 microsatellite loci. A clear genetic differentiation was observed among specimens from three Colombian eco-geographical regions: Inter Andean Valleys, Caribbean Plains and Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain (SNSM). Additionally, evidence of genetic subdivision was found within the Caribbean Plains region as well as moderate gene flow between the populations from the Caribbean Plains and SNSM regions. The genetic differentiation found among Colombian populations correlates, albeit weakly, with an isolation-by-distance model (IBD). The genetic heterogeneity among Colombian populations correlates with the eco-epidemiological and morphological traits observed in this species across regions within the country. Such genetic and epidemiological diversity should be taken into consideration for the development of vector control strategies and entomological surveillance. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V.

[First Report of Lutzomyia França in the department of Guainía, Amazonian Colombia, and of Brumptomyia mesai Sherlock (Diptera: Psychodidae) in the Colombian Caribbean Coast].

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Bejarano, Eduar E; Castro, Mirley; Pérez-Doria, Alveiro; Hernández-Oviedo, Ela; Vélez, Andrés; Vélez, Iván D

2007-01-01

This is the first record of the presence of the medically important genus Lutzomyia França in the Department of Guainía, Colombia. Sand flies were collected biting humans in the surroundings of the urban area of the Municipality of Inírida. Three Lutzomyia species were taxonomically identified as L. davisi (Root), L. olmeca bicolor Fairchild & Theodor, and L. antunesi (Coutinho). Additionally, Brumptomyia mesai Sherlock is cited for the first time in the Caribbean Coast of Colombia based on specimens collected with a modified CDC light trap in the Reserva Forestal Protectora Serranía de Coraza y Montes de María, Department of Sucre.

A new estuarine species, Nereis garwoodi (Polychaeta: Nereididae), from Bahía Chetumal, Mexican Caribbean coast.

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González-Escalante, Luis E; Salazar-Vallejo, Sergio I

2003-03-01

Nereis garwoodi n. sp. is described on the basis of eight syntype specimens (six atokous and two heteronereis) collected in Bahía Chetumal, Mexican Caribbean coast, and the variability in the paragnath numbers in the pharynx is established using 180 specimens; paragnath numbers are I:10(SD = 1.9); II:30 (SD = 2.6); III:41 (SD = 5.2); IV:29 (SD = 3.5), V:1, VI:4, VII-VIII: > 30. Its eyes are big and its longest tentacular cirri reaches setiger 11. A revised key to species of Nereis recorded from the Grand Caribbean Sea is included.

Antibacterial activity of Cordia dentata Poir, Heliotropium indicum Linn and Momordica charantia Linn from the Northern Colombian Coast

OpenAIRE

Cervantes Ceballos, Leonor; Sánchez Hoyos, Fredys; Gómez Estrada, Harold

2017-01-01

SUMMARY Cordia dendata Poir, Heliotropium indicum Linn and Momordica charantia Linn are used for treatment of the most common human diseases and health disorders in folk medicine of the population from the northern Colombian coast. In this study, chemical composition and antibacterial activity of the ethanol extract and fractions from C. dentata, H. indicum and M. charantia were investigated. The chemical constituents of qualitative detection were examined by Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC). ...

Selection of bacteria with hydrocarbon degrading capacity isolated from Colombian Caribbean sediments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Narvaez Florez, Silvia; Gomez, Martha L; Martinez Maria M

2008-01-01

Thirty one bacterial isolations in minimal salts supplemented medium with hydrocarbons (ACPM or crude oil) as sole carbon source were isolated from sediment samples from the Colombian Caribbean. Bacterial strains underwent selection tests in different concentrations of hydrocarbons; 11 tolerant crude oil and ACPM strains in a range of 1-8%v/v were chosen. A mixed bacterial culture was created and assessed its ability to degrade hydrocarbons in a laboratory-scale test, with a concentration of 2% v/v of ACPM over a period of 21 days. Measurements of biomass in Colony Forming Units (CFU)/mL were used to develop the growth curve of the mixed culture. Hydrocarbons remotion was measured by mass chromatography. The mixed culture was able to degrade the 68.6% of aliphatic hydrocarbons in preference of long chain n- alkenes (C12- C31), reaching a maximum growth of 3.13 x 10 9 UFC / mL. Degradation of aromatic hydrocarbons was not evidenced under the observation time. Nine of the eleven strains were identified using the biochemical systems BBL and API 50 CHB/E; they belonged to the genus Klebsiella, Chromobacterium, Flavimonas, Enterobacter,Pseudomonas, and Bacillus. The evaluated strains have enzymatic potential to degrade hydrocarbons and it is necessary to characterize them at molecular level in order to develop and effective consortium for field application

Morphology and it structures of the coralline formations of San Bernardo's archipelago, Colombian Caribbean

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lopez Victoria, Mateo; Diaz, Juan M.

2000-01-01

The archipelago of San Bernardo is an extensive reef complex of coralline origin located off the Caribbean coast of Colombia. In order to determine the distribution, morphological features, structure, and zonation patterns of the bottom environments of this area, employing aerial photography and observations in the field, thematic maps were produced and a series of data upon the structure of the sessile benthic biota was gathered. The complex comprises an area of more than 250 km 2; of which more than 60% corresponds to bottoms with notable coral cover (> 60% of the bottom) extending to depths of nearly 30m. Three geomorphological units and seven main types of habitats or ecological units were recognized

Trace metal analysis in sea grasses from Mexican Caribbean Coast by particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Solis, C.; Issac O, K.; Martinez, A.; Lavoisier, E.; Martinez, M. A.

2008-01-01

The growing urban and tourist activity in the Mexican Caribbean coasts has resulted in an increase of chemical substances, metals in particular, discharged to the coastal waters. In order to reach an adequate management and conservation of these marine ecosystems it is necessary to perform an inventory of the actual conditions that reflect the vulnerability and the level of damage. Sea-grasses are considered good biological indicators of heavy metal contamination in marine systems. The goal of this preliminary work is to evaluate the concentrations of trace metals such as Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Cu, Zn, and Pb in Thalassia testudinum, a very common sea-grass in the Mexican Caribbean Sea. Samples were collected from several locations in the coasts of the Yucatan Peninsula: Holbox, Blanquizal and Punta Allen, areas virtually uninfluenced by anthropogenic activities. Trace elements in different part plants were determined by particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE). This is a very suitable technique since it offers a fast, accurate and multi-element analysis. Also, the analysis by PIXE can be performed directly on powdered leaves without a laborious sample preparation. The trace metal concentration determined in sea-grasses growing in Caribbean generally fall in the range of the lowest valuables reported for sea grasses from the Gulf of Mexico. The results indicate that the studied areas do not present contamination by heavy metals. (Author)

Internal structure of the upwelling events at Punta Gallinas (Colombian Caribbean) from modis-sst imagery

Science.gov (United States)

Alonso, J.; Blázquez, E.; Isaza-Toro, E.; Vidal, J.

2015-10-01

The upwelling at Punta Gallinas in the Guajira Peninsula (Colombian Caribbean) was studied from the point of view of the Mathematical Morphology using 10 years of monthly composite MODIS-SST imagery. Among all the morphological operators, the skeleton is widely used to compute the axis of the of the SST fields for the observed upwelling events. The skeleton is characterized by means of the Geometrical Theory of Measurement using the fractal dimension. The upwelling in the area is driven by the dynamic of the ITCZ (InterTropical Convergence Zone) and the relationship between the area and the East-West component of the trade winds has a lag of about 4 months. It has been found that the fractal dimension of the skeleton and the area of the upwelling are related. Some relationship was found between the fractal dimension of the skeleton (its complexity) and the Southern Oscillation Index by means of linear regression and cross-spectral analysis finding coherent energy at 1 year, 6 months and in the low frequency band. Finally, a sensitivity analysis between fractal dimension and threshold SST points out to take an extreme care at the time of fixing the last one.

Characterization and effect of Azotobacter, Azospirillum and Pseudomonas associated with Ipomoea Batatas of Colombian Caribbean

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Jazmín Vanessa Pérez-Pazos

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The use of plant growth promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR is an alternative to replace chemical fertilizers for the cultivation of agricultural crops. The aim of this research was to search, selection and characterization of PGPR from the genus Azotobacter, Azospirillum and Pseudomonas natives from sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas plants and rhizosphere of representative production regions of the Colombian Caribbean. Selected isolates were identified by molecular methods and they were screened in vitro for activities related to plant growth such as phosphate solubilization, indole production and acetylene reduction. The strains were tested in the greenhouse on plants of Ipomoea batatas produced in vitro. The height, root length, dry mass of the shot and root were evaluated. Associated with sweet potato crop us finded strains identificated as Azotobacter vinelandii, Azotobacter chroococcum, Azospirillum lipoferum, Azospirillum brasilense and Pseudomonas denitrificans. The strains were able to solubilize phosphate, synthesize indole-3-acetic acid (IAA and reduce acetylene. The inoculation of bacteria selected increased growth parameters such as root length, height, dry weight root and shoot in plants of sweet potato in greenhouse. Those results catalog to the isolated obtained as possible microorganisms with potential as biofertilizers in sweet potato.

Unraveling the structure and composition of Varadero Reef, an improbable and imperiled coral reef in the Colombian Caribbean

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Valeria Pizarro

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Coral reefs are commonly associated with oligotrophic, well-illuminated waters. In 2013, a healthy coral reef was discovered in one of the least expected places within the Colombian Caribbean: at the entrance of Cartagena Bay, a highly-polluted system that receives industrial and sewage waste, as well as high sediment and freshwater loads from an outlet of the Magdalena River (the longest and most populated river basin in Colombia. Here we provide the first characterization of Varadero Reef’s geomorphology and biological diversity. We also compare these characteristics with those of a nearby reference reef, Barú Reef, located in an area much less influenced by the described polluted system. Below the murky waters, we found high coral cover of 45.1% (±3.9; up to 80% in some sectors, high species diversity, including 42 species of scleractinian coral, 38 of sponge, three of lobster, and eight of sea urchin; a fish community composed of 61 species belonging to 24 families, and the typical zonation of a Caribbean fringing reef. All attributes found correspond to a reef that, according to current standards should be considered in “good condition”. Current plans to dredge part of Varadero threaten the survival of this reef. There is, therefore, an urgent need to describe the location and characteristics of Varadero as a first step towards gaining acknowledgement of its existence and garnering inherent legal and environmental protections.

Bleaching susceptibility and recovery of Colombian Caribbean corals in response to water current exposure and seasonal upwelling.

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Elisa Bayraktarov

Full Text Available Coral bleaching events are globally occurring more frequently and with higher intensity, mainly caused by increases in seawater temperature. In Tayrona National Natural Park (TNNP in the Colombian Caribbean, local coral communities are subjected to seasonal wind-triggered upwelling events coinciding with stronger water currents depending on location. This natural phenomenon offers the unique opportunity to study potential water current-induced mitigation mechanisms of coral bleaching in an upwelling influenced region. Therefore, coral bleaching susceptibility and recovery patterns were compared during a moderate and a mild bleaching event in December 2010 and 2011, and at the end of the subsequent upwelling periods at a water current-exposed and -sheltered site of an exemplary bay using permanent transect and labeling tools. This was accompanied by parallel monitoring of key environmental variables. Findings revealed that in 2010 overall coral bleaching before upwelling was significantly higher at the sheltered (34% compared to the exposed site (8%. Whereas 97% of all previously bleached corals at the water current-exposed site had recovered from bleaching by April 2011, only 77% recovered at the sheltered site, but 12% had died there. In December 2011, only mild bleaching (<10% at both sites was observed, but corals recovered significantly at both sites in the course of upwelling. No differences in water temperatures between sites occurred, but water current exposure and turbidity were significantly higher at the exposed site, suggesting that these variables may be responsible for the observed site-specific mitigation of coral bleaching. This indicates the existence of local resilience patterns against coral bleaching in Caribbean reefs.

Bleaching susceptibility and recovery of Colombian Caribbean corals in response to water current exposure and seasonal upwelling.

Science.gov (United States)

Bayraktarov, Elisa; Pizarro, Valeria; Eidens, Corvin; Wilke, Thomas; Wild, Christian

2013-01-01

Coral bleaching events are globally occurring more frequently and with higher intensity, mainly caused by increases in seawater temperature. In Tayrona National Natural Park (TNNP) in the Colombian Caribbean, local coral communities are subjected to seasonal wind-triggered upwelling events coinciding with stronger water currents depending on location. This natural phenomenon offers the unique opportunity to study potential water current-induced mitigation mechanisms of coral bleaching in an upwelling influenced region. Therefore, coral bleaching susceptibility and recovery patterns were compared during a moderate and a mild bleaching event in December 2010 and 2011, and at the end of the subsequent upwelling periods at a water current-exposed and -sheltered site of an exemplary bay using permanent transect and labeling tools. This was accompanied by parallel monitoring of key environmental variables. Findings revealed that in 2010 overall coral bleaching before upwelling was significantly higher at the sheltered (34%) compared to the exposed site (8%). Whereas 97% of all previously bleached corals at the water current-exposed site had recovered from bleaching by April 2011, only 77% recovered at the sheltered site, but 12% had died there. In December 2011, only mild bleaching (corals recovered significantly at both sites in the course of upwelling. No differences in water temperatures between sites occurred, but water current exposure and turbidity were significantly higher at the exposed site, suggesting that these variables may be responsible for the observed site-specific mitigation of coral bleaching. This indicates the existence of local resilience patterns against coral bleaching in Caribbean reefs.

Coastal erosion hazard and vulnerability using sig tools. Comparison between "La Barra town, Buenaventura, (Pacific Ocean of Colombia) and Providence - Santa Catalina islands (Colombian Caribbean Sea)

Science.gov (United States)

Coca-Domínguez, Oswaldo; Ricaurte-Villota, Constanza; Morales-Giraldo, David; Rangel-Buitrago, Nelson

2014-05-01

Analysis of hazards and vulnerability associated to coastal erosion along coastlines is a first issue in order to establish plans for adaptation to climate change in coastal areas. La Barra Town, Buenaventura (Pacific ocean of Colombia) and Providence - Santa Catalina Islands (Colombian Caribbean) were selected to develop a detailed analysis of coastal erosion hazard and vulnerability from different perspectives: i) physical (hazard) , ii) social , iii) conservation approach and iv) cultural heritage (Raizal). The analysis was made by a semi quantitative approximation method, applying variables associated with the intrinsic coastal zone properties (i.e. type of beach, exposure of the coast to waves, etc.). Coastal erosion data and associated variables as well land use; conservation and heritage data were used to carry out a further detailed analysis of the human - structural vulnerability and exposure to hazards. The data shows erosion rates close to -17 m yr-1 in La Barra Town (highlighting their critical condition and urgent relocation process), while in some sectors of Providence Island, such as Old Town, erosion rate was -5 m yr-1. The observed erosion process affects directly the land use and the local and regional economy. The differences between indexes and the structural and physical vulnerability as well the use of methodological variables are presented in the context of each region. In this work, all the information was worked using a GIS environment since this allows editing and updating the information continuously. The application of this methodology generates useful information in order to promote risk management as well prevention, mitigation and reduction plans. In both areas the adaptation must be a priority strategy to be considered, including relocation alternatives and sustainable protection with the support of studies of uses and future outlooks in the coast. The methodology is framed into the use of GIS tools and it highlights their benefits

Accreted fragments of the Late Cretaceous Caribbean Colombian Plateau in Ecuador

Science.gov (United States)

Mamberti, Marc; Lapierre, Henriette; Bosch, Delphine; Jaillard, Etienne; Ethien, Raynald; Hernandez, Jean; Polvé, Mireille

2003-02-01

The eastern part of the Western Cordillera of Ecuador includes fragments of an Early Cretaceous (≈123 Ma) oceanic plateau accreted around 85-80 Ma (San Juan-unit). West of this unit and in fault contact with it, another oceanic plateau sequence (Guaranda unit) is marked by the occurrence of picrites, ankaramites, basalts, dolerites and shallow level gabbros. A comparable unit is also exposed in northwestern coastal Ecuador (Pedernales unit). Picrites have LREE-depleted patterns, high ɛNd i and very low Pb isotopic ratios, suggesting that they were derived from an extremely depleted source. In contrast, the ankaramites and Mg-rich basalts are LREE-enriched and have radiogenic Pb isotopic compositions similar to the Galápagos HIMU component; their ɛNd i are slightly lower than those of the picrites. Basalts, dolerites and gabbros differ from the picrites and ankaramites by flat rare earth element (REE) patterns and lower ɛNd; their Pb isotopic compositions are intermediate between those of the picrites and ankaramites. The ankaramites, Mg-rich basalts, and picrites differ from the lavas from the San Juan-Multitud Unit by higher Pb ratios and lower ɛNd i. The Ecuadorian and Gorgona 88-86 Ma picrites are geochemically similar. The Ecuadorian ankaramites and Mg-rich basalts share with the 92-86 Ma Mg-rich basalts of the Caribbean-Colombian Oceanic Plateau (CCOP) similar trace element and Nd and Pb isotopic chemistry. This suggests that the Pedernales and Guaranda units belong to the Late Cretaceous CCOP. The geochemical diversity of the Guaranda and Pedernales rocks illustrates the heterogeneity of the CCOP plume source and suggests a multi-stage model for the emplacement of these rocks. Stratigraphic and geological relations strongly suggest that the Guaranda unit was accreted in the late Maastrichtian (≈68-65 Ma).

Ostracods biostratigraphy of the Oligocene-Miocene carbonate platform in the Northeastern Amazonia coast and its correlation with the Caribbean region

Science.gov (United States)

Nogueira, Anna Andressa Evangelista; Nogueira, Afonso César Rodrigues

2017-12-01

Oligocene-Miocene ostracods biozones are proposed for the ∼65 m-thick platform carbonate succession exposed in the Northeastern Amazonia coast, Brazil. Previous biostratigraphic studies based on planktonic foraminifera, nannofossils and palynomorphs are poorly age constrained and have hindered the correlation with other units of the Atlantic Equatorial margin. Tectonic stability of the Northeastern Amazonia coast during Neogene, associated with reduced riverine inflow and continuous sea level rise, allowed the establishment of lagoon/mangroves, tidal channel and shallow platform settings favoring massive proliferation of benthic ostracods. The recurrence of these depositional systems along of entire Oligocene-Miocene succession contributed mainly for the preservation of typical assemblages of lagoonal ostracods. Among thirty-two ostracods genera identified, the most of them are generally polyhalines associated with a mesohaline genus as Perissocytheridea. Rare ostracods genera typical of offshore zone indicate limited oceanic connection with lagoon. Additionally, the rare presence of Cyprideis indicates a relatively stable salinity degree suggesting change in the lagoon dynamic until estuarine conditions. The ostracods comprise more than 100 species, ranging from Upper Oligocene to Lower Miocene with five index species correspondent to a single zone called the Cytherella stainforthi Zone that was subdivided in four sub-biozones: 1) Jugosocythereis pannosa, 2) Quadracythere brachypygaia, 3) Triebelina crumena and 4) Neocaudites macertus. This new zonation was calibrated with the Blow's and Wade's planktonic foraminifers zones (N.3 to N.7 zones corresponding to O6 to M4b of Wade) and with van den Bold's zonation in the Neogene Caribbean region. Ostracod assemblages described here provide an excellent biostragraphic framework for local, intrabasinal and regional correlation for the Oligocene-Miocene deposits of the Northeastern Amazonia coast and Caribbean regions

Heavy metal concentrations in some oyster species of the Caribbean coast of Columbia. Zur Belastung einiger Muschelarten von der karibischen Kueste Kolumbiens mit Schwermetallen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Campos, N.H.

1984-01-01

Heavy metal concentrations (Cd, Cu, Pb) were measured in oysters (Crassostrea rhizophorae) and two species of tree oysters (Isognomon alatus and I. bicolor) at various points of the Caribbean coast of Columbia. Samples were taken at 4 different times of the year. Cd and Cu concentrations were highest in oysters; Pb concentrations did not differ between the species. The annual curve was similar for all heavy metals, with maximum concentrations in the dry season. In the area investigated, the WHO limiting values for daily Cd intake with oysters may be exceeded at times in most places, while the daily lead intake was found to be below the WHO limiting values. A comparison with other regions of the world shows that Cd and Pb concentrations in molluscs are high at the Caribbean coast.

Introduction to littoral erosion problem in Uraba (Arboletes-Turbo area) Colombian Caribbean Coast

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Correa; Ivan D; Vernette, Georges

2004-01-01

Shoreline retreat has been the net dominant historical trend along the 145 km-length littoral between Arboletes and Turbo (southern Caribbean of Colombia). For the last four decades, there were identified in this littoral shoreline retreat of about 50-100 m in several places (Uveros, Damaquiel, Zapata, Turbo) and a maximum of 1.6 km in the Punta Rey-Arboletes area, where land losses were of 4.5 km 2 , at exceptional rates of 40 rn/year. The synthesis of the available information suggest that the general susceptibility to erosion between Arboletes and turbo could be related primarily to relative sea level rise, associated to tectonic movements as well as to the effects of mud diapirism and hydroisostacy. In the more critical areas (Arboletes, Turbo), the natural erosive trends were accelerated by anthropic actions, including river diversion (Turbo), beach mining and inadequate (or total absence) practices for controlling residual and natural waters. Up to august 2000, there were invested about $ Col 10.000 billions in 155 engineering defenses (groins, sea walls and rip-rap which totalize 6.2 km of total length and a volume of materials of 37.000 m 3 ). With few exceptions, groins have not been successful and are now part of the problem, accelerating shore erosion along the adjacent sectors. In the short term, the littoral erosion between Arboletes and turbo is caused both by marine and by sub aerial factors. it is facilitated by the poor lithological strengths of cliffs and marine terraces, mainly composed of highly fractured and weathered claystones and mudstones (with stratification and weakness planes dipping toward sea) and non-consolidated, easily liquefacted, fine sediments; both conditions facilitate the occurrence of rocks falls, slides and mud flows that result in high figures of cliff retreat (3 to 4 m), specially during the first 15 days of the summer-winter transition (April) and in high waves periods. The case of the littoral erosion between Arboletes

Coral diseases and bleaching on Colombian Caribbean coral reefs

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Raúl Navas-Camacho

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Since 1998 the National Monitoring System for the Coral Reefs of Colombia (SIMAC has monitored the occurrence of coral bleaching and diseases in some Colombian coral reefs (permanent stations at San Andres Island, Rosario Islands, Tayrona, San Bernardo Islands and Urabá. The main purpose is to evaluate their health status and to understand the factors that have been contributing to their decline. To estimate these occurrences, annual surveys in 126 permanent belt transects (10x2m with different depth intervals (3-6 meters, 9-12 meters and 15-18 meters are performed at all reef sites. Data from the 1998-2004 period, revealed that San Andrés Island had many colonies with diseases (38.9 colonies/m2, and Urabá had high numbers with bleaching (54.4 colonies/m2. Of the seven reported coral diseases studied, Dark Spots Disease (DSD, and White Plague Disease (WPD were noteworthy because they occurred in all Caribbean monitored sites, and because of their high interannual infection incidence. Thirty five species of scleractinian corals were affected by at least one disease and a high incidence of coral diseases on the main reef builders is documented. Bleaching was present in 34 species. During the whole monitoring period, Agaricia agaricites and Siderastrea siderea were the species most severely affected by DSD and bleaching, respectively. Diseases on species such as Agaricia fragilis, A.grahamae, A. humilis, Diploria clivosa, Eusmilia fastigiata, Millepora complanata, and Mycetophyllia aliciae are recorded for first time in Colombia. We present bleaching and disease incidences, kinds of diseases, coral species affected, reef localities studied, depth intervals of surveys, and temporal (years variation for each geographic area. This variation makes difficult to clearly determine defined patterns or general trends for monitored reefs. This is the first long-term study of coral diseases and bleaching in the Southwestern Caribbean, and one of the few

Diet and feeding ecology of the little tunny, Euthynnus alletteratus (Pisces: Scombridae in the central Colombian Caribbean: changes in 18 years

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Camilo B García

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Trophic ecology and diet of the little tunny (Euthynnus alletteratus in central Colombian Caribbean is described. The little tunny is a pelagic top predator but not a voracious fish (trophic level of 4.49, Q/B of 10.8. Its diet seems impoverished when compared with a study conducted in 1986 in the same general location and with studies in other locations. Moreover, the main diet item has changed, new items have appeared and other have disappeared in the time interval between 1986 and the present study (2003/2004, 18 years. Lack of monitoring of pelagic fish populations precludes the identification of tendencies but a regime change hypothesis is worth investigating. The little tunny eats more in the dry season than in the rainy season and diet items change with seasons in line with findings of other studies that signal correlations between seasons and diet. Likewise, local little tunny eats more in the afternoon than in the morning which suggests it eats in daylight not in the night contrary to what has been found in studies somewhere else.

Structural differences in gut bacteria communities in developmental stages of natural populations of Lutzomyia evansi from Colombia's Caribbean coast.

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Vivero, Rafael José; Jaramillo, Natalia Gil; Cadavid-Restrepo, Gloria; Soto, Sandra I Uribe; Herrera, Claudia Ximena Moreno

2016-09-13

Lutzomyia evansi, a phlebotomine insect endemic to Colombia's Caribbean coast, is considered to be the main vector of visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis in the region. Although insects of this species can harbor pathogenic and non-pathogenic microorganisms in their intestinal microbiota, there is little information available about the diversity of gut bacteria present in Lutzomyia evansi. In this study, conventional microbiological methods and molecular tools were used to assess the composition of bacterial communities associated with Lutzomyia evansi guts in immature and adult stages of natural populations from the department of Sucre (Caribbean coast of Colombia). Sand flies were collected from two locations (peri-urban and jungle biotype) in the Department of Sucre (Caribbean coast of Colombia). A total of 752 Lutzomyia evansi intestines were dissected. In this study, 125 bacterial strains were isolated from different culture media (LB Agar, MacConkey Agar). Different methods were used for bacterial identification, including ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis (RISA) and analysis of the 16S rRNA and gyrB gene sequences. The genetic profiles of the bacterial populations were generated and temporal temperature gradient gel electrophoresis (TTGE) was used to compare them with total gut DNA. We also used PCR and DNA sequence analysis to determine the presence of Wolbachia endosymbiont bacteria and Leishmania parasites. The culture-dependent technique showed that the dominant intestinal bacteria isolated belong to Acinetobacter, Enterobacter, Pseudomonas, Ochrobactrum, Shinella and Paenibacillus in the larval stage; Lysobacter, Microbacterium, Streptomyces, Bacillus and Rummeliibacillus in the pupal stage; and Staphylococcus, Streptomyces, Brevibacterium, Acinetobacter, Enterobacter and Pantoea in the adult stage. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences between the fingerprint patterns of the PCR-TTGE bands in bacterial communities from immature and

The Caribbean-Colombian cretaceous igneous province: The internal anatomy of an oceanic plateau

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Kerr, Andrew C.; Tarney, John; Marriner, Giselle F.; Nivia, Alvaro; Saunders, Andrew D.

The Late Cretaceous Caribbean—Colombian igneous province is one of the world's best-exposed examples of a plume-derived oceanic plateau. The buoyancy of the plateau (resulting from residual heat and thick crust) kept it from being totally subducted as it moved eastward with the Farallon Plate from its site of generation in the eastern Pacific and encountered a destructive plate margin. In effect, the plateau makes up much of the Caribbean Plate; it is well exposed around its margins, but more so in accreted terranes in western Colombia (including the well-known Gorgona komatiites and Bolívar mafic/ultramafic cumulates). Compositionally, the lavas of the plateau form three groups: (a) basalts, picrites, and komatiites with light-rare-earth-element (LREE)-depleted chondrite-normalised patterns; (b) basalts with LREE-enriched patterns; and (c) basalts with essentially flat REE patterns (the most dominant type) similar to many of the basalts from the Ontong Java Plateau. These three types demonstrate the heterogeneous nature of the mantle plume source region. The picrites and the komatiites seem to lie nearer the base of the plateau than the more homogeneous basalts; thus, the more MgO-rich melts may have been erupted before large magma chambers had a chance to develop. A reconstructed crustal cross section through the plateau consists of dunitic and pyroxenitic cumulates near the base which are overlain by layered olivine-rich gabbros and more isotropic gabbros. The lowermost eruptive sequence comprises compositionally heterogeneous picrites/komatiites overlain by more homogeneous pillow basalts. Spectacular hornblende-plagioclase veins cut the Bolívar assemblage and these may represent local partial melts of the plateau's base as it was thrusted onto the continent. Subduction-related batholiths and extrusive rocks found around the margin of the province are of two distinct ages; one suite represents pre-plateau collision-related volcanism whereas the other suite

Cryptobiota associated to dead Acropora palmata (Scleractinia: Acroporidae coral, Isla Grande, Colombian Caribbean

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Silvia K. Moreno-Forero

1998-06-01

Full Text Available Cryptobiota of dead fragments of five branches in live position and five fallen pieces of the coral Acropora palmata each one of approximate 1dm3, covered by filamentous algae were extracted from the north reef crest of Isla Grande (Colombian Caribbean, in April 1991. There were three groups of organisms according to size and position (on and within the coral: 1 mobile epibenthos, mainly microcrustaceans that live among the filamentous algae 2 boring microcryptobiota, located in the layer between the epilithic organisms and the coral skeleton itself and, 3 perforating macrocryptobionts that bore and penetrate the coral skeleton. Polychaetes, sipuncu-lids, mollusks and crustaceans were most abundant in the last group. There were no differences in macrocryptobiont composition between standing dead branches and fallen fragments. There was a large variation in total biomass and type and density of macro-cryptobionts, possibly associated to stochastic factors such as placement and thickness of branches and small scale variations in recruitmentLa criptobiota de diez fragmentos coralinos muertos de Acropora palmata, de 10 dm3 cada uno, cubiertos de algas filamentosas, se colectó en abril de 1991en la cresta arrecifal de Isla Grande (Caribe colombiano. Se halló tres grupos: 1 móviles epibentónicos asociados a las algas filamentosas y conformados principalmente por microcrustáceos; 2 microcriptobiontes perforantes, ubicados en la capa intermedia entre los organismos epilíticos y el esqueleto del coral y 3 macrocriptobiontes que perforan todo el cuerpo del esqueleto coralino (principalmente poliquetos, sipuncúlidos, moluscos y crustáceos. No se encontraron diferencias en la composición de los macrocriptobiontes que habitan los corales en posición de vida y los fragmentos caidos sobre el fondo. Se presentó una amplia variación en biomasa total, tipo y densidad de macrocriptobiontes, posiblemente asociada a factores estocásticos tales como la

Freshwater fish faunas, habitats and conservation challenges in the Caribbean river basins of north-western South America.

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Jiménez-Segura, L F; Galvis-Vergara, G; Cala-Cala, P; García-Alzate, C A; López-Casas, S; Ríos-Pulgarín, M I; Arango, G A; Mancera-Rodríguez, N J; Gutiérrez-Bonilla, F; Álvarez-León, R

2016-07-01

The remarkable fish diversity in the Caribbean rivers of north-western South America evolved under the influences of the dramatic environmental changes of neogene northern South America, including the Quechua Orogeny and Pleistocene climate oscillations. Although this region is not the richest in South America, endemism is very high. Fish assemblage structure is unique to each of the four aquatic systems identified (rivers, streams, floodplain lakes and reservoirs) and community dynamics are highly synchronized with the mono-modal or bi-modal flooding pulse of the rainy seasons. The highly seasonal multispecies fishery is based on migratory species. Freshwater fish conservation is a challenge for Colombian environmental institutions because the Caribbean trans-Andean basins are the focus of the economic development of Colombian society, so management measures must be directed to protect aquatic habitat and their connectivity. These two management strategies are the only way for helping fish species conservation and sustainable fisheries. © 2016 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

Data of first de-novo transcriptome assembly of a non-model species, hawksbill sea turtle, Eretmochelys imbricate, nesting of the Colombian Caribean.

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Hernández-Fernández, Javier

2017-12-01

The hawksbill sea turtle, Eretmochelys imbricata, is an endangered species of the Caribbean Colombian coast due to anthropic and natural factors that have decreased their population levels. Little is known about the genes that are involved in their immune system, sex determination, aging and others important functions. The data generated represents RNA sequencing and the first de-novo assembly of transcripts expressed in the blood of the hawksbill sea turtle. The raw FASTQ files were deposited in the NCBI SRA database with accession number SRX2653641. A total of 5.7 Gb raw sequence data were obtained, corresponding to 47,555,108 raw reads. Trinity was used to perform a first de-novo assembly, and we were able to identify 47,586 transcripts of the female hawksbill turtle transcriptome with an N50 of 1100 bp. The obtained transcriptome data will be useful for further studies of the physiology, biochemistry and evolution in this species.

76 FR 19380 - Notice of Entry Into Effect of MARPOL Annex V Wider Caribbean Region Special Area

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2011-04-07

... Effect of MARPOL Annex V Wider Caribbean Region Special Area AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard announces the date for the entry into effect of discharge requirements from ships in the Wider Caribbean Region (WCR) special area (SA) as specified in the International Convention...

Zinc Deficiency in Latin America and the Caribbean.

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Cediel, Gustavo; Olivares, Manuel; Brito, Alex; Cori, Héctor; López de Romaña, Daniel

2015-06-01

Zinc deficiency affects multiple vital functions in the life cycle, especially growth. Limited information is available on the magnitude of zinc deficiency in Latin America and the Caribbean. To examine the latest available information on both the prevalence of zinc deficiency and the risk of zinc deficiency in Latin America and the Caribbean. The prevalence of zinc deficiency was identified through a systematic review looking for the latest available data on serum zinc concentrations from surveys or studies with national representativeness conducted in Latin America and the Caribbean. The risk of zinc deficiency in Latin America and the Caribbean was estimated based on dietary zinc inadequacy (according to the 2011 National Food Balance Sheets) and stunting in children under 5 years of age. Only four countries had available national biochemical data. Mexican, Colombian, Ecuadorian, and Guatemalan children under 6 years of age and women 12 to 49 years of age had a high prevalence of zinc deficiency (19.1% to 56.3%). The countries with the highest risk of zinc deficiency (estimated prevalence of inadequate zinc intake > 25% plus prevalence of stunting > 20%) were Belize, Bolivia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Zinc dietary inadequacy was directly correlated with stunting (r = 0.64, p zinc deficiency in children under 6 years of age and women 12 to 49 years of age. High rates of both estimated zinc dietary inadequacy and stunting were also reported in most Latin America and Caribbean countries.

Recent advances in understanding Colombian mangroves

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Polanía, J.; Urrego, L. E.; Agudelo, C. M.

2015-02-01

Throughout the last 15 years, researchers at the National University of Colombia at Medellin have studied Colombian mangroves. Remote sensing, pollen analysis of superficial and deep sediments, Holocene coastal vegetation dynamics, sediment dating using 14C and 210Pb, sampling in temporary plots, sampling in temporary and permanent plots, and other techniques have been applied to elucidate long- and short-term mangrove community dynamics. The studied root fouling community is structured by several regulatory mechanisms; habitat heterogeneity increases species richness and abundance. Fringe mangroves were related to Ca concentration in the soil and the increased dominance of Laguncularia racemosa and other nonmangrove tree species, while the riverine mangroves were associated with Mg concentration and the dominance of Rhizophora mangle. The seedling and mangrove tree distributions are determined by a complex gradient of natural and anthropogenic disturbances. Mangrove pollen from surface sediments and the existing vegetation and geomorphology are close interrelated. Plant pollen of mangrove and salt marsh reflects environmental and disturbance conditions, and also reveals forest types. Forest dynamics in both coasts and their sensitivity of to anthropogenic processes are well documented in the Late Quaternary fossil record. Our studies of short and long term allow us to predict the dynamics of mangroves under different scenarios of climate change and anthropogenic stress factors that are operating in Colombian coasts. Future research arises from these results on mangrove forests dynamics, sea-level rise at a fine scale using palynology, conservation biology, and carbon dynamics.

Size Constraints on Late Miocene to Pliocene Submarine Slope Failures along the Colombian Caribbean Subduction Margin as a Basis for Assessing Circum-Caribbean Impact of Future Tsunami Events

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Leslie, S.; Mann, P.

2015-12-01

The Colombian Caribbean margin provides an ideal setting for the formation of large mass transport deposits (MTDs): 1) the Caribbean Plate is slowly subducting at rates of 20 mm/yr with infrequent large thrust earthquakes and a complete lack of subduction events in the 400-year-long historical record; 2) the margin is a broad zone of active faults including a ~50 km-wide accretionary prism and strike-slip faults landward of the prism; 3) the active margin is draped by the Magdalena delta and submarine fan fed by the Magdalena River, the 26th largest in the world; and 4) the margin is over-steepened to slopes of up to 7° from the combination of tectonic activity and rapid rates of deltaic progradation. Using seismic data we have identified three late Miocene-Pliocene MTDs, the largest of which is between 4500 and 6000 km3, comparable in size to the well-studied Storegga slide of Norway. The tsunamigenic potential of future, analog MTD events are modeled using GeoWave tsunami modeling software. The largest and youngest of these MTDs, the Santa Marta slide, is used as an analog to infer the location and input parameters for the tsunami model. The event is modeled as a translational slide ~46 km long and ~37 km wide with the center of the slide located ~57 km W/NW from the mouth of the present day Magdalena River in water depths of 1500 m. The volume for the initial failure is conservatively estimated at ~680 km3 of material. The resulting tsunami wave from such an event has an initial maximum trough amplitude of -65.8 m and a peak amplitude of 19.2 m. The impact of such a tsunami would include: 1) Kingston, Jamaica (population 938K), tsunami height 7.5 m, peak arrival at 60 min.; 2) Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (population 965K, height 6 m, peak arrival at 80 min.); and 3) Cartagena, Colombia (population 845K, height 21 m, peak arrival at 34 min.). A number of parameters to the model are varied to analyze sensitivity of modeling results to changes in slide depth

A new estuarine species, Nereis garwoodi (Polychaeta: Nereididae, from Bahía Chetumal, Mexican Caribbean coast

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Luis E. González-Escalante

2003-03-01

Full Text Available Nereis garwoodi n. sp. is described on the basis of eight syntype specimens (six atokous and two heteronereis collected in Bahía Chetumal, Mexican Caribbean coast, and the variability in the paragnath numbers in the pharynx is established using 180 specimens; paragnath numbers are I:10(SD=1.9; II:30 (SD=2.6; III:41 (SD=5.2; IV:29 (SD=3.5, V:1, VI:4, VII-VIII: >30. Its eyes are big and its longest tentacular cirri reaches setiger 11. A revised key to species of Nereis recorded from the Grand Caribbean Sea is included.Se describe N. garwoodi n. sp. con base en ocho ejemplares sintipos (seis atokos y dos heteronereis recolectados en el sublitoral (1 m en la bahía de Chetumal y se define la variación en los paragnatos de las áreas diag-nósticas de la faringe usando 180 ejemplares, las cuáles son I:10(SD=1.9; II:30 (SD=2.6; III:41 (SD=5.2; IV:29 (SD=3.5, V:1, VI:4, VII-VIII:>30. Se caracteriza por tener un cirro tentacular que alcanza el setígero 11. Se incluye una clave revisada para las especies de Nereis registradas en el Gran Caribe.

The entry of Colombian-sourced heroin into the US market: the relationship between competition, price, and purity.

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Rosenblum, Daniel; Unick, George Jay; Ciccarone, Daniel

2014-01-01

There have been large structural changes in the US heroin market over the past 20 years. Colombian-sourced heroin entered the market in the mid-1990s, followed by a large fall in the price per pure gram and the exit of Asian heroin. By the 2000s, Colombian-sourced heroin had become a monopoly on the east coast and Mexican-sourced heroin a monopoly on the west coast with competition between the two in the middle. We estimate the relationship between these changes in competitive market structure on retail-level heroin price and purity. We find that the entry of Colombian-sourced heroin is associated with less competition and a lower price per pure gram of heroin at the national level. However, there is wide variation in changes in market concentration across the US. Controlling for the national fall in the heroin price, more competition in a region or city is associated with a lower price per pure gram. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sovereignty Under Siege: Drug Trafficking and State Capacity in the Caribbean and Central America

Science.gov (United States)

2016-06-01

million people consume illicit drugs (of the cannabis , opioid, cocaine, or amphetamine classifications), which corresponds to 3.5–7 percent of the world...prevalent.28 Last, failed states have flawed institutions, lack infrastructural capacity (potholes), have poor, privatized education and medical ...drug assaults.149 Colombian DTOs moved into the Caribbean like a cancerous growth, taking root, and then malignantly spreading to destabilize or

Molecular characterisation of Colombian yam germplasm by "DNA amplification fingerprinting (DAF" in radioactivo conditions

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Silvia L. Bustamante

2003-07-01

Full Text Available Samples from the Universidad de Córdoba's yam collection (Dioscorea spp. and others originating from IITA (International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan, Nigeria were molecularly characterised to complement existing information about them. The yam (Diosocorea spp. represents a basic crop for small-scale farmers on the Colombian Atlantic Coast who sow around 20,000 hectares per year. Even though they are dioecious species, only one sex is represented in Colombia; it must also be stated that climatic conditions are not propitious for its flowering. This situation has caused difficulty for work in yam breeding. The yam species and varieties used in the Colombian ABP (Agricultural Biotechnology Programme have been molecularly characterised by AFLPs in a previous publication describing a preliminary study emerging from the need to broaden the characterisation of those accessions kept at the Universidad de Córdoba. Comparisons have also been done with some African accessions donated by IITA. In this article, samples were molecularly characterised by another fingerprinting technique, the DAF technique (DNA Amplification Fingerprinting based on PCR, using random oligonucleotides for generating characteristic band patterns from each individual. The results showed 0.0413 population diversity with 0.9587 average similarity, indicating that the yam collection studied had very little genetic diversity and, probably, this could be why the crop is vulnerable to plagues and diseases, as happened at the end of the 1980s when anthracnose practically devastated the crop on the Colombian Atlantic coast. Similarity was also found between those Colombian and African samples analysed, agreeing with low diversity and less distance between common ancestors. The molecular results suggest the need for using other molecular techniques having a greater power of discrimination and also the need to broaden the genetic diversity in yam crops for providing greater

Adaptación del arroz riego (Oryza sativa L. en el Caribe colombiano Adaptation of irrigated rice (Oryza sativa L. in the colombian Caribbean

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Hermes Aramendiz Tatis

2011-01-01

Full Text Available En Colombia, el arroz ocupa el primer lugar en seguridad alimentaria, valor económico y generación de empleo entre los cultivos anuales, siendo el sistema bajo riego más importante. El objetivo fue determinar el progreso, estabilidad y adaptabilidad del rendimiento de arroz bajo riego, en cinco departamentos del caribe colombiano. Se utilizaron datos del Ministerio de Agricultura y Desarrollo Rural, correspondiente a los Departamentos de Córdoba, Bolívar, Magdalena, Cesar y Guajira, durante el periodo 1987-2008. La estimación del progreso del rendimiento se realizó a través del análisis de regresión lineal entre los años (variable explicativa y el rendimiento de grano (variable explicada. La estabilidad se determinó a través del coeficiente de variación para tres períodos consecutivos de cinco años y el último de siete. La adaptabilidad, se realizó con el coeficiente de regresión lineal (bi. Los resultados destacan que el progreso en el rendimiento de grano en el Caribe colombiano, osciló entre 1.15% y 3.36% por año y 52.2 y 168.1 kg.ha-1, especialmente en el Departamento de Bolívar (3.36% por año y 168.1 kg.ha-1. La estabilidad, resultó en general alta (CV4.57 para el rendimiento de grano.In Colombia, the rice crop under irrigation system ranks first in food security, economic value and employment offer among annual crops, becoming the most important. The objective of this study was to quantify increasing, stability and adaptability of irrigated rice in five departments of the Colombian Caribbean area. Data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for the departments of Cordoba, Bolivar, Magdalena, Cesar and Guajira, during the year period 1987 to 2008 were used. The increasing in yield was determined using the linear regression analysis among years (independent variable and grain yield (dependent variable in each department. The yield stability was determined by the coefficient of variation across of three

CORRELACIONES Y ANÁLISIS DE SENDERO EN ALGODÓN (Gossypium hirsutum L. EN EL CARIBE COLOMBIANO CORRELATIONS AND PATH ANALYSIS IN COTTON (Gossypium hirsutum L. IN THE COLOMBIAN CARIBBEAN

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Miguel Mariano Espitia Camacho

2008-06-01

Full Text Available El cultivo del algodón es la principal actividad agrícola en la economía del Caribe colombiano en el segundo semestre del año y el principal abastecedor de fibra a la industria nacional desde hace aproximadamente 60 años. El objetivo de este trabajo fue estimar las correlaciones fenotípicas, genéticas y ambientales, entre 11 caracteres agronómicos y realizar un análisis de sendero para rendimiento de fibra. Se utilizaron los datos de la evaluación agronómica de 10 genotipos de algodón en ocho ambientes del Caribe colombiano. En cada ambiente se utilizó un diseño experimental de bloques completos al azar con cuatro repeticiones. Los resultados indicaron que las correlaciones genéticas fueron superiores a las fenotípicas y ambientales. El rendimiento de fibra (REF presentó las mayores correlaciones fenotípicas, genéticas y fenotipicas parciales con el porcentaje de fibra (PFI, el rendimiento de algodón - semilla (RAS y el peso de mota (PMO, con valores de r > 0,43 (PThe cotton crop is the main agricultural activity in the economy of the colombian Caribbean in the second semester of the year and the main supplier of fibre to national industry for about 60 years. The objective of this work was to estimate the phenotypic, genetic and environmental correlations, between 11 agronomic characters and to make a path analysis for fibre yield. Data of agronomic evaluation of 10 genotypes of cotton in eight environments of the colombian Caribbean were used. In each environment experimental design at random complete blocks with four repetitions were used. The results indicated that genetic correlations were superior to phenotypic and environmental correlations. Fibre yield (FIY presented the highest phenotypic, genetic and partial phenotypic correlations with ginning percentage (GP, seed-cotton yield (SCY and boll weight (BOW with values of r > 0,43 (P<0,01. The FIP (0,810 was the cause variable that showed the greatest direct effect on

Data of first de-novo transcriptome assembly of a non-model species, hawksbill sea turtle, Eretmochelys imbricate, nesting of the Colombian Caribean

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Javier Hernández-Fernández

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The hawksbill sea turtle, Eretmochelys imbricata, is an endangered species of the Caribbean Colombian coast due to anthropic and natural factors that have decreased their population levels. Little is known about the genes that are involved in their immune system, sex determination, aging and others important functions. The data generated represents RNA sequencing and the first de-novo assembly of transcripts expressed in the blood of the hawksbill sea turtle. The raw FASTQ files were deposited in the NCBI SRA database with accession number SRX2653641. A total of 5.7 Gb raw sequence data were obtained, corresponding to 47,555,108 raw reads. Trinity was used to perform a first de-novo assembly, and we were able to identify 47,586 transcripts of the female hawksbill turtle transcriptome with an N50 of 1100 bp. The obtained transcriptome data will be useful for further studies of the physiology, biochemistry and evolution in this species. Keywords: Hawksbill turtle, Trinity, RNAseq, illumina, N50

Far field tsunami simulations of the 1755 Lisbon earthquake: Implications for tsunami hazard to the U.S. East Coast and the Caribbean

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Barkan, R.; ten Brink, Uri S.; Lin, J.

2009-01-01

The great Lisbon earthquake of November 1st, 1755 with an estimated moment magnitude of 8.5-9.0 was the most destructive earthquake in European history. The associated tsunami run-up was reported to have reached 5-15??m along the Portuguese and Moroccan coasts and the run-up was significant at the Azores and Madeira Island. Run-up reports from a trans-oceanic tsunami were documented in the Caribbean, Brazil and Newfoundland (Canada). No reports were documented along the U.S. East Coast. Many attempts have been made to characterize the 1755 Lisbon earthquake source using geophysical surveys and modeling the near-field earthquake intensity and tsunami effects. Studying far field effects, as presented in this paper, is advantageous in establishing constraints on source location and strike orientation because trans-oceanic tsunamis are less influenced by near source bathymetry and are unaffected by triggered submarine landslides at the source. Source location, fault orientation and bathymetry are the main elements governing transatlantic tsunami propagation to sites along the U.S. East Coast, much more than distance from the source and continental shelf width. Results of our far and near-field tsunami simulations based on relative amplitude comparison limit the earthquake source area to a region located south of the Gorringe Bank in the center of the Horseshoe Plain. This is in contrast with previously suggested sources such as Marqu??s de Pombal Fault, and Gulf of C??diz Fault, which are farther east of the Horseshoe Plain. The earthquake was likely to be a thrust event on a fault striking ~ 345?? and dipping to the ENE as opposed to the suggested earthquake source of the Gorringe Bank Fault, which trends NE-SW. Gorringe Bank, the Madeira-Tore Rise (MTR), and the Azores appear to have acted as topographic scatterers for tsunami energy, shielding most of the U.S. East Coast from the 1755 Lisbon tsunami. Additional simulations to assess tsunami hazard to the U.S. East

Spatial and temporal distribution of the invasive lionfish Pterois volitans in coral reefs of Tayrona National Natural Park, Colombian Caribbean.

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Bayraktarov, Elisa; Alarcón-Moscoso, Javier; Polanco F, Andrea; Wild, Christian

2014-01-01

The lionfish Pterois volitans is an invasive species throughout the Western Atlantic that disturbs functioning of local ecosystems such as coral reefs via fast and intense consumption of small fish and invertebrates. In 2009, lionfish populated the bays of Tayrona National Natural Park (TNNP), a biodiversity hotspot in the Colombian Caribbean that is strongly influenced by changing environmental conditions due to a rainy and dry season. So far, the spatial and temporal distribution of P. volitans in the bays of TNNP is unknown. Therefore, this study assessed the abundance and body lengths of P. volitans during monthly surveys throughout the year 2012 in four bays (thereof two bays where lionfish removals were undertaken) of TNNP at 10 m water depth in coral reefs using transect tools. Findings revealed lionfish abundances of 2.9 ± 0.9 individuals ha(-1) with lengths of 20-25 cm for TNNP, hinting to an established, mostly adult local population. Actual TNNP lionfish abundances are thereby very similar to those at Indo-Pacific reef locations where the invasive lionfish formerly originated from. Significant spatial differences for lionfish abundances and body lengths between different bays in TNNP suggest habitat preferences of P. volitans depending on age. Lionfish abundances were highly variable over time, but without significant differences between seasons. Removals could not reduce lionfish abundances significantly during the period of study. This study therefore recommends improved management actions in order to control the already established invasive lionfish population in TNNP.

A new species of Dentiphilometra (Nematoda: Philometridae) from the musculature of the gray snapper Lutjanus griseus (osteichthyes) off the Caribbean coast of Mexico.

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González-Solís, David; Moravec, Frantisek; Paredes, Vielka M Tuz

2007-10-01

A new nematode, Dentiphilometra lutjani n. sp. (Philometridae), is described from gravid females (the male is unknown) collected from the body musculature of the marine perciform fish gray snapper, Lutjanus griseus (Lutjanidae), from the Bay of Chetumal and southern coast of Quintana Roo, off the Caribbean coast of Mexico. The new species differs from the only other congener, Dentiphilometra monopteri, from the swamp eel Monopterus albus in China, mainly in the body length of gravid female (15.40-53.21 mm), the shape of the posterior body end (not markedly narrowed, with low caudal projections), the esophageal gland (maximum width near its posterior end), and the length (344-483 microm) of larvae from the uterus; both species also differ in their host types (marine perciform fish vs. freshwater swamp eel) and geographical distribution (Mexico vs. China).

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA haplogroups in 1526 unrelated individuals from 11 Departments of Colombia

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Juan J. Yunis

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The frequencies of four mitochondrial Native American DNA haplogroups were determined in 1526 unrelated individuals from 11 Departments of Colombia and compared to the frequencies previously obtained for Amerindian and Afro-Colombian populations. Amerindian mtDNA haplogroups ranged from 74% to 97%. The lowest frequencies were found in Departments on the Caribbean coast and in the Pacific region, where the frequency of Afro-Colombians is higher, while the highest mtDNA Amerindian haplogroup frequencies were found in Departments that historically have a strong Amerindian heritage. Interestingly, all four mtDNA haplogroups were found in all Departments, in contrast to the complete absence of haplogroup D and high frequencies of haplogroup A in Amerindian populations in the Caribbean region of Colombia. Our results indicate that all four Native American mtDNA haplogroups were widely distributed in Colombia at the time of the Spanish conquest.

The REDCAM, institutional Cooperation for the Surveillance of the Quality of the Marine and Coastal waters in Colombia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ana Maria Velez G; Marin Z, Bienvenido; Garay T, Jesus A

2003-01-01

The Colombian Marine Environment Monitoring Network (REDCAM) initiated in 2001, with the purpose of grouping the institutions and the efforts necessary to evaluate the chemical and sanitary quality of the marine and estuarine waters of Colombia; it is composed of 16 nodes and main server located at INVEMAR (Santa Marta); each node counts with hardware and software for a Input and retrieval tables and cartographic information a about the quality o marine and coastal waters of Colombia. It was established a network of field stations that covers most of the Colombian coasts. In each one, since 2001, twice a year, it has been registering the values of the main physicochemical and bacteriological variables that characterize the quality of the marine and estuarine waters. Based on this information, the following zones have been identified as critical for its marine and coastal pollution: Santa Marta, Cartagena, Barranquilla, Morrosquillo, Uraba and San Andres, in the Caribbean coast and Buenaventura, Guapi and La Tola in Pacific coast

Spatial and temporal distribution of the invasive lionfish Pterois volitans in coral reefs of Tayrona National Natural Park, Colombian Caribbean

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Elisa Bayraktarov

2014-05-01

Full Text Available The lionfish Pterois volitans is an invasive species throughout the Western Atlantic that disturbs functioning of local ecosystems such as coral reefs via fast and intense consumption of small fish and invertebrates. In 2009, lionfish populated the bays of Tayrona National Natural Park (TNNP, a biodiversity hotspot in the Colombian Caribbean that is strongly influenced by changing environmental conditions due to a rainy and dry season. So far, the spatial and temporal distribution of P. volitans in the bays of TNNP is unknown. Therefore, this study assessed the abundance and body lengths of P. volitans during monthly surveys throughout the year 2012 in four bays (thereof two bays where lionfish removals were undertaken of TNNP at 10 m water depth in coral reefs using transect tools. Findings revealed lionfish abundances of 2.9 ± 0.9 individuals ha−1 with lengths of 20–25 cm for TNNP, hinting to an established, mostly adult local population. Actual TNNP lionfish abundances are thereby very similar to those at Indo–Pacific reef locations where the invasive lionfish formerly originated from. Significant spatial differences for lionfish abundances and body lengths between different bays in TNNP suggest habitat preferences of P. volitans depending on age. Lionfish abundances were highly variable over time, but without significant differences between seasons. Removals could not reduce lionfish abundances significantly during the period of study. This study therefore recommends improved management actions in order to control the already established invasive lionfish population in TNNP.

Agents of coral mortality on reef formations of the Colombian Pacific.

Science.gov (United States)

Navas-Camacho, Raúl; Rodríguez-Ramírez, Alberto; Reyes-Nivia, María Catalina

2010-05-01

The National Monitoring System for Coral Reefs of Colombia (SIMAC) monitors the impact of some of the most important agents of coral tissue loss (bleaching and/or disease) in the Colombian Pacific coral formations since 1998. Physiological bleaching is among the main results of stress in the area. Signs of coral diseases resembling bacterial bleaching such as White Plague and White Band, were observed in Malpelo and Gorgona islands. Damage to the Pacific gorgonian Pacifigorgia spp., similar to those produced by Aspergillosis in Caribbean corals, was detected in Utria Bay. The presence of tumors in colonies of massive corals was also recorded. Even though coral diseases are globally widespread, their occurrence in American Pacific reefs has been poorly documented to date.

Complicated malaria in children and adults from three settings of the Colombian Pacific Coast: A prospective study.

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Myriam Arévalo-Herrera

Full Text Available Complicated malaria remains an important public health problem, particularly in endemic settings where access to health services is limited and consequently malaria fatal outcomes occur. Few publications describing the clinical course and outcomes of complicated malaria in Latin America are found in the literature. This prospective study approached the clinical and laboratory characteristics of hospitalized patients with complicated malaria in different endemic areas of the Colombian Pacific Coast with the aim to provide epidemiological knowledge and guide to further reducing malaria severity and mortality.A prospective, descriptive hospital-based study was conducted in 323 complicated malaria patients (median age 20 years enrolled in Quibdó, Tumaco and Cali between 2014 and 2016. Clinical evaluation was performed and laboratory parameters were assessed during hospitalization. Plasmodium falciparum was the most common parasite species (70%, followed by P. vivax (28%, and mixed malaria (Pf/Pv; 1.9%. Overall, predominant laboratory complications were severe thrombocytopenia (43%, hepatic dysfunction (40%, and severe anaemia (34%. Severe thrombocytopenia was more common in adults (52% regardless of parasite species. Severe anaemia was the most frequent complication in children ≤10 years (72% and was most commonly related to P. vivax infection (p < 0.001; whereas liver dysfunction was more frequent in older patients (54% with P. falciparum (p < 0.001. Two deaths due to P. vivax and P. falciparum each were registered. Treatment provision before recruitment hindered qPCR confirmation of parasite species in some cases.The study identified a high prevalence of complicated malaria in the Pacific Coast, together with more frequent severe anaemia in children infected by P. vivax and hepatic dysfunction in adults with P. falciparum. Results indicated the need for earlier diagnosis and treatment to prevent complications development as well as more

TIC, asociatividad y turismo, tres factores unidos para potenciar el Caribe colombiano ICT, partnership and tourism, three factors united to promote the colombian Caribbean

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Adriana P. Uribe Uran

2010-06-01

Full Text Available El presente artículo expone la experiencia obtenida por un grupo de investigadores de la Universidad Simón Bolívar de Barranquilla- Colombia, tras la ejecución de un proyecto que consistió en la construcción de un sistema de gestión y el desarrollo de un conjunto de estrategias para potenciar las ventajas del Caribe Colombiano como sector turístico. La finalidad del proyecto era mejorar el desarrollo económico y social de esta región y hacerla atractiva para turistas nacionales y extranjeros, de tal forma que a través del portal Web creado como estrategia central, la visitaran para disfrutar de los diferentes tipos de turismo que esta región puede ofrecer: ecológico, de aventura, de salud, cultural, de sol y playa, entre otros. La investigación arrojo dentro de sus resultados, la conformación de un grupo de empresarios del sector turístico, en un trabajo asociativo bajo el apoyo de una plataforma en TIC que permite a los potenciales viajeros, conocer las ventajas del Caribe como destino turístico, y a los empresarios, promocionar sus servicios a través del portal.This article presents the experience gained by a research group from the Simon Bolivar University of Barranquilla-Colombia, after carrying out a project which consisted in the building of a communication system and the development of a group of strategies that will impulse the advantages of the Colombian Caribe as a touristic place, with the goal of improving the economic and social development of this Colombian region and making it an attractive place for national and foreign tourists, who, through the web page created as central strategy, could visit and enjoy the different tourism types it can offer: ecologic, adventure, health, cultural, beach and sun, among others. The research results showed the formation of a group of businessmen in the tourism sector, working in partnership under the support of a ICT’s platform that enables them to promote their services

Las formaciones coralinas de Isla Tortuguilla (Caribe colombiano)

OpenAIRE

López-Victoria, M.; Díaz, J.M.; Márquez, J.C.

2000-01-01

Tortuguilla is a small island off the southern portion of the Colombian Caribbean continental coast. It is surrounded by a shallow calcareous shelf which is overgrown by recent coral formations whose distribution, composition and zonation are herewith qualitative described for the first time. Observations and data collecting were conducted during two days from a boat by snorkeling at 63 stations and along manta tow transects. Despite the reduced area and the adverse turbidity and sedimentati...

Tectonic evolution of the Caribbean and northwestern South America: The case for accretion of two Late Cretaceous oceanic plateaus

Science.gov (United States)

Kerr, Andrew C.; Tarney, John

2005-04-01

It is widely accepted that the thickened oceanic crust of the Caribbean plate, its basaltic accreted margins, and accreted mafic terranes in northwestern South America represent the remnants of a single ca. 90 Ma oceanic plateau. We review geologic, geochemical, and paleomagnetic evidence that suggests that the Caribbean-Colombian oceanic plateau in fact represents the remnants of two different oceanic plateaus, both dated as ca. 90 Ma. The first of these plateaus, the Caribbean Plateau, formed ca. 90 Ma in the vicinity of the present-day Galapagos hotspot. Northeastward movement of the Farallon plate meant that this plateau collided with the proto Caribbean arc and northwestern South America Gorgona Plateau, formed at 26° 30°S, possibly at the site of the present-day Sala y Gomez hotspot. Over the next ˜45 m.y., this plateau was carried progressively northeastward on the Farallon plate and collided in the middle Eocene with the proto Andean subduction zone in northwestern South America. The recognition of a second ca. 90 Ma Pacific oceanic plateau strengthens the link between plateau formation and global oceanic anoxic events.

Seismological observations at the Northern Andean region of Colombia: Evidence for a shallowly subducting Caribbean Slab and an extensional regime in the upper plate

Science.gov (United States)

Monsalve, G.; Cardona, A.; Yarce, J.; Alvira, D.; Poveda, E.

2013-05-01

A number of seismological observations, among which we can mention teleseismic travel time residuals, P to S receiver functions and Pn velocity quantification, suggest a clear distinction between the seismic structure of the crust and uppermost mantle between the plains on the Caribbean coast of Colombia and the mountains at the Northern Andean region. Absolute and relative travel time residuals indicate the presence of a seismically fast material in the upper mantle beneath northern Colombia; preliminary results of Pn studies show a region of relatively slow Pn velocities (between 7.8 and 7.9 km/s) underneath the Caribbean coast, contrasting with values greater than 8 km/s beneath the Central and Western cordilleras of Colombia, and the Pacific coast; receiver functions suggest a significantly thinner crust beneath the Caribbean coast, with a crustal thickness between 25 and 30 km, than beneath the Northern Andean zone at the cordilleras of Colombia, where it exceeds 40 km and reaches about 57 km at the location of Bogota. Besides the obviuos discrepancies that appear in response to different topography, we think that the seismological observations are a consequence of the presence of two very distinct slab segments beneath Colombia and contrasting behaviors of the upper plate, which correspond to Caribbean and Nazca subductions. Our seismic observations can be explained by a shallowly subducting Caribbean Plate, in the absence of an asthenospheric wedge, that steepens at about the location of the Bucaramanga nest, and a thinned continental crust that reflects an extensional component linked to oblique convergence of the Caribbean, which contrasts with the crustal thickening in the Andean Cordillera linked to crustal shortening and Nazca plate subuction. These new data are consistent with the idea of of a relatively warm Nazca slab of Neogene age which seems to have a relatively frontal convergence, and a colder, more buoyant Caribbean slab which represents an

Agents of coral mortality on reef formations of the Colombian Pacific

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Raúl Navas-Camacho

2010-05-01

Full Text Available The National Monitoring System for Coral Reefs of Colombia (SIMAC monitors the impact of some of the most important agents of coral tissue loss (bleaching and/or disease in the Colombian Pacific coral formations since 1998. Physiological bleaching is among the main results of stress in the area. Signs of coral diseases resembling bacterial bleaching such as White Plague and White Band, were observed in Malpelo and Gorgona islands. Damage to the Pacific gorgonian Pacifigorgia spp., similar to those produced by Aspergillosis in Caribbean corals, was detected in Utría Bay. The presence of tumors in colonies of massive corals was also recorded. Even though coral diseases are globally widespread, their occurrence in American Pacific reefs has been poorly documented to date. Rev. Biol. Trop. 58 (Suppl. 1: 133-138. Epub 2010 May 01.

[Colombians in Venezuela: myth and reality].

Science.gov (United States)

Bidegain Greising, G; Freitez Landaeta, A

1988-08-01

Figures of Colombian immigrants in Venezuela in the period 1981-1986 as well as the development of their socio-demographic profile and their integration into the labor market are analyzed by means of ad hoc tables drawn from a Sample Home Survey by the Oficina Central de Estadisticas e Informatica and information from the civil record office. It is estimated that in 1987 there are only half a million Colombians in Venezuela and, contrary to what is generally assumed, not only has the afflux decreased (3/4 of the Colombians entered before 1981), but also a return migration can be observed. Colombian immigration is not homogeneous, but is made up of different groups as far as their professional skills and occupations are concerned. The number of Colombians engaged in household service and those living in rural areas has decreased, but not the number of active farm workers. A greater proportion of Colombians engaged in trade and sales activities is observed, but artisans and skilled labor are still the majority.

New species of the genus Copidognathus (Halacaridae) from the Caribbean region

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bartsch, I.

1984-01-01

The halacarid fauna of the eastern North Atlantic Ocean and its adjacent waters, the Mediterranean, the North Sea, and the Baltic, has been studied and described in more than 100 papers; but only a few papers deal with the halacarid fauna on the east coast of the United States and the Caribbean

Deep-water sponges (Porifera) from Bonaire and Klein Curacao, Southern Caribbean

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Soest, R.W.M.; Meesters, H.W.G.; Becking, L.E.

2014-01-01

Four submersible dives off the coast of Bonaire (Caribbean Netherlands) and Klein Curaçao (Curaçao) to depths of 99.5–242 m, covering lower mesophotic and upper dysphotic zones, yielded 52 sponge specimens belonging to 31 species. Among these we identified 13 species as new to science. These are

Innovation systems in developing countries: A top-down and bottom-up approach to studying the Colombian National System of Innovation and the coffee, flower and sugarcane production chains

OpenAIRE

Velasco, Diana Carolina

2015-01-01

This thesis examines the evolution and development of science, technology and innovation (STI) policies in Colombia as a particular case study of a developing country within the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) Region. The initial stage of the research analysed attempts by Colombian policy-makers from the 1960s onwards to build a National System of Innovation (NSI), following recommendations from transnational organisations such as the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation a...

The Colombian side of the colombian-brazilian border. An approach using the category of lawless area

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Luis Fernando Trejos Rosero

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This study uses the category of lawless areas as an approach to the complex security situation resulting from increasing ties between localized criminality and transnational organized crime networks on the Colombian side of the Colombian-Brazilian border. The permanent presence of illegal armed actors in this border area is largely caused by the absence and weak presence of the Colombian State at its margins. The methodology used is both bibliographic and descriptive.

First Record of Invasive Lionfish (Pterois volitans) for the Brazilian Coast.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferreira, Carlos E L; Luiz, Osmar J; Floeter, Sergio R; Lucena, Marcos B; Barbosa, Moysés C; Rocha, Claudia R; Rocha, Luiz A

2015-01-01

The invasion of the northwestern Atlantic by the Indo-Pacific lionfish has developed extraordinarily fast, and is expected to cause one of the most negative ecological impacts among all marine invasions. In less than 30 years, lionfish have dramatically expanded their distribution range to an area encompassing the eastern coast of the USA, Bermuda, the entire Caribbean region and the Gulf of Mexico. The rapidity of the lionfish spread has raised concerns in other parts of the Atlantic that may be under the reach of the invasion. Despite the anticipation that lionfish would eventually extend their range throughout most of the eastern coast of South America, it had not been recorded in Brazil until now. Here we report the first lionfish appearance for the Brazilian coast and show that the individual collected by us is genetically linked to the invasive Caribbean population. Since small-range endemics are found in several locations in Brazil and are among the species that are most vulnerable to extinction, we recommend urgent control, management and education measures aimed at minimizing the effects of this impending invasion.

Tourism, globalization and the environment in the Mexican Caribbean Coast

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Juan Córdoba y Ordóñez

2012-02-01

Full Text Available The terms globalization and tourism tend to be regarded as synonyms in the Mexican Caribbean, an area which shifted from a virtually uninhabited borderline territory to a tourism center receiving over six million visitors peryear. Territorial occupation patterns derived from tourism -identified during field work through a physiognomic analysiswere used to investigate some of the implications of the complex relationship between tourism and development, the latter including not only economic but human factors, as well as with the natural and cultural environment characterized by both a great diversity and a great fragility.

Menopausal manifestations and quality of life in afro-colombians. Valuation whit Cervantes scale

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Monterrosa-Castro, Álvaro

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Introduction: the menopausal manifestations should be studied by ethnic considerations. Objective: to identify the most prevalent menopausal manifestations and to evaluate quality of life according to menstrual states. Methods: this study is a part of CAVIMEC [Quality of Life in Menopause and Colombian Ethnic Groups], performed with Cervantes Scale, which evaluates CV in menopause, in 646 Afro-Colombians, aged 40-59 years, living in populations of the Caribbean and Pacific. Results: mean age 48.7±5.7 years, 69.1% with obesity/overweight, 22.7% with university/technological studies and 40.5% postmenopausal. The most prevalent manifestations: hot flashes 76.4%; suffocation 73.1%; Muscle/joint pain 71.3%; they couldn’t sleep 61.8%; easy sweating episode 55.8%; dry skin 50.4% and headache that increased during the day 44.2%. The third part could not be good by the nerves, things like boring, lost the ability to relax or noticed that everyone was spinning 24.4% had less interest in sex and 14.4% had not significant sexuality. Postmenopausal women had worse scores in most of the manifestations and in the domains of health, psychic, sexuality, relationship, vasomotor, health, aging and global. Conclusion: hot flashes, suffocations and muscle/joint pain were the manifestations most prevalent, in seven out of ten. Postmenopausal women had worse quality of life.

Presencia de juveniles de tiburón aletinegro Carcharhinus limbatus (Carcharhiniformes: Carcharhinidae en la zona norte de la ecoregión Tayrona, Caribe colombiano Presence of young blacktip sharks Carcharhinus limbatus (Carcharhiniformes: Carcharhinidae in the north area of the Tayrona ecoregion, Colombian Caribbean

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Juan Gaitán-Espitia

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Se registra la presencia de dos juveniles de Carcharhinus limbatus (Valenciennes, 1839 capturados por pescadores artesanales en el sector de la desembocadura del río Don Diego (11°18'N-73°43'W al norte de la zona de influencia del Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona en el Caribe colombiano. Este constituye el primer registro de la especie para el área local y se describen los ejemplares examinados.The presence of two young Carcharhinus limbatus (Valenciennes, 1839 is documented. The individuals were collected by artisanal fishers in the area around the Don Diego River mouth (11°18'N-73°43'W at the north of the Tayrona National Natural Park influence zone in the Colombian Caribbean. This is the first record of this species in the area. The specimens examined are described herein.

Presencia de Metalpheus rostratipes (Pocock, 1890) (Crustacea: Alpheidae) en el Caribe colombiano

OpenAIRE

Navas-S., G.R.; Lattig, P.; Moreno-Forero, S.K.

1999-01-01

Samples of skeletons of the coral Acropora palmata obtained on the reef crest of Isla Grande, Islas del Rosario (colombian Caribbean),were found to contain two specimens of the family Alpheidae, Metalpheus rostratipes (Pocock, 1890). This shrimp species is reported for the first time from the colombian Caribbean.

Tsunami Warning Services for the U.S. and Canadian Atlantic Coasts

Science.gov (United States)

Whitmore, P. M.; Knight, W.

2008-12-01

In January 2005, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) developed a tsunami warning program for the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts. Within a year, this program extended further to the Atlantic coast of Canada and the Caribbean Sea. Warning services are provided to U.S. and Canadian coasts (including Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands) by the NOAA/West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center (WCATWC) while the NOAA/Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) provides services for non-U.S. entities in the Caribbean Basin. The Puerto Rico Seismic Network (PRSN) is also an active partner in the Caribbean Basin warning system. While the nature of the tsunami threat in the Atlantic Basin is different than in the Pacific, the warning system philosophy is similar. That is, initial messages are based strictly on seismic data so that information is provided to those at greatest risk as fast as possible while supplementary messages are refined with sea level observations and forecasts when possible. The Tsunami Warning Centers (TWCs) acquire regional seismic data through many agencies, such as the United States Geological Survey, Earthquakes Canada, regional seismic networks, and the PRSN. Seismic data quantity and quality are generally sufficient throughout most of the Atlantic area-of-responsibility to issue initial information within five minutes of origin time. Sea level data are mainly provided by the NOAA/National Ocean Service. Coastal tide gage coverage is generally denser along the Atlantic coast than in the Pacific. Seven deep ocean pressure sensors (DARTs), operated by the National Weather Service (NWS) National Data Buoy Center, are located in the Atlantic Basin (5 in the Atlantic Ocean, 1 in the Caribbean, and 1 in the Gulf of Mexico). The DARTs provide TWCs with the means to verify tsunami generation in the Atlantic and provide critical data with which to calibrate forecast models. Tsunami warning response criteria in the Atlantic Basin

[The red tide caused by the dinoflagellate Alexandrium tamarense in the Colombian Pacific coast (2001)].

Science.gov (United States)

García-Hansen, Ingrid; Cortés-Altamirano, Roberto; Sierra-Beltrán, Arturo P

2004-09-01

From April 26th to May 15th 2001, a large algae bloom was observed off Tumaco Bay on the Pacific coast of Colombia. This was the first harmful algae bloom (HAB) reported in the region, and reached Gorgona Island, about 120 km north. A year later, starting March 2002, an offshore HAB developed from Cabo Corrientes North to Solano Bay. The typical abundance during the blooms reached 7.5 x 10(6) cells l(-1) for the 2001 event and 1.6 x 10(6) cells l(-1) for the 2002 event. During both events, low temperature and high salinity were recorded. Typical measurements in the area are 27-27.5 degrees C and 30-31.5 psu. Values observed during the two events were 24-24.6 degrees C and 33-34 psu; 3 degrees C below normal and more than 2.5 psu above average values. These conditions are indicative of local upwelling processes at the time of the events. On both occasions, cells corresponding to the Alexandrium catenella/fundeyense/tamarense complex represented 99-100% of the biomass. It was difficult to differentiate the cells from A. catenella, but the presence of short chains of only 4 cells (single cells represented most of the biomass) was suggestive of A. tamarense. Shape, dimensions, and detailed structure of the apical pore complex, first apical plate, posterior sulcal plate, and position of the ventral pore on plate 1' of cells were consistent with the description of A. tamarense, which has not been reported in the tropical East Pacific. The Control Center of Pacific Contamination of the Maritime General Direction of the Colombian Navy has been monitoring the area since 1994 without finding this species or HABs. This leads us to consider the two events as caused by recently introduced species, where local upwelling processes favor permanent and cyclic HABs. However, during these two events, there were no reports of effects on marine biota or of human poisoning, probably because the blooms occurred some distance offshore and far from exploited shellfish beds.

Honduras: Caribbean Coast.

Science.gov (United States)

Harborne, A R; Afzal, D C; Andrews, M J

2001-12-01

The coast of Honduras, Central America, represents the southern end of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, although its marine resources are less extensive and studied than nearby Belize and Mexico. However, the coastal zone contains mainland reef formations, mangroves, wetlands, seagrass beds and extensive fringing reefs around its offshore islands, and has a key role in the economy of the country. Like most tropical areas, this complex of benthic habitats experiences limited annual variation in climatic and oceanographic conditions but seasonal and occasional conditions, particularly coral bleaching and hurricanes, are important influences. The effects of stochastic factors on the country's coral reefs were clearly demonstrated during 1998 when Honduras experienced a major hurricane and bleaching event. Any natural or anthropogenic impacts on reef health will inevitably affect other countries in Latin America, and vice versa, since the marine resources are linked via currents and the functioning of the system transcends political boundaries. Much further work on, for example, movement of larvae and transfer of pollutants is required to delineate the full extent of these links. Anthropogenic impacts, largely driven by the increasing population and proportion of people living in coastal areas, are numerous and include key factors such as agricultural run-off, over-fishing, urban and industrial pollution (particularly sewage) and infrastructure development. Many of these threats act synergistically and, for example, poor watershed management via shifting cultivation, increases sedimentation and pesticide run-off onto coral reefs, which increases stress to corals already affected by decreasing water quality and coral bleaching. Threats from agriculture and fishing are particularly significant because of the size of both industries. The desire to generate urgently required revenue within Honduras has also led to increased tourism which provides an overarching stress

Honduras: Caribbean Coast

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Harborne, Alastair R.; Afzal, Daniel C.; Andrews, Mark J. [Coral Cay Conservation, London (United Kingdom)

2001-07-01

The coast of Honduras, Central America, represents the southern end of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, although its marine resources are less extensive and studied than nearby Belize and Mexico. However, the coastal zone contains mainland reef formations, mangroves, wetlands, seagrass beds and extensive fringing reefs around its offshore islands, and has a key role in the economy of the country. Like most tropical areas, this complex of benthic habitats experiences limited annual variation in climatic and oceanographic conditions but seasonal and occasional conditions, particularly coral bleaching and hurricanes, are important influences. The effects of stochastic factors on the country's coral reefs were clearly demonstrated during 1998 when Honduras experienced a major hurricane and bleaching event. Any natural or anthropogenic impacts on reef health will inevitably affect other countries in Latin America, and vice versa, since the marine resources are linked via currents and the functioning of the system transcends political boundaries. Much further work on, for example, movement of larvae and transfer of pollutants is required to delineate the full extent of these links. Anthropogenic impacts, largely driven by the increasing population and proportion of people living in coastal areas, are numerous and include key factors such as agricultural run-off, over-fishing, urban and industrial pollution (particularly sewage) and infrastructure development. Many of these threats act synergistically and, for example, poor watershed management via shifting cultivation, increases sedimentation and pesticide run-off onto coral reefs, which increases stress to corals already affected by decreasing water quality and coral bleaching. Threats from agriculture and fishing are particularly significant because of the size of both industries. The desire to generate urgently required revenue within Honduras has also led to increased tourism which provides an over

[Genetic profiling of Giardia intestinalis by polimerase chain in human and dogs samples of Colombian Caribean Coast].

Science.gov (United States)

Arroyo-Salgado, Bárbara; Buelvas-Montes, Yaleyvis; Villalba-Vizcaíno, Vivian; Salomón-Arzuza, Octavio

2014-01-01

Giardia intestinalis (G. Intestinalis) is a protozoan that causes diarrheal disease and malabsorption syndrome in humans and other mammals. It presents a high genetic diversity evidenced in the recognition of 7 genotypes (A-G). Genotypes A and B are commonly associated to humans and domestic animals such as dogs. The aim of this study was to conduct a preliminary genetic characterization of G. intestinalis in humans and dogs from two cities on the Caribbean coast of Colombia. Sampling areas were selected according to the highest numbers of acute diarrheal disease. Stool samples were collected from children under 7 years old, with positive medical tests for G. intestinalis. Cysts were purified by sucrose gradient and DNA samples were isolated by extraction with organic solvents. Molecular characterization was performed by amplifying the gene triose phosphate isomerase (tpi) by using a semi-nested PCR. A total of 202 samples of DNA were obtained; of these, 111 were positive in coproparasitological analysis (13 dogs and 98 children). Genotype distribution in positive samples was: 5.1% belonged to genotype A and 92.3% to genotype B. Genotype B was present in humans and animals. The most common genotype in both human and animal samples was genotype B, suggesting a zoonotic transmission cycle. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier España, S.L.U. y Sociedad Española de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología Clínica. All rights reserved.

First Record of Invasive Lionfish (Pterois volitans for the Brazilian Coast.

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Carlos E L Ferreira

Full Text Available The invasion of the northwestern Atlantic by the Indo-Pacific lionfish has developed extraordinarily fast, and is expected to cause one of the most negative ecological impacts among all marine invasions. In less than 30 years, lionfish have dramatically expanded their distribution range to an area encompassing the eastern coast of the USA, Bermuda, the entire Caribbean region and the Gulf of Mexico. The rapidity of the lionfish spread has raised concerns in other parts of the Atlantic that may be under the reach of the invasion. Despite the anticipation that lionfish would eventually extend their range throughout most of the eastern coast of South America, it had not been recorded in Brazil until now. Here we report the first lionfish appearance for the Brazilian coast and show that the individual collected by us is genetically linked to the invasive Caribbean population. Since small-range endemics are found in several locations in Brazil and are among the species that are most vulnerable to extinction, we recommend urgent control, management and education measures aimed at minimizing the effects of this impending invasion.

Bacterial diversity of the Colombian fermented milk "Suero Costeño" assessed by culturing and high-throughput sequencing and DGGE analysis of 16S rRNA gene amplicons.

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Motato, Karina Edith; Milani, Christian; Ventura, Marco; Valencia, Francia Elena; Ruas-Madiedo, Patricia; Delgado, Susana

2017-12-01

"Suero Costeño" (SC) is a traditional soured cream elaborated from raw milk in the Northern-Caribbean coast of Colombia. The natural microbiota that characterizes this popular Colombian fermented milk is unknown, although several culturing studies have previously been attempted. In this work, the microbiota associated with SC from three manufacturers in two regions, "Planeta Rica" (Córdoba) and "Caucasia" (Antioquia), was analysed by means of culturing methods in combination with high-throughput sequencing and DGGE analysis of 16S rRNA gene amplicons. The bacterial ecosystem of SC samples was revealed to be composed of lactic acid bacteria belonging to the Streptococcaceae and Lactobacillaceae families; the proportions and genera varying among manufacturers and region of elaboration. Members of the Lactobacillus acidophilus group, Lactocococcus lactis, Streptococcus infantarius and Streptococcus salivarius characterized this artisanal product. In comparison with culturing, the use of molecular in deep culture-independent techniques provides a more realistic picture of the overall bacterial communities residing in SC. Besides the descriptive purpose, these approaches will facilitate a rational strategy to follow (culture media and growing conditions) for the isolation of indigenous strains that allow standardization in the manufacture of SC. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

First visual record of a living basking shark Cetorhinus maximus in the Caribbean Sea

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Geelhoed, S.C.V.; Janinhoff, N.; Verdaat, J.P.

2016-01-01

The occurrence of basking sharks in the Caribbean Sea is only recently documented by satellite tagging studies, which show that some individuals migrate through the region en route from waters off the east coast of the USA to waters off northeastern South-America. The observation of a basking shark

Composition and fluxes of submarine groundwater along the Caribbean coast of the Yucatan Peninsula

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Null, Kimberly A.; Knee, Karen L.; Crook, Elizabeth D.; de Sieyes, Nicholas R.; Rebolledo-Vieyra, Mario; Hernández-Terrones, Laura; Paytan, Adina

2014-04-01

Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) to the coastal environment along the eastern Yucatan Peninsula, Quintana Roo, Mexico was investigated using a combination of tracer mass balances and analytical solutions. Two distinct submarine groundwater sources including water from the unconfined surficial aquifer discharging at the beach face and water from a deeper aquifer discharging nearshore through submarine springs (ojos) were identified. The groundwater of nearshore ojos was saline and significantly enriched in short-lived radium isotopes (223Ra, 224Ra) relative to the unconfined aquifer beach face groundwater. We estimated SGD from ojos using 223Ra and used a salinity mass balance to estimate the freshwater discharge at the beach face. Analytical calculations were also used to estimate wave set-up and tidally driven saline seepage into the surf zone and were compared to the salinity-based freshwater discharge estimates. Results suggest that average SGD from ojos along the Yucatan Peninsula Caribbean coast is on the order of 308 m3 d-1 m-1 and varies between sampling regions. Higher discharge was observed in the southern regions (568 m3 d-1 m-1) compared to the north (48 m3 d-1 m-1). Discharge at the beach face was in the range of 3.3-8.5 m3 d-1 m-1 for freshwater and 2.7 m3 d-1 m-1 for saline water based on the salinity mass balance and wave- and tidally-driven discharge, respectively. Although discharge from the ojos was larger in volume than discharge from the unconfined aquifer at the beach face, dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) was significantly higher in beach groundwater; thus, discharge of this unconfined beach aquifer groundwater contributed significantly to total DIN loading to the coast. DIN fluxes were up to 9.9 mol d-1 m-1 from ojos and 2.1 mol d-1 m-1 from beach discharge and varied regionally along the 500 km coastline sampled. These results demonstrate the importance of considering the beach zone as a significant nutrient source to coastal waters

Insights on the Understanding of the Circum-Caribbean Region from Potential Field Data

Science.gov (United States)

Garcia-Reyes, A.; Dyment, J.; Thebault, E.

2017-12-01

During decades, the nature, geometry and evolution of the Caribbean geological provinces and their boundaries have been topic of discussion and controversy. Great strike-slip faulting in the northern boundaries of the plate, and folding and thrusting structures related with Cretaceous magmatism have been used as indicators of the emplacement of the Caribbean plate between the Northamerican and Southamerican plates at least from the Late Cretaceous, which is the most accepted hypothesis. The exotic origin of the Caribbean plate has also been supported by presence of radiolarites, fauna, ages from rocks sampled from drilling and oceanic paleo-currents analyses. The high thickness of the sediments in most of the basins, the absence of drilling wells reaching the acoustic basement and the absence of identifiable patterns of magnetic anomalies constitute the limitations for the interpretation from potential field data. Potential field data allows tracking contrasts in the physical properties between two geological bodies if they are laterally exhibited. Hence its use is suitable to characterise the seafloor fabric but also to better delineate the boundaries between the geological provinces. In this research we are providing an interpretation from vertical gradients of gravity and reprocessed magnetic anomalies over the Caribbean region with the purpose of making a contribution to the understanding of this area. We are also using magnetic anomalies to determine the paleolatitude over those areas where seafloor spreading related anomalies are observed. Our results led us to propose a conceptual model of the origin of the Caribbean plate. Our model relates the Venezuelan basin with the Cretaceous `not-so-quite' magnetic isochrons; it proposes that the Colombian, Venezuelan and Grenada basins have oceanic crustal affinity and it reinterprets the Beata and Aves ridges as reactivated fracture zones - respectively - in which a magmatic event occurred during or after its

How accurately are climatological characteristics and surface water and energy balances represented for the Colombian Caribbean Catchment Basin?

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Hoyos, Isabel; Baquero-Bernal, Astrid; Hagemann, Stefan

2013-09-01

In Colombia, the access to climate related observational data is restricted and their quantity is limited. But information about the current climate is fundamental for studies on present and future climate changes and their impacts. In this respect, this information is especially important over the Colombian Caribbean Catchment Basin (CCCB) that comprises over 80 % of the population of Colombia and produces about 85 % of its GDP. Consequently, an ensemble of several datasets has been evaluated and compared with respect to their capability to represent the climate over the CCCB. The comparison includes observations, reconstructed data (CPC, Delaware), reanalyses (ERA-40, NCEP/NCAR), and simulated data produced with the regional climate model REMO. The capabilities to represent the average annual state, the seasonal cycle, and the interannual variability are investigated. The analyses focus on surface air temperature and precipitation as well as on surface water and energy balances. On one hand the CCCB characteristics poses some difficulties to the datasets as the CCCB includes a mountainous region with three mountain ranges, where the dynamical core of models and model parameterizations can fail. On the other hand, it has the most dense network of stations, with the longest records, in the country. The results can be summarised as follows: all of the datasets demonstrate a cold bias in the average temperature of CCCB. However, the variability of the average temperature of CCCB is most poorly represented by the NCEP/NCAR dataset. The average precipitation in CCCB is overestimated by all datasets. For the ERA-40, NCEP/NCAR, and REMO datasets, the amplitude of the annual cycle is extremely high. The variability of the average precipitation in CCCB is better represented by the reconstructed data of CPC and Delaware, as well as by NCEP/NCAR. Regarding the capability to represent the spatial behaviour of CCCB, temperature is better represented by Delaware and REMO, while

NOTES ON CLADOPHORA (CHLOROPHYCEAE). I. TWO NEW CARIBBEAN SPECIES CLADOPHORA JONGIORUM NOV. SP. AND CLADOPHORA LONGICELLULATA NOV. SP.

Science.gov (United States)

van den Hoek, C

1969-06-01

Two new Caribbean species of Cladophora are described: Cl. jongiorum from material collected on the coast of Curacao and Cl. longicellulata from specimens collected on Bermuda by various authors and wrongly identified as Cl. catenifera Kützing.

Scolelepis (Polychaeta: Spionidae from the Brazilian coast with a diagnosis of the genus

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Marcelo Borges Rocha

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Five species of Scolelepis have been reported for the Brazilian coast. This study raises this number, with two new records: S. acuta Treadwell, 1914, originally from Eastern Pacific, and Scolelepis andradei Delgado-Blas, Díaz & Liñero-Arana, 2009, from the Caribbean Sea. Furthermore, two species were found to have an expanded geographic range along the Brazilian coast: Scolelepis lighti Delgado-Blas, 2006 and Scolelepis goodbodyi Jones, 1962.

Structural and functional characteristics of avicennia germinans mangrove formation of Chengue bay (Colombian Caribbean)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodriguez Ramirez, Alberto; Nivia Ruiz, Jaime; Garzon Ferreira, Jaime

2004-01-01

Within the framework of the CARICOMP (Caribbean coastal marine productivity) monitoring program, a study of the avicennia germinans mangrove formation of Chengue bay (Tayrona natural park, Colombia) was performed between June 1995 and July 1996, based on the evaluation of structural and functional characteristics at three monitoring plots (10 x 10 m). The structure of the studied formation is coincident with that of fringing forests of the Caribbean region in having small trees (dbh=11.3 cm, total height=6.3 m) and high densities (16.3 trunks/0.01 ha). During the monitored period there was a low mortality rate (0.7 trees/year) and there were significant increases of the circumferences at breast height (as well as of the variables derived from this measure) average tree growth rates expressed in height, dbh and basal area were 26.7 cm/year, 0.17 cm/year and 2.9 cm/year respectively. Litterfall was composed principally by leaves (66.1%) and represented a mean production rate of 43.1 g/m2/month (5.2 t/ha/year). there was a temporal pattern of litterfall production associated with the climatic seasons in the area: during rainy months the production of total litterfall, leaves and fruits was higher, while during the dry season there was a reduction of these components and an increase of flowers and wood/twigs. therefore, flowering and fruit production periods are fitted to an annual reproductive cycle. In general, the information gathered during this study is a new contribution to the knowledge of mangrove ecology in Chengue and showed that the monitored trees had the conditions to grow and develop during the evaluated period

Heavy weights

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2001-01-01

The paper mentions the important thing that it was for the country, exporting the first shipping of crude de Castilla to a company of asphalts in United States. It was not a common sale, as those that it carries out the company with the crude of Cusiana or Cano Limon. The new of this shipping is that it was the first successful test of marketing the Colombian heavy crude in the exterior, since previously it was almost considered a curse to find heavy crude by the difficulties of its transport. Today it can be taken to any refinery of the world and the best test is that, after almost a year of efforts to overcome the barriers of the transport, the company achieved its conduction from the Castilla Field, in proximities to Villavicencio, until the Covenas Port, in the Caribbean Colombian coast

Location of the Black Communities in Colombia: the Absence of the Insular Afro-Caribbean.Location of the Black Communities in Colombia: the Absence of the Insular Afro-Caribbean

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Inge Helena Valencia Peña

2011-07-01

Full Text Available The predominance of a ethno-territorial model from the experience of the “Present Pacific”in the recognition model proposed by the Law 70 of 1993, or the Law of black Africandescendant communities, has acted as a referent in the history and memory of the organizationaland mobilization processes of black population in the country. In this sense,facing the predominance of a Pacific referent in the memory of the afro mobilization, thisarticle seeks to present some of the voids in afrocolombian studies from two situations:1 the void of what is afro-caribbean in the process of colombian national formation andb the emptiness of the mobilization of the native population of the archipelago of San2ndrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina as part of the history of mobilization of blackcommunities in the country.

Phylogenomics of Colombian Helicobacter pylori isolates.

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Gutiérrez-Escobar, Andrés Julián; Trujillo, Esperanza; Acevedo, Orlando; Bravo, María Mercedes

2017-01-01

During the Spanish colonisation of South America, African slaves and Europeans arrived in the continent with their corresponding load of pathogens, including Helicobacter pylori . Colombian strains have been clustered with the hpEurope population and with the hspWestAfrica subpopulation in multilocus sequence typing (MLST) studies. However, ancestry studies have revealed the presence of population components specific to H. pylori in Colombia. The aim of this study was to perform a thorough phylogenomic analysis to describe the evolution of the Colombian urban H. pylori isolates. A total of 115 genomes of H. pylori were sequenced with Illumina technology from H. pylori isolates obtained in Colombia in a region of high risk for gastric cancer. The genomes were assembled, annotated and underwent phylogenomic analysis with 36 reference strains. Additionally, population differentiation analyses were performed for two bacterial genes. The phylogenetic tree revealed clustering of the Colombian strains with hspWestAfrica and hpEurope, along with three clades formed exclusively by Colombian strains, suggesting the presence of independent evolutionary lines for Colombia. Additionally, the nucleotide diversity of horB and vacA genes from Colombian isolates was lower than in the reference strains and showed a significant genetic differentiation supporting the hypothesis of independent clades with recent evolution. The presence of specific lineages suggest the existence of an hspColombia subtype that emerged from a small and relatively isolated ancestral population that accompanied crossbreeding of human population in Colombia.

Distribución de los gasterópodos del manglar, Neritina virgínea (Neritidae y Littoraria angulifera (Littorinidae en la Ecorregión Darién, Caribe colombiano Distribution of the mangrove gastropods Neritina virginea (Neritidae and Littoraria angulifera (Littorinidae within the Colombian Caribbean Darién Ecoregion

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Luis Ferney Ortiz

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Aunque los gasterópodos son uno de los grupos más abundantes en los manglares del Caribe, poco se sabe del ámbito de especies particulares debido al enfoque comunitario de la mayoría de los estudios. El ámbito de las poblaciones de L. angulifera y N. virginea fue estudiado en la Ecorregión Darién, Caribe colombiano. El muestreo se realizó entre junio y agosto 2009, se recolectaron 3 963 individuos de ambas especies, a los cuales se les midió la talla de la concha. La Ecorregión presentó diferencias espaciales en el ámbito de la salinidad del agua a nivel superficial, la cobertura de manglar y el ámbito de las poblaciones. En la parte externa de la Ecorregión, L. angulifera presentó el mayor porcentaje de aparición (84.8% en comparación a N. virginea (15.2%. En el interior N. virginea presentó el mayor porcentaje (84.6%, mientras L. angulifera apareció solo en bahía Turbo (15.4%. Se encontraron diferencias en el ámbito de tallas promedio de las conchas, donde L. angulifera varió entre 6 y 22mm y N. virginea entre 6 y 12mm dentro del Golfo. Se confirma que L. angulifera es una especie de carácter estenohalina y marina, mientras que N. virginea es eurihalina y estuarina.Distribution of the mangrove gastropods Neritina virginea (Neritidae and Littoraria angulifera (Littorinidae within the Colombian Caribbean Darién Ecoregion. Gastropods are one of the most abundant groups within the Caribbean mangroves, however, little is known about the distribution of particular species at a regional scale. With this aim, we studied the geographic distribution of Littoraria (Littorinopsis angulifera and Neritina (Vitta virginea within the Darién Ecoregion in the Caribbean coast of Colombia, from 77 sampling stations along 609km between the Colombian-Panamá border and Córdoba State, Colombia. The fieldwork was conducted in June-August 2009, and a total of 3 963 individuals of both species were hand-picked from the ground, prop-roots and

Collective action in a tropical estuarine lagoon: adapting Ostrom’s SES framework to Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta, Colombia.

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Luz Elba Torres Guevara

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The paper contributes to the social-ecological systems literature byadapting and using Elinor Ostrom’s Social-Ecological System (SES frameworkin the context of a coastal ecosystem. We modified the SES framework in thecase of the Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta (CGSM, an estuarine lagoon inthe Caribbean coast of Colombia. The ecological importance of CGSM and itsspecies is undeniable. This paper aims to understand why collective action fora sustainable use of CGSM’s fishery resources has not taken place. In order torespond to that question, we created new variables within the social, economic,and political settings of the SES framework. The results show that the fishers’ fearof the indiscriminate and strong violence that illegal armed groups have inflictedon them since the 1960s and the economic development in the ColombianCaribbean region help explain the lack of collective action.

New Scenarios of Chagas Disease Transmission in Northern Colombia

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Catalina Tovar Acero

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Chagas disease (CD is a systemic parasitic infection caused by the flagellated form of Trypanosoma cruzi. Córdoba department, located in the Colombian Caribbean Coast, was not considered as a region at risk of T. cruzi transmission. In this article, we describe the first acute CD case in Salitral village in Sahagún, Córdoba, confirmed by microscopy and serological tests. Our results draw attention to a new scenario of transmission of acute CD in nonendemic areas of Colombia and highlight the need to include CD in the differential diagnosis of febrile syndromes in this region.

Effects of global warming on floods and droughts in the Caribbean

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Narayan, Kailas

2004-01-01

The Caribbean islands stretch in an arc from Cuba, south of Florida, to Trinidad and Tobago, north of the South American coast. The islands range in size from 100,000 square kilometers to 100 square kilometers, with populations ranging from ten million to less than ten thousand people. There is a wide range of rainfall in the region, occurring mainly from the Inter-Tropical convergence Zone, Tropical Waves and Hurricanes. There are also extended periods of droughts in the dry season. As a result the islands suffer from droughts as well as floods. These phenomena can have devastating results on the economies of the islands, resulting in extreme hardships for the population as well as forced shifting of population centers. Change of precipitation patterns as a result of Global warming can only worsen the situation. In this paper the author attempts an investigation into the effects of global warming and the resulting impacts in terms of droughts, floods on the Caribbean islands and on coastal areas of continental countries in the Caribbean. Vulnerability and risks are also investigated in terms of these phenomena. (Author)

Los cangrejos ermitaños del género Paguristes Dana (Anomura: Diogenidae de la costa norte colombiana, con la descripción de dos nuevas especies

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Campos C. Néstor Hernando

1995-06-01

Full Text Available Nine species of hermit crabs of the genus Paguristes are reported from the Caribbean Colombian coast; P.paraguanensis was previously reported from the Guajira Peninsula. The other eight species are new reports from the Colombian Caribbean; two of them, P. zebra and P. werdingi are new spp.. The first one come Irom the Bahía de Cartagena and Islas del Rosario; the second is more widely distributed, since it has been lound from the Santa Marta region to Bahía de Portete, in the Guajira Penfnsula.Se registran nueve especies de cangrejos ermitaños del género Paguristes para la costa Caribe colombiana; P. paraguanensis había sido registrada previamente para la región de la Guajira. Las ocho especies restantes son nuevos registros para el Caribe colombiano y dos de estas, P.zebra y P. werdingi, son nuevas especies. La primera procede de la Bahía de Cartagena y las Islas del Rosario; la segunda tiene una distribución más amplia, se la ha encontrado desde la región de Santa Marta hasta la Bahía de Portete, en la península de la Guajira.

[The exodus of Colombians between 1963-1973].

Science.gov (United States)

Arbelaez, A

1977-05-01

Prior to 1964 the Colombian population was rather stationary, with net migration having little effect on the total volume of population. Between the 1963 and the 1973 censuses the displacement of Colombians abroad took place on such a large scale as to have a significant effect on the demographic structure of the country. The deterioration of living standards in Colombia in combination with a lack of economic opportunities, accounts for this mass exodus to countries with stronger economies. A large portion of those who leave establish themselves in foreign countries as illegal aliens. Immigration to the U.S. and Venezuela accounts for 85% of the total migration. Official statistics for Venezuela indicate that there are more than 300,000 Colombians living there illegally, but unofficial sources state that the figure is closer to 2 million. In the U.S. there are more than 25,000 Colombians registered, but a more reasonable estimate of 1,200,000 Colombians living there is closer to reality. The author offers several hypotheses for the increase in the number of illegal aliens to the U.S. These include favorable conditions for legal immigration until 1965, and increasing promotion of tourism to the U.S., with greater opportunity to remain there beyond the visa period. Between 1967 and 1969 new restrictions on immigration were imposed by U.S. authorities, causing a drop of entries into the U.S. After this initial period, however, the number of Colombians coming to the U.S. increased again. This study includes charts which indicate legal and illegal immigration, and deportations. These categories are analyzed on the basis of sex, age, country of destination, and place of origin in Colombia.

A new subspecies of Nitokra affinis Gurney, 1927 (Copepoda, Harpacticoida) from the Caribbean coast of Colombia

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Fuentes-Reinés, Juan M.; Suárez-Morales, Eduardo

2014-01-01

Abstract Plankton samples from Laguna Navio Quebrado, La Guajira, northern Colombia, yielded male and female specimens of an harpacticoid copepod that was first identified as the widely distributed species Nitokra affinis Gurney, 1927 for which at least four subspecies have been described from different geographic areas. A more detailed examination of the Colombian specimens revealed that it differs from the other morphs so far considered as subspecies. The Colombian specimens differ from the other four known subspecies in the following aspects: (1) rostrum with long projection, (2) relatively long exopod of P1, almost as long as first endopodal segment, (3) endopodal and exopodal rami of P2 equally long, (4) a reduced number of endopodal setal elements of the male P5. It also differs from N. a. californica Lang in details of the ornamentation of the urosomites. Descriptions and illustrations of this new subspecies, the first one described from the Neotropical region, are presented together with a key to the five known subspecies of Nitokra affinis. As in many other cases of presumedly widespread species of harpacticoids, it is possible that N. affinis represents a species complex with more restricted distributional patterns, a notion that certainly deserves further study. PMID:24574850

A Transnational World Fractured but Not Forgotten: British West Indian Migration to the Colombian Islands of San Andrés and Providence

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Sharika Crawford

2011-06-01

Full Text Available This article examines British West Indian migration to the Colombian archipelago of San Andrés and Providence in the late nineteenth to early twentieth century. While the United Fruit plantations, Panama Canal, oil fields in Venezuela, and railroad projects in Central America generated a strong demand for a large West Indian workforce, no such development took place on San Andrés and Providence. As a result, the profile of West Indian migration looks different than to the Spanish-speaking circum-Caribbean, with more professionals and merchants and fewer unskilled laborers. In the absence of mass migration, there was less hostility toward West Indian newcomers to San Andrés and Providence islands.

From an Enclosure to the Corraleja. An Analysis of the Genesis of an Ephemeral and Vernacular Colombian Architecture

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Massimo Leserri

2018-03-01

Full Text Available In the Colombian Caribbean region, human extraordinary ability to interpret nature’s functioning and mechanical language, has allowed man to manage and use, throughout history, natural elements to improve living conditions. In Architecture, technical-constructive knowledge development has enabled constructions of a temporary and stable nature. In fact, this research project begins with the relationship between the understanding of nature and the creation of Colombian vernacular architecture, which has led to a special and unique form of architecture such as the Corraleja. In this architecture, vernacular constructive tradition and ephemeral character are concurremt. This has been an object of interest due to its folkloric aspects, however, it has rarely been researched for its architecture. Currently, it is usually built only when its real spatial function is needed, becoming a place destined to contain the annual bullfighting-like festivities. In fact, its limited and cyclical permanence, gives it an ephemeral and also nomadic character since it is not always built, necessarily, in the same place. This research study begins by means of the importance of the vertical balance control of the alive branches nailed in the ground, still present in the whole Caribbean region through enclosures. This can be considered as a primordial action and conquest, and has allowed the realization of every vernacular construction. In Europe, the tradition of ephemeral architecture when there are some civil and religious festivities becomes stable architecture over time; bullfighting party in Spain is an emblematic case which is transformed into stable spaces such as bullrings. This tradition extends to the Spanish colony in America in the eighteenth century. In the Colombian Caribbean, for example, the bullfighting festival keeps an ephemeral character that is fed by a vernacular architectural tradition. In addition, existing literature on the vernacular theme

Marine Biodiversity in the Caribbean: Regional Estimates and Distribution Patterns

Science.gov (United States)

Miloslavich, Patricia; Díaz, Juan Manuel; Klein, Eduardo; Alvarado, Juan José; Díaz, Cristina; Gobin, Judith; Escobar-Briones, Elva; Cruz-Motta, Juan José; Weil, Ernesto; Cortés, Jorge; Bastidas, Ana Carolina; Robertson, Ross; Zapata, Fernando; Martín, Alberto; Castillo, Julio; Kazandjian, Aniuska; Ortiz, Manuel

2010-01-01

This paper provides an analysis of the distribution patterns of marine biodiversity and summarizes the major activities of the Census of Marine Life program in the Caribbean region. The coastal Caribbean region is a large marine ecosystem (LME) characterized by coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrasses, but including other environments, such as sandy beaches and rocky shores. These tropical ecosystems incorporate a high diversity of associated flora and fauna, and the nations that border the Caribbean collectively encompass a major global marine biodiversity hot spot. We analyze the state of knowledge of marine biodiversity based on the geographic distribution of georeferenced species records and regional taxonomic lists. A total of 12,046 marine species are reported in this paper for the Caribbean region. These include representatives from 31 animal phyla, two plant phyla, one group of Chromista, and three groups of Protoctista. Sampling effort has been greatest in shallow, nearshore waters, where there is relatively good coverage of species records; offshore and deep environments have been less studied. Additionally, we found that the currently accepted classification of marine ecoregions of the Caribbean did not apply for the benthic distributions of five relatively well known taxonomic groups. Coastal species richness tends to concentrate along the Antillean arc (Cuba to the southernmost Antilles) and the northern coast of South America (Venezuela – Colombia), while no pattern can be observed in the deep sea with the available data. Several factors make it impossible to determine the extent to which these distribution patterns accurately reflect the true situation for marine biodiversity in general: (1) highly localized concentrations of collecting effort and a lack of collecting in many areas and ecosystems, (2) high variability among collecting methods, (3) limited taxonomic expertise for many groups, and (4) differing levels of activity in the study of

Marine biodiversity in the Caribbean: regional estimates and distribution patterns.

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Patricia Miloslavich

2010-08-01

Full Text Available This paper provides an analysis of the distribution patterns of marine biodiversity and summarizes the major activities of the Census of Marine Life program in the Caribbean region. The coastal Caribbean region is a large marine ecosystem (LME characterized by coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrasses, but including other environments, such as sandy beaches and rocky shores. These tropical ecosystems incorporate a high diversity of associated flora and fauna, and the nations that border the Caribbean collectively encompass a major global marine biodiversity hot spot. We analyze the state of knowledge of marine biodiversity based on the geographic distribution of georeferenced species records and regional taxonomic lists. A total of 12,046 marine species are reported in this paper for the Caribbean region. These include representatives from 31 animal phyla, two plant phyla, one group of Chromista, and three groups of Protoctista. Sampling effort has been greatest in shallow, nearshore waters, where there is relatively good coverage of species records; offshore and deep environments have been less studied. Additionally, we found that the currently accepted classification of marine ecoregions of the Caribbean did not apply for the benthic distributions of five relatively well known taxonomic groups. Coastal species richness tends to concentrate along the Antillean arc (Cuba to the southernmost Antilles and the northern coast of South America (Venezuela-Colombia, while no pattern can be observed in the deep sea with the available data. Several factors make it impossible to determine the extent to which these distribution patterns accurately reflect the true situation for marine biodiversity in general: (1 highly localized concentrations of collecting effort and a lack of collecting in many areas and ecosystems, (2 high variability among collecting methods, (3 limited taxonomic expertise for many groups, and (4 differing levels of activity in the study

Caribbean Sea Level Network

Science.gov (United States)

von Hillebrandt-Andrade, C.; Crespo Jones, H.

2012-12-01

Over the past 500 years almost 100 tsunamis have been observed in the Caribbean and Western Atlantic, with at least 3510 people having lost their lives to this hazard since 1842. Furthermore, with the dramatic increase in population and infrastructure along the Caribbean coasts, today, millions of coastal residents, workers and visitors are vulnerable to tsunamis. The UNESCO IOC Intergovernmental Coordination Group for Tsunamis and other Coastal Hazards for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions (CARIBE EWS) was established in 2005 to coordinate and advance the regional tsunami warning system. The CARIBE EWS focuses on four areas/working groups: (1) Monitoring and Warning, (2) Hazard and Risk Assessment, (3) Communication and (4) Education, Preparedness and Readiness. The sea level monitoring component is under Working Group 1. Although in the current system, it's the seismic data and information that generate the initial tsunami bulletins, it is the data from deep ocean buoys (DARTS) and the coastal sea level gauges that are critical for the actual detection and forecasting of tsunamis impact. Despite multiple efforts and investments in the installation of sea level stations in the region, in 2004 there were only a handful of sea level stations operational in the region (Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, Bermuda, Bahamas). Over the past 5 years there has been a steady increase in the number of stations operating in the Caribbean region. As of mid 2012 there were 7 DARTS and 37 coastal gauges with additional ones being installed or funded. In order to reach the goal of 100 operational coastal sea level stations in the Caribbean, the CARIBE EWS recognizes also the importance of maintaining the current stations. For this, a trained workforce in the region for the installation, operation and data analysis and quality control is considered to be critical. Since 2008, three training courses have been offered to the sea level station operators and data analysts. Other

Assessment of the Initial Response from Tsunami Monitoring Services Provided to the Northeastern Caribbean

Science.gov (United States)

Soto-Cordero, L.; Meltzer, A.

2014-12-01

A mag 6.4 earthquake offshore northern Puerto Rico earlier this year (1/13/14) is a reminder of the high risk of earthquakes and tsunamis in the northeastern Caribbean. Had the magnitude of this event been 0.1 larger (M 6.5) a tsunami warning would have been issued for the Puerto Rico-Virgin Islands (PRVI) region based on the West Coast Alaska Tsunami Warning Center (WCATWC) and Puerto Rico Seismic Network (PRSN) response procedures at the time. Such an alert level would have led local authorities to issue evacuation orders for all PRVI coastal areas. Since the number of deaths associated with tsunamis in the Caribbean region is greater than the total casualties from tsunamis in the entire US (including Hawaii and Alaska coasts) having an effective and redundant warning system is critical in order to save lives and to minimize false alarms that could result in significant economic costs and loss of confidence of Caribbean residents. We are evaluating three fundamental components of tsunami monitoring protocols currently in place in the northeastern Caribbean: 1) preliminary earthquake parameters (used to determine the potential that a tsunami will be generated and the basis of tsunami alert levels), 2) adequacy of the tsunami alert levels, and 3) tsunami message dissemination. We compiled a catalog of earthquake locations (2007-2014) and dissemination times from the PTWC, WCATWC and NEIC (final locations). The events were classified into 3 categories: local [17°-20°N, 63.5°-69°W], regional (Caribbean basin) and distant/teleseismic (Atlantic basin). A total of 104 local earthquakes, 31 regional and 25 distant events were analyzed. We found that in general preliminary epicentral locations have an accuracy of 40 km. 64% of local events were located with an accuracy of 20 km. The depth accuracy of local events shallower than 50 km, regional and distant earthquakes is usually smaller than 30 km. For deeper local events the error distribution shows more variability

Long term persistence of clonal malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum lineages in the Colombian Pacific region.

Science.gov (United States)

Echeverry, Diego F; Nair, Shalini; Osorio, Lyda; Menon, Sanjay; Murillo, Claribel; Anderson, Tim J C

2013-01-07

Resistance to chloroquine and antifolate drugs has evolved independently in South America, suggesting that genotype - phenotype studies aimed at understanding the genetic basis of resistance to these and other drugs should be conducted in this continent. This research was conducted to better understand the population structure of Colombian Plasmodium falciparum in preparation for such studies. A set of 384 SNPs were genotyped in blood spot DNA samples from 447 P. falciparum infected subjects collected over a ten year period from four provinces of the Colombian Pacific coast to evaluate clonality, population structure and linkage disequilibrium (LD). Most infections (81%) contained a single predominant clone. These clustered into 136 multilocus genotypes (MLGs), with 32% of MLGs recovered from multiple (2 - 28) independent subjects. We observed extremely low genotypic richness (R = 0.42) and long persistence of MLGs through time (median = 537 days, range = 1 - 2,997 days). There was a high probability (>5%) of sampling parasites from the same MLG in different subjects within 28 days, suggesting caution is needed when using genotyping methods to assess treatment success in clinical drug trials. Panmixia was rejected as four well differentiated subpopulations (FST = 0.084 - 0.279) were identified. These occurred sympatrically but varied in frequency within the four provinces. Linkage disequilibrium (LD) decayed more rapidly (r2 = 0.17 for markers Colombian populations have several advantages for association studies, because multiple clone infections are uncommon and LD decays over the scale of one or a few genes. However, the extensive population structure and low genotype richness will need to be accounted for when designing and analyzing association studies.

Wide-ranging phylogeographic structure of invasive red lionfish in the Western Atlantic and Greater Caribbean

Science.gov (United States)

Butterfield, John S.; Díaz-Ferguson, Edgardo; Silliman, Brian R.; Saunders, Jonathan W.; Buddo, Dayne; Mignucci-Giannoni, Antonio A.; Searle, Linda; Allen, Aarin Conrad; Hunter, Margaret E.

2015-01-01

The red lionfish (Pterois volitans) is an invasive predatory marine fish that has rapidly expanded its presence in the Western Hemisphere. We collected 214 invasive red lionfish samples from nine countries and territories, including seven unpublished locations. To more comprehensively evaluate connectivity, we compiled our d-loop sequence data with 846 published sequences, resulting in 1,060 samples from 14 locations. We found low nucleotide diversity (π = 0.003) and moderate haplotype diversity (h = 0.59). Using haplotype population pairwise ΦST tests, we analyzed possible phylogeographic breaks that were previously proposed based on other reef organisms. We found support for the Bahamas/Turks/Caicos versus Caribbean break (ΦST = 0.12) but not for the Northwestern Caribbean, Eastern Caribbean, or US East Coast versus Bahamas breaks. The Northern Region had higher variation and more haplotypes, supporting introductions of at least five haplotypes to the region. Our wide-ranging samples showed that a lower-frequency haplotype in the Northern Region dominated the Southern Region and suggested multiple introductions, possibly to the south. We tested multiple scenarios of phylogeographic structure with analyses of molecular variance and found support for a Northern and Southern Region split at the Bahamas/Turks/Caicos versus Caribbean break (percentage of variation among regions = 8.49 %). We found that Puerto Rico clustered with the Southern Region more strongly than with the Northern Region, as opposed to previous reports. We also found the rare haplotype H03 for the first time in the southern Caribbean (Panama), indicating that either secondary releases occurred or that the low-frequency haplotypes have had time to disperse to extreme southern Caribbean locations.

The Historical-Comparative Classification of Colombian Inga (Quechua).

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Parks, Roger

1990-01-01

Colombian Inga is of particular interest to the Quechuanist because it is the northernmost member of the Quechuan language family spoken in modern times. In the present work, the relationship of Colombian Inga to other varieties of Quechua is examined. The affiliation of Inga with the Ecuadorian group of Parker's (1969a) Quechua A branch of the…

Vestiges of the proto-Caribbean seaway: Origin of the San Souci Volcanic Group, Trinidad

Science.gov (United States)

Neill, Iain; Kerr, Andrew C.; Chamberlain, Kevin R.; Schmitt, Axel K.; Urbani, Franco; Hastie, Alan R.; Pindell, James L.; Barry, Tiffany L.; Millar, Ian L.

2014-06-01

Outcrops of volcanic-hypabyssal rocks in Trinidad document the opening of the proto-Caribbean seaway during Jurassic-Cretaceous break-up of the Americas. The San Souci Group on the northern coast of Trinidad comprises the San Souci Volcanic Formation (SSVF) and passive margin sediments of the ~ 130-125 Ma Toco Formation. The Group was trapped at the leading edge of the Pacific-derived Caribbean Plate during the Cretaceous-Palaeogene, colliding with the para-autochthonous margin of Trinidad during the Oligocene-Miocene. In-situ U-Pb ion probe dating of micro-zircons from a mafic volcanic breccia reveal the SSVF crystallised at 135.0 ± 7.3 Ma. The age of the SSVF is within error of the age of the Toco Formation. Assuming a conformable contact, geodynamic models indicate a likely origin for the SSVF on the passive margin close to the northern tip of South America. Immobile element and Nd-Hf radiogenic isotope signatures of the mafic rocks indicate the SSVF was formed by ≪10% partial melting of a heterogeneous spinel peridotite source with no subduction or continental lithospheric mantle component. Felsic breccias within the SSVF are more enriched in incompatible elements, with isotope signatures that are less radiogenic than the mafic rocks of the SSVF. The felsic rocks may be derived from re-melting of mafic crust. Although geochemical comparisons are drawn here with proto-Caribbean igneous outcrops in Venezuela and elsewhere in the Caribbean more work is needed to elucidate the development of the proto-Caribbean seaway and its rifted margins. In particular, ion probe dating of micro-zircons may yield valuable insights into magmatism and metamorphism in the Caribbean, and in altered basaltic terranes more generally.

Disputas marítimas en el Caribe colombiano: la pesca de tortugas en el archipiélago de San Andrés y Providencia, 1910-1930

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Sharika Crawford

2017-10-01

Full Text Available There has been a long history of turtle hunting in the Greater Caribbean, especially in Colombian waters around the archipelago of San Andrés and Providence. This article is focused on Colombia’s efforts to affirm its national borders and to strengthen its control over its territorial waters, and on how the new regulations that these measures entail affect turtle hunters in the Caribbean Sea. Using travel stories, newspapers from Jamaica, Colombia and the United States, as well as diplomatic correspondence, interviews and secondary sources, this study analyzes the national and regional implications of these problems. This makes it possible to conclude that the islanders, in the company of Colombian officials, attempted to defend their insular territory and its maritime borders against both real and imaginary threats. Their efforts were aimed at restricting the extraction of marine resources within the country’s territorial waters, as part of the government’s interest in reinforcing the integrity of the Colombian nation-state in the Caribbean.

Translating landscape: the Colombian Chorographic Commission

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Veronica Uribe Hanabergh

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In 1850 the Colombian government developed a project to survey the young country´s landscape. Scientists, writers, and artists were invited to make part of the project led by the Italian military, geographer and cartographer, Agustin Codazzi. After nine years and three different artists, the Commission had many watercolor drawings that portrayed a landscape, not only in its physical traits, but also in its social, economic and agricultural development. Through the lens of these artists, the drawings that concluded the survey showed a landscape that was truly original but that was also seen through the lens of a certain romantic eye inherited by a firm European legacy. As a result, these watercolors show the different regions, people, and means of transportation, crops and trades. The Colombian Chorographic Commission was an important project in the construction of the Colombian modern nation, a country that was constantly divided by federalist and centralist politics, liberal and conservative parties. An interesting union between science, politics and art, these drawings represent the process of the modernization of nineteenth-century Colombia.

Caribbean landscapes and their biodiversity

Science.gov (United States)

A. E. Lugo; E. H. Helmer; E. Santiago Valentín

2012-01-01

Both the biodiversity and the landscapes of the Caribbean have been greatly modified as a consequence of human activity. In this essay we provide an overview of the natural landscapes and biodiversity of the Caribbean and discuss how human activity has affected both. Our Caribbean geographic focus is on the insular Caribbean and the biodiversity focus is on the flora,...

Structural and geophysical interpretation of Roatan Island, Honduras, Western Caribbean

Science.gov (United States)

Sutton, Daniel Scott

Roatan Island is the largest of the Bay Islands of Honduras. These islands form an emergent crest off the Caribbean coast of Honduras called the Bonacca Ridge. The Bartlett Trough to the north and subsequent Bonacca Ridge were likely formed due to the transform fault system of the Motagua-Swan Islands Fault System. This fault system forms the tectonic plate boundary between the North American and Caribbean plates. Although the timing and kinematics are poorly constrained, the Bay Islands and the Bonacca Ridge were likely uplifted due to transpression along this left-lateral strike-slip system. With limited regional exposures along the adjacent tectonic boundary, this study aimed to present a structural interpretation for Roatan. This new interpretation is further explained through regional considerations for a suggested geologic history of the northwestern Caribbean. In order to better constrain the kinematics of uplift and exhumation of Roatan Island, structural, gravity, and magnetic surveys were conducted. Principal attention was directed to the structural relationship between the geologic units and their relationship to one another through deformation. Resulting geologic cross-sections from this study present the metamorphic basement exposed throughout the island to be in a normal structural order consisting of biotite schist and gneiss, with overlying units of chlorite schist, carbonate, and conglomerate. These units have relatively concordant strike and dip measurements, consistent with resultant magnetic survey readings. Additionally, large and irregular bodies of amphibolite and serpentinite throughout the island are interpreted to have been emplaced as mafic and ultra-mafic intrusions in weakness zones along Early Paleogene transform system fault planes. The interpretation and suggested geologic history from this study demonstrate the importance of transpressive tectonics both local to Roatan and regionally throughout geologic history. Consideration of

Long term persistence of clonal malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum lineages in the Colombian Pacific region

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Echeverry Diego F

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Resistance to chloroquine and antifolate drugs has evolved independently in South America, suggesting that genotype - phenotype studies aimed at understanding the genetic basis of resistance to these and other drugs should be conducted in this continent. This research was conducted to better understand the population structure of Colombian Plasmodium falciparum in preparation for such studies. Results A set of 384 SNPs were genotyped in blood spot DNA samples from 447 P. falciparum infected subjects collected over a ten year period from four provinces of the Colombian Pacific coast to evaluate clonality, population structure and linkage disequilibrium (LD. Most infections (81% contained a single predominant clone. These clustered into 136 multilocus genotypes (MLGs, with 32% of MLGs recovered from multiple (2 – 28 independent subjects. We observed extremely low genotypic richness (R = 0.42 and long persistence of MLGs through time (median = 537 days, range = 1 – 2,997 days. There was a high probability (>5% of sampling parasites from the same MLG in different subjects within 28 days, suggesting caution is needed when using genotyping methods to assess treatment success in clinical drug trials. Panmixia was rejected as four well differentiated subpopulations (FST = 0.084 - 0.279 were identified. These occurred sympatrically but varied in frequency within the four provinces. Linkage disequilibrium (LD decayed more rapidly (r2 = 0.17 for markers Conclusions We conclude that Colombian populations have several advantages for association studies, because multiple clone infections are uncommon and LD decays over the scale of one or a few genes. However, the extensive population structure and low genotype richness will need to be accounted for when designing and analyzing association studies.

NGOs Efficiency and Transparency Policy: The Colombian Case

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María del Mar Gálvez Rodríguez

2016-03-01

Full Text Available In recent years the influence of Colombian non-governmental organizations (NGOs in diverse social sectors of the country has increased. However, the legitimacy of this sector has been undermined by corruption. This distrust has questioned the efficiency of NGOs as social tools. Transparency as a mechanism against corruption and one of the tools that improves the functioning of an organization is considered. There is no doubt that Internet is an essential element in disseminating information to the different stakeholders of the organization. This paper sets out three main objectives: i the analysis of information disclosure through the Internet of Colombian NGOs, ii the analysis of the efficiency of these entities in reaching their social goals and, iii the analysis of the online transparency effect in a greater efficiency of the Colombian NGOs.

Sustainable production of cultivations, using biological and conservationists techniques; an applicable model to the Colombian warm tropic

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Castro F, Hugo E

1995-01-01

The hot Colombian tropics represent nearly 82% of the national territory. The intensive and wrongly use of the soil has been subjected for years in agricultural areas of the inter-Andean valleys, Caribbean region, the eastern plains and others sectors of the commercial agriculture in the hot climate it is promoting a progressive physical, chemical and biological degradation of the soil. The physical losses of soil and organic matter due to erosion, excessive mechanization, flooding rice as single crop, burning of crop residues, unsuitable systems of irrigation and drainage, alkalinization an compaction in cropping areas, and the problems with more incidence in the deployment of land productivity in the areas. The methods to overcome these limitations agree with the application of modem and sustainable technologies focusing production systems. The management of production systems, selecting tillage systems according to the physical development of the soil, planting species in continuous rotation cycles, planting and incorporation of green manure, between two agricultural semesters, the appropriate management of water in non-irrigated crops an modem irrigation and the utilization of crop residues, to return to the soil, part of the nutrients extracted constitute some of the factors management dependent that could affect favorably the land productivity, for the benefit of future generations. Based on these concepts, it is presented in this article some of the experimental results obtained by national of Agriculture Colombian Institute (ICA) in the Regional Soil Program Center of Agricultural Research (Nataima), located in El Espinal, Tolima State, Colombia

Structural interpretation of the area around the Cays - Quitasueno and Serrana, in the Caribbean, coast away from Colombia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Munar, F

2000-01-01

The Caribbean basin has been poorly explored and poses a wide array of geological questions, due to its uncertain stratigraphic relations, its structural frame and the nature of its basement related to the islands. By interpreting 1.700 km seismic lines, from the Ecopetrol Caribbean surveys, Cayos 77 and Cayos 82, and by tightening two wells, Miskito 1 and Miskito 2, in the area of Cays (lower Nicaragua rise), north of the Colombia Basin, we determined the stratigraphic position of the basement B and found out two trends NE-SW and NW-SE for the Quitasueno and Serrana Cays, in a horst and Graben style. In addition to that, the facies for the basement are for the most part igneous and from an exploration point of view, it gives the opportunity for a good seal

Miocene and Pleistocene mollusks from San Andres Island (Caribbean Sea, Colombia) and Paleogeographic considerations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diaz M, Juan Manuel; Garcia Llano, Cesar Fernando

2010-01-01

San Andres Island is the largest emerged portion of the oceanic archipelago of San Andres and Providencia, southwestern Caribbean Sea; it originated as a coralline atoll during Miocene times. The central and highest part of the island consists of a calcareous crest, the San Andres Formation, formed by Neogene lagoonal and reefal deposits. This crest is surrounded by a calcareous platform of Pleistocene age (San Luis Formation) which emerges only along the island coast, whereas its most part is submerged and covered by a Recent reef complex. Fossil material of molluscs from these two formations was collected in various sites throughout the island and taxonomically identified. In the four sites sampled in the San Andres Formation, material belonging to 19 gastropod and 37 bivalve species was obtained, most of them relatively well represented in other geologic formations of the Caribbean region that are stratigraphically situated between the upper Miocene and the middle Pliocene. Some elements occurring in this formation, such as Ostrea haitiensis, Meretrix dariena and Siphocypraea henekeni, were widely distributed in the Caribbean Miocene Province. In the San Luis Formation, material belonging to 18 gastropod and 11 bivalve species was obtained, most of them also represented in the Recent molluscan fauna of the region. The estimated age of this formation is Sangamonian, hence corresponding to similar formations occurring in Grand Cayman, Jamaica, Hispaniola, the Netherlands Antilles and other Caribbean islands, with which it also shows a great similarity in the composition of the molluscan fauna.

Chemical contamination assessment in mangrove-lined Caribbean coastal systems using the oyster Crassostrea rhizophorae as biomonitor species.

Science.gov (United States)

Aguirre-Rubí, Javier R; Luna-Acosta, Andrea; Etxebarría, Nestor; Soto, Manu; Espinoza, Félix; Ahrens, Michael J; Marigómez, Ionan

2018-05-01

This paper aims to contribute to the use of mangrove cupped oyster, Crassostrea rhizophorae, as a biomonitor species for chemical contamination assessment in mangrove-lined Caribbean coastal systems. Sampling was carried out in eight localities (three in Nicaragua and five in Colombia) with different types and levels of contamination. Oysters were collected during the rainy and dry seasons of 2012-2013 and the tissue concentrations of metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) were determined. Low tissue concentrations of metals (except Hg) and PAHs; moderate-to-high tissue concentrations of Hg, hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), and dichlorodiphenyl-trichloroethanes (DDTs); detectable levels of chlorpyrifos, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) (mainly CB28, CB118, CB138 and CB 153) and brominated diphenyl ethers 85 (BDE85); and negligible levels of musks were recorded in Nicaraguan oysters. A distinct profile of POPs was identified in Colombia, where the tissue concentrations of PCBs and synthetic musk fragrances were low to moderate, and Ag, As, Cd, Pb, and PAHs ranged from moderate to extremely high. Overall, the values recorded for HCHs, DDTs and PCBs in Nicaraguan mangrove cupped oysters greatly exceeded the reference values in tissues of C. rhizophorae from the Wider Caribbean Region, whereas only the levels of PCBs were occasionally surpassed in Colombia. Different contaminant profiles were distinguished between oysters from Nicaragua and Colombia in radar plots constructed using the main groups of contaminants (metals, PAHs, musks, PCBs, and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs)). Likewise, integrated pollution indices revealed differences in the levels of contaminants. Moreover, the profiles and levels in oyster tissues also varied with season. Thus, principal component analysis clearly discriminated Nicaraguan and Colombian localities and, especially in Colombia, seasonal trends in chemical contamination and differences

Contents of Cd, Cu and Zn in Rhizophora (mangrove and avicennia germinans of the Cienaga Grande de Santa Marta and Chengue bay, Colombian Caribbean coast

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Campos, Nestor Hernando; Gallo, Maria Cristina

1997-01-01

In order to determine concentration levels of some heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Zn) in leaves of the mangrove species Rhizophora mangle and Avicennia germinans, four samplings were made between March and December 1993, in two from the Magdalenas coast. Leaf material, sediments, and surface water were taken. Metal concentrations and organic matter content were measured from the leaves and sediments. Salinity, redox potential, and ph were determined from the water. Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry measured the metal contents in the samples. The general behavior of three metals in the two species was greatly influenced by the season. The comparison between the total metal contents at the two stations showed no statistically significant differences. In the large majority of cases the concentrations of the three metals were larger in A. germinans than in R. Mangle. Also, young leaves of both species had higher concentrations than old ones. The contents in the plant material and in the sediments showed the relation Cd < Cu < Zn both

Health market failures: Colombian case

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Javier Eduardo Bejarano-Daza

2017-01-01

Conclusion: There are significant failures in the Colombian health market which make the system inefficient and inequitable; this situation demands for reconsideration of an economic model for financing and operation under a new paradigm.

The grasses (Poaceae) of the Colombian guayana: analyses on their composition, richness, endemism, and invasion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Canas, Diego Giraldo

2010-01-01

The checklist of grasses from Colombian Guayana is presented. In all, 152 species, 69 genera, and six subfamilies were recorded. Thus, in the Colombian Guayana is represented the 18.7 and 43.7% of the species and genera of Colombian grasses, respectively. The subfamilies with the highest number of species were Panicoideae (110 species/46 genera), Chloridoideae (21/9), and Bambusoideae (11/9). The most diverse genera were Paspalum (19 species), Panicum (16), Axonopus (14), Eragrostis (9), and Digitaria (8). Nineteen species are introduced and naturalized in the Colombian Guayana, which represent 12.5% of the agrostological flora for the Colombian Guayana. There were 8 endemic species (5.3% of Colombian Guayanan grasses). In addition, some species are reported for the first time for Colombian flora (belonging to Axonopus, Cyphonanthus, Gymnopogon, and Paspalum), and some species are new to science (belonging to Axonopus, Digitaria, Eragrostis, and Sacciolepis). On the other hand, some preliminary biogeographical aspect are analyzed Flora of Colombia,

The grasses (Poaceae) of the Colombian Guyana: analyses on their composition, richness, endemism, and invasion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giraldo Canas, Diego

2010-01-01

The checklist of grasses from Colombian Guyana is presented. In all, 152 species, 69 genera, and six subfamilies were recorded. Thus, in the Colombian Guyana is represented the 18.7 and 43.7% of the species and genera of Colombian grasses, respectively. The subfamilies with the highest number of species were Panicoideae (110 species/46 genera), Chloridoideae (21/9), and Bambusoideae (11/9). The most diverse genera were Paspalum (19 species), Panicum (16), Axonopus (14), Eragrostis (9), and Digitaria (8). Nineteen species are introduced and naturalized in the Colombian Guyana, which represent 12.5% of the agrostological flora for the Colombian Guyana. There were 8 endemic species (5.3% of Colombian Guayanan grasses). In addition, some species are reported for the first time for Colombian flora (belonging to Axonopus, Cyphonanthus, Gymnopogon, and Paspalum), and some species are new to science (belonging to Axonopus, Digitaria, Eragrostis, and Sacciolepis). On the other hand, some preliminary biogeographical aspect are analyzed.

Lobomycosis in Colombian Amer Indian patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez-Toro, G; Tellez, N

1992-10-01

Several foci of lobomycosis among Colombian Amer Indians population were described in the Casanare region of Colombia, near the Orinoco river on the Colombian-Venezuelan border. This paper reports 16 new patients. The prevalence of Lobo's disease was 8.5% in the Amoruas tribe. Nodular lesions were located on the elbow, scapular and lumbar regions, knees, feet and legs. Leg lesions were especially numerous, were confluent and tended to ulcerate. All cases were confirmed histologically. Two Negro patients were also described. The cases bring the total number of confirmed patients with lobomycosis in Colombia to 41. Twenty-five of these were Amer Indian patients from tribes living in the Orinoco and Amazon basins of the country.

State of the soft bottoms of the continental shelf

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guzman Alvis, Angela I; Solano, Oscar David

2002-01-01

The presented information, it is based on studies carried out on the continental shelf of the Colombian Caribbean, mainly in the Gulf of Morrosquillo and the Magdalena and Guajira departments in the last ten years. A diagnostic is done of the soft bottoms of the Colombian continental shelf

Vanadium century record from Caribbean reef corals: A tracer of oil pollution in Panama

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guzman, H.M.; Jarvis, K.E.

1996-01-01

The Caribbean region is potentially one of the largest oil-producing areas in the world, and contamination by petroleum is threatening the marine environment. Vanadium (V), an abundant element in crude oils, was used as proxy tracer of oil pollution along the Caribbean coast of Panama. We develop a century chronology based on the concentration of vanadium (using ICP-MS) incorporated into annual growth bands of coral skeletons. The chronology for vanadium showed a relatively clear pattern where background seawater concentrations were observed in the early history of the corals followed by an increase after 1962, the initiation of a refinery operation. The vanadium chronology suggests that a major degradation process in the coastal zone could have started around the 1960s, but we were unable to confirm such an assumption due to the lack of long-term ecological and pollution data. The gradual increase of vanadium into the marine environment might be used as a pointer to oil pollution. 46 refs, 4 figs, 1 tab

Late Cretaceous-recent tectonic assembly of diverse crustal blocks in Central America, the Nicaraguan Rise, the Colombian Basin and northern South America as seen on a 1600-km-long, geologic and structural transect

Science.gov (United States)

Sanchez, J.; Mann, P.

2015-12-01

We have constructed a 1600-km-long transect from northern Honduras to northern Colombia that crosses northeastward-striking crustal blocks using a combination of offshore seismic data, gravity and magnetic data, well subsidence information, nearby outcrop information, and results from previous thermochronological, geochronological, geochemical and paleostress studies. The transect defines three major crustal and structural provinces: 1) Precambrian-Paleozoic, Chortis continental block whose northern edge is defined by the North America-Caribbean plate boundary. Events in this ~20-25-km-thick province include two major unconformities at the top of the Cretaceous and Eocene, associated southeast-dipping thrust faults related to collision of the Great Arc of the Caribbean (GAC) and Caribbean Large Igneous Province (CLIP) with the Chortis continental block. A third event is Eocene to recent subsidence and transtensional basins formed during the opening of the Cayman trough; 2) Late Cretaceous GAC and CLIP of oceanic arc and plateau origin, whose northern, deformed edge corresponds to the mapped Siuna belt of northern Nicaragua. This crustal province has a ~15-20-km-thick crust and is largely undeformed and extends across the Lower Nicaraguan Rise, Hess fault, to the southern limit of the Colombian basin where about 300 km of this province has been subducted beneath the accretionary wedge of the South Caribbean deformed belt of northwestern South America; and 3) Eocene to recent accretionary prism and intramontane basins on continental crust of northern South America, where Miocene accelerated exhumation and erosion of Paleogene and Cretaceous rocks reflect either shallow subduction of the CLIP or the Panama collisional event to the southwest.

Some shallow-water hydroids (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa) from the central east coast of Florida, USA.

Science.gov (United States)

Calder, Dale R

2013-01-01

This paper gives a systematic account of 67 species, referable to 22 families and 40 genera, identified in a small collection of hydroids from the central Atlantic coast of Florida between Melbourne and Palm Beach. The fauna mostly comprises an assemblage of tropical western Atlantic species ranging northwards along the southeastern coast of the United States. One new species, Lafoea intorta, is described. Applying Reversal of Precedence provisions in zoological nomenclature, the widely-used generic name Halopteris Allman, 1877 is designated as valid and as a nomen protectum, while its virtually unused senior synonym Halicornaria Hincks, 1865 (not Halicornaria Allman, 1874) is reduced to a nomen oblitum. The genus Pasya Stechow, 1922 is resurrected for the hydroid generally known as Dynamena quadridentata (Ellis & Solander, 1786). Laomedea tottoni Leloup, 1935 is shown to be a junior objective synonym of Clytia fragilis Congdon, 1907, which in turn is a junior subjective synonym of Clytia linearis (Thornely, 1900). Obelia oxydentata Stechow, 1914 is recognized as distinct from O. bidentata Clark, 1875. Hincksella brevitheca Galea, 2009, first described from Cuba, is reported for only the second time; records of the species are added here from Grand Cayman Island and the Caribbean coast of Panama as well as from the Atlantic coast of Florida. Also reported for the second time is Antennella incerta Galea, 2010, previ-ously known only from Guadeloupe in the Caribbean Sea. The true Halopteris diaphana (Heller, 1868), known from the Mediterranean Sea and from Brazil, is reported for the first time from the western North Atlantic. Earlier records of the species in the region are based on misidentifications of H. alternata (Nutting, 1900). Male gonothecae of Halecium calderi Galea, 2010 are reported and illustrated for the first time.

Subduction in the Southern Caribbean

Science.gov (United States)

Levander, A.; Schmitz, M.; Bezada, M.; Masy, J.; Niu, F.; Pindell, J.

2012-04-01

The southern Caribbean is bounded at either end by subduction zones: In the east at the Lesser Antilles subduction zone the Atlantic part of the South American plate subducts beneath the Caribbean. In the north and west under the Southern Caribbean Deformed Belt accretionary prism, the Caribbean subducts under South America. In a manner of speaking, the two plates subduct beneath each other. Finite-frequency teleseismic P-wave tomography confirms this, imaging the Atlantic and the Caribbean subducting steeply in opposite directions to transition zone depths under northern South America (Bezada et al, 2010). The two subduction zones are connected by the El Pilar-San Sebastian strike-slip fault system, a San Andreas scale system. A variety of seismic probes identify where the two plates tear as they begin to subduct (Niu et al, 2007; Clark et al., 2008; Miller et al. 2009; Masy et al, 2009). The El Pilar system forms at the southeastern corner of the Antilles subduction zone by the Atlantic tearing from South America. The deforming plate edges control mountain building and basin formation at the eastern end of the strike-slip system. In northwestern South America the Caribbean plate tears, its southernmost element subducting at shallow angles under northernmost Colombia and then rapidly descending to transition zone depths under Lake Maracaibo (Bezada et al., 2010). We believe that the flat slab produces the Merida Andes, the Perija, and the Santa Marta ranges. The southern edge of the nonsubducting Caribbean plate underthrusts northern Venezuela to about the width of the coastal mountains (Miller et al., 2009). We infer that the underthrust Caribbean plate supports the coastal mountains, and controls continuing deformation.

Increased menopausal symptoms among Afro-Colombian women as assessed with the Menopause Rating Scale.

Science.gov (United States)

Monterrosa, Alvaro; Blumel, Juan E; Chedraui, Peter

2008-02-20

Increased frequency and severity of menopausal symptoms have been associated to black race. However, this situation has not been described in any Latin American population. Compare frequency and severity of menopausal symptoms among Afro and non-Afro Hispanic Colombian climacteric women. In this cross-sectional study, healthy Afro and non-Afro-Colombian women aged 40-59 years were asked to fill out the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) questionnaire in order to compare symptom frequency and intensity. A total of 578 women were surveyed (201 Afro-Colombian and 377 non-Afro-Colombian). Mean age of the whole sample was 47.9+/-5.9 years (median 47), with no differences among studied groups in terms of age, parity, and hormone therapy (HT) use. Intensity of menopausal symptoms, assessed with the total MRS score, was found to be significantly higher among Afro-Colombian women (10.6+/-6.7 vs. 7.5+/-5.7, p=0.0001), which was due to higher somatic and psychological subscale scores. In this group, the frequency of somatic symptoms, heart discomfort and muscle and joint problems, was found to be higher than in non-Afro-Colombian women (38.8% vs. 26.8% and 77.1% vs. 43.5%, respectively, pColombian ones presented more bladder problems (24.9% vs. 14.9%, p=0.005). After adjusting for confounding factors, logistic regression analysis determined that black race increased the risk for presenting higher total MRS scorings (OR: 2.31; CI 95%: 1.55-3.45, p=0.0001). Despite the limitations of this study, as determined with the MRS Afro-Colombian women exhibited more impaired quality of life (QoL) when compared to non-Afro-Colombian ones, due to a higher rate and severity of menopausal somatic and psychological symptoms.

Caribbean mangroves adjust to rising sea level through biotic controls on change in soil elevation

Science.gov (United States)

McKee, K.L.; Cahoon, D.R.; Feller, Ilka C.

2007-01-01

Aim The long-term stability of coastal ecosystems such as mangroves and salt marshes depends upon the maintenance of soil elevations within the intertidal habitat as sea level changes. We examined the rates and processes of peat formation by mangroves of the Caribbean Region to better understand biological controls on habitat stability. Location Mangrove-dominated islands on the Caribbean coasts of Belize, Honduras and Panama were selected as study sites. Methods Biological processes controlling mangrove peat formation were manipulated (in Belize) by the addition of nutrients (nitrogen or phosphorus) to Rhizophora mangle (red mangrove), and the effects on the dynamics of soil elevation were determined over a 3-year period using rod surface elevation tables (RSET) and marker horizons. Peat composition and geological accretion rates were determined at all sites using radiocarbon-dated cores. Results The addition of nutrients to mangroves caused significant changes in rates of mangrove root accumulation, which influenced both the rate and direction of change in elevation. Areas with low root input lost elevation and those with high rates gained elevation. These findings were consistent with peat analyses at multiple Caribbean sites showing that deposits (up to 10 m in depth) were composed primarily of mangrove root matter. Comparison of radiocarbon-dated cores at the study sites with a sea-level curve for the western Atlantic indicated a tight coupling between peat building in Caribbean mangroves and sea-level rise over the Holocene. Main conclusions Mangroves common to the Caribbean region have adjusted to changing sea level mainly through subsurface accumulation of refractory mangrove roots. Without root and other organic inputs, submergence of these tidal forests is inevitable due to peat decomposition, physical compaction and eustatic sea-level rise. These findings have relevance for predicting the effects of sea-level rise and biophysical processes on tropical

Plan Colombia: Reality of the Colombian Crisis and Implications for Hemispheric Security

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Nagle, Luz

2002-01-01

... what it will take to achieve stated U.S. and Colombian objectives in that crisis situation. She also examines the concomitant issue of "spillover" from the Colombian crisis into the rest of the Latin American region...

Are there chances of improving Colombian engineering journals rankings?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrés Pavas

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The results of the most recent evaluation of the Colombian scientific journals, performed by Colciencias resorting to the Colombian Bibliographic Index - Publindex, was released recently. Several discussions have been made on the consequences. This document presents and analysis with a different perspective: is there something that authors and editors could do in order to improve the ranking of the journals? The document presents data and analysis applicable to engineering scientific journals.

Caribbean Crucible: History, Culture, and Globalization.

Science.gov (United States)

Yelvington, Kevin A.

2000-01-01

Reconsiders the Caribbean as an origin-point of the modern global system. Discusses the conquests and colonization of the Caribbean; the slavery system and racial distinctions; the post-emancipation society; and culture, Creolization, and the concept of movement as features of Caribbean society. Provides a bibliography. (CMK)

A new species of Caligus (Copepoda, Siphonostomatoida from the plankton of the Caribbean coast of Venezuela with a key to species

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Eduardo Suarez-Morales

2012-06-01

Full Text Available During a survey of the zooplankton community of Bahía Amuay, Venezuelan Caribbean, specimens of an undescribed species of Caligus Müller were collected. It resembles C. xystercus Cressey and C. ocyurus Cressey, both known only from the Caribbean Sea. The new species can be distinguished from these and other congeners by a combination of characters including the armature of legs 1 and 4, but mainly by its unique female genital complex. This is the first species of Caligus described from Venezuela. The species is described in full and a key to the species of the genus recorded in Venezuela is provided.

A new species of Caligus (Copepoda, Siphonostomatoida) from the plankton of the Caribbean coast of Venezuela with a key to species

Science.gov (United States)

Suárez-Morales, Eduardo; Camisotti, Humberto; Martín, Alberto

2012-01-01

Abstract During a survey of the zooplankton community of Bahía Amuay, Venezuelan Caribbean, specimens of an undescribed species of Caligus Müller were collected. It resembles Caligus xystercus Cressey and Caligus ocyurus Cressey, both known only from the Caribbean Sea. The new species can be distinguished from these and other congeners by a combination of characters including the armature of legs 1 and 4, but mainly by its unique female genital complex. This is the first species of Caligus described from Venezuela. The species is described in full and a key to the species of the genus recorded in Venezuela is provided. PMID:22768004

A new subspecies of Nitokra affinis Gurney, 1927 (Copepoda, Harpacticoida from the Caribbean coast of Colombia

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Juan Fuentes

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Plankton samples from Laguna Navio Quebrado, La Guajira, northern Colombia, yielded male and female specimens of an harpacticoid copepod that was first identified as the widely distributed species Nitokra affinis Gurney, 1927 for which at least four subspecies have been described from different geographic areas. A more detailed examination of the Colombian specimens revealed that it differs from the other morphs so far considered as subspecies. The Colombian specimens differ from the other four known subspecies in the following aspects: (1 rostrum with long projection, (2 relatively long exopod of P1, almost as long as first endopodal segment, (3 endopodal and exopodal rami of P2 equally long, (4 a reduced number of endopodal setal elements of the male P5. It also differs from N. a. californica Lang in details of the ornamentation of the urosomites. Descriptions and illustrations of this new subspecies, the first one described from the Neotropical region, are presented together with a key to the five known subspecies of Nitokra affinis. As in many other cases of presumedly widespread species of harpacticoids, it is possible that N. affinis represents a species complex with more restricted distributional patterns, a notion that certainly deserves further study.

Understanding the Colombian security situation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ossa, C.

1997-05-05

Colombia is notorious for its violence. Lack of security can be related to: irregular war, social decay and a weak state. High poverty levels lead to a lack of respect for the law. Thus, drug dealing and kidnapping have become prominent in Colombian society with little hope of redress. State weakness means that crime remains uncontrolled, and Maxist guerillas have been unopposed by state forces. This has given rise to vigilantism in the form of paramilitaries, who simply add to the lawlessness. So far the international coal industry has been selectively protected by government troops and policies but the general chaos in society is increasingly likely to penetrate even these heavily defended enclaves, as the fundamental problems in Colombian society are as present in the coal areas as in society at large. Presidential elections are in process. The new government will either have to tackle lawlessness throughout the country or the coal industry may have to withdraw as paramilitaries escalate violence in the coal districts. 1 tab.

Physiology of stevia (Stevia rebaudiana)regarding radiation near the Colombian Caribbean coast. II. Growth analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jarma, A.; Rengifo, T.; Araméndiz-Tatis, H.

2006-01-01

Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni is a plant which produces a variety of high-potency, low-calorie sweetener in its leaf tissue. Its sweetening potential is considered to be 300 times greater than sucrose. Stevia sweeteners are used in food products in a number countries including Japan, Brazil and China and, more recently, in Colombia. The research was carried out from July 2002 to April 2003 in the Universidad de Córdoba' s Agricultural Sciences' fields in Montería, Colombia. The study was aimed at evaluating the effect of four levels of incident radiation on Stevia rebaudiana growth in the Sinu river valley' s climatic conditions. A completely random design used incident radiation levels (19%, 24%, 56% and 100%) and stevia genotypes (' Morita 1' and ' Morita 2') as factors. The most important results indicated that ' Morita 2' exposed to 100% incident radiation presented the highest absolute growth rate (AGR); this could possibly be attributed to this variety' s genetic advantage allowing it to carry out greater photosynthesis. Relative growth rate (RGR) was high in both genotypes at the beginning of the cycle (the first 60 days following transplant) for shady levels (19% and 24%); once this stage was finished, the high radiation produced greater increases RGR. ' Morita 2' , exposed to 100% incident radiation, presented the greatest net assimilation rate (NAR), suggesting greater efficiency in daily biomass production for each square centimeter of leaf surface per day. (author) [es

Caribbean Reef Response to Plio-Pleistocene Climate Change: Results of the Dominican Republic Drilling Project (DRDP)

Science.gov (United States)

Klaus, J.; McNeill, D. F.; Diaz, V.; Swart, P. K.; Pourmand, A.

2014-12-01

Caribbean reefs changed profoundly in taxonomic composition, diversity, and dominance structure during late Pliocene and Pleistocene climatic change. These changes coincide with protracted climatic deterioration and cooling between 2.0 to 0.8 Ma, and the onset of high amplitude sea-level fluctuations ~400 ka. The Dominican Republic Drilling Project (DRDP) was initiated to determine how climate change and global high-amplitude sea level changes influenced depositional patterns in Pliocene to Recent reef systems of the Caribbean. A transect of 7 core borings (~700 m total depth) were collected along the southern coast of the DR. New age constraints based on U/Th geochronometry and radiogenic Sr isotopes, combined with depositional lithofacies, faunal indicators, and stable isotope profiles have allowed us to correlate between wells and define the internal anatomy and stratal geometry of the individual reef sigmoids and sigmoid sets. Faunal records suggest most extinction occurred prior to ~1 Ma. Following this extinction, fringing reef margins of the Caribbean display a characteristic zonation in which Acropora palmata dominates shallow high-energy reef crests and Acropora cervicornis calmer fore-reef slopes and backreef lagoons. The dominance of acroporids across this zonation has been attributed to growth rates 5-100 times faster than other corals.

Colombian Artists and Digital Music Platforms: Some Difficulties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcela Palacio Puerta

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The Internet provides new business opportunities for the music industry, especially for both independent artists and record companies. The reason of the latter is the great proliferation and growth of digital music platforms. However, contrary to statistics, artists have not been able to benefit of such opportunities in the expected manner. The academic development on this subject is in its beginnings especially with respect to the Colombian panorama, therefore for the first time in the literature, this paper draws some of the difficulties that the Colombian artists face in the world of the digital music.

Processes and experiences of Portugal's international recruitment scheme of Colombian physicians: Did it work?

Science.gov (United States)

Masanet, Erika

2017-08-01

The Portuguese Ministry of Health performed five international recruitment rounds of Latin American physicians due to the need for physicians in certain geographic areas of the country and in some specialties, as a temporary solution to shortages. Among these recruitments is that of Colombian physicians in 2011 that was the largest of the five groups. This paper presents an evaluation of the international recruitment procedure of Colombian physicians based on the criteria of procedural outcomes and health system outcomes. The methodology used is qualitative, based on semi-structured interviews with key informants and Colombian physicians recruited in Portugal and also on documentary analysis of secondary sources. International recruitment of Colombian physicians coincided with a period of political change and severe economic crisis in Portugal that caused some problems in the course of this recruitment, mainly family reunification in the later group of Colombian physicians and non-compliance of the salary originally agreed upon. Furthermore, due to the continuous resignations of Colombian physicians throughout the 3-year contract, procedural outcomes and health system outcomes of this international recruitment were not fulfilled and therefore the expected results to meet the temporary needs for medical personnel in some areas of the country were not accomplished. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Storminess trends in the Gulf and Mexican Caribbean

Science.gov (United States)

Mendoza, E. T.; Ojeda, E.; Appendini, C. M.

2016-12-01

Numerous studies have focused on whether the attributes of tropical cyclones have varied, or how they are expected to vary in a warming climate and yet, a defined conclusion has not been reached. However, an increase in storm intensity, with the inherent increase of wave height and storm surge, will be responsible of heavy economic loss on coastal areas. This contribution analyzes possible variations in the long term storminess pattern observed in 10 nearshore locations along the southern coasts of the Gulf of Mexico and the Mexican Caribbean using modeled wave data from the last 30 years (Appendini et al., 2013). Storminess is studied in terms of wave energy content focusing on extreme event conditions. Wave storm events are obtained using the Peak Over Threshold method. The wave conditions during the events are separated into those caused by tropical cyclones (TC) and extratropical storm (ETS) events because they are expected to behave differently in response to changing climate conditions. In order to characterize the waves generated by these different phenomena the data set is inspected separating individual storm events into TC and ETS using the IBtracks information. The trend and Mann-Kendall test are performed for each node to account for possible trends in the frequency, mean and maximum significant wave heights, and the mean energy content (taken as E=integral(Hs*dt) of TC and ETS. For the TC and ETS events, the results of the MK test show an absence of significant temporal trends for the majority of the nodes even at the 90% confidence interval. The significant trends in the number of ETS events show differential results (negative trend in the northernmost node and positive trends in the two Caribbean nodes and the easternmost GoM node). Regarding the TC events, the two nodes located in the Caribbean Sea present significant temporal (positive) trends in the energy content of the events. However, this trend is related to an increase in the magnitude of

Variability of coastal suprabenthic assemblages from sandy beaches of the Caribbean coast of Venezuela

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ileana Ortega

2014-08-01

Full Text Available The suprabenthos or hyperbenthos is the macrofaunal assemblage of small-sized organisms that interact for some time in the benthic boundary layer. Information about the taxonomic composition and role of suprabenthic species, especially in littoral zones, is scarce and scattered. This work attempts to contribute alleviate this problem. We analyze the temporal and spatial variations of suprabenthic assemblages in the swash-zone from four beaches of the littoral coast of Venezuela. For each beach, two sites were chosen, and special attention was given to water and sediment characteristics. 12 environmental variables were measured: Dissolved oxygen, oxygen saturation percentage, pH, salinity, surface temperature, total, organic and inorganic suspended solids, total organic carbon, organic matter in sediment, grain size of sediment, and amount of dragged material of sample. All faunal samples were taken on a monthly basis during 2011; these were extracted using a manual suprabenthic sledge towed parallel to the shoreline. Samples were sorted and identified to their lowest possible taxonomic level. A total of 24 141 specimens (mean abundance: 26.16±55.35ind./m² belonging to 21 taxonomic groups were identified. Analysis suggests that seasonality does not explain observed changes either in fauna or environmental variables. It was found that suprabenthic assemblages, total suprabenthos density, richness and environmental variables changed in a dissimilar fashion between months and beaches. The most frequent groups were amphipods and decapods; and at the species/categories level post-larval shrimp (Penaeidae, Grapsidae crab megalopae and Arenaeus cribarius megalopae were common. Dissimilarity between months in each beach was primarily explained by the abundance of amphipods, ctenophores, decapods and mysids. For particular months and selected beaches very high abundances of ctenophores were found. This group dominated the sample even though it is not

[Levels of plasma cholinesterase in Colombian working-class populations].

Science.gov (United States)

Carmona-Fonseca, Jaime

2003-12-01

Levels of plasma cholinesterase in Colombian working-class populations Reference values for plasma cholinesterase (EC 3.1.1.8) are not available for Colombian populations. A representative sample of a working-class population was used to establish these values to provide reference data for use by the social security system. Two working-class populations were sampled from the Aburrá Valley (Aburrá) and eastern Antioquia (Oriente). Cholinesterase activity was measured in 827 workers, with ages spanning 18-49 years, 415 from Aburrá and 412 people from Oriente. Three methods were used to measure cholinesterase: Michel, EQM and Monotest The average values by Michel and EQM were not statistically different between regions (Michel: Aburrá, 1.11, and East, 1.13 deltas pH/hora; EQM: Aburrá, 2.55, and Oriente, 2.48 U/ml). By the Monotest, the enzyme average was statistically higher in Aburra than in Oriente (5,743 and 5,459 U/L respectively; p = 0 .012). By region and technique, men had significantly higher enzymatic levels than women. Within both regions and sexes, no statistically significant difference among the three aged groups was noted. Our obtained Colombian values differed significantly from foreign reference values: Michel and Monotest levels were higher and EQM levels were lower. For making clinical and epidemiologic decisions in Colombia related to these data, the values obtained for the Colombian populations are preferred over values derived from external sources.

Artists in and out of the Caribbean

OpenAIRE

Sally Price; Sally Price

1999-01-01

[First paragraph] Caribbean Art. VEERLE POUPEYE. London: Thames and Hudson, 1998. 224 pp. (Paper US$ 14.95) Transforming the Crown: African, Asian and Caribbean Artists in Britain, 1966-1996. MORA J. BEAUCHAMP-BYRD & M. FRANKLIN SIRMANS (eds.). New York: Caribbean Cultural Center, 1998. 177 pp. (Paper US$ 39.95, £31.95) "Caribbean" (like "Black British") culture is (as a Dutch colleague once said of postmodernism) a bit of a slippery fish. One of the books under ...

Outlining the Ancestry Landscape of Colombian Admixed Populations.

Science.gov (United States)

Ossa, Humberto; Aquino, Juliana; Pereira, Rui; Ibarra, Adriana; Ossa, Rafael H; Pérez, Luz Adriana; Granda, Juan David; Lattig, Maria Claudia; Groot, Helena; Fagundes de Carvalho, Elizeu; Gusmão, Leonor

2016-01-01

The ancestry of the Colombian population comprises a large number of well differentiated Native communities belonging to diverse linguistic groups. In the late fifteenth century, a process of admixture was initiated with the arrival of the Europeans, and several years later, Africans also became part of the Colombian population. Therefore, the genepool of the current Colombian population results from the admixture of Native Americans, Europeans and Africans. This admixture occurred differently in each region of the country, producing a clearly stratified population. Considering the importance of population substructure in both clinical and forensic genetics, we sought to investigate and compare patterns of genetic ancestry in Colombia by studying samples from Native and non-Native populations living in its 5 continental regions: the Andes, Caribe, Amazonia, Orinoquía, and Pacific regions. For this purpose, 46 AIM-Indels were genotyped in 761 non-related individuals from current populations. Previously published genotype data from 214 Colombian Natives from five communities were used for population comparisons. Significant differences were observed between Native and non-Native populations, among non-Native populations from different regions and among Native populations from different ethnic groups. The Pacific was the region with the highest African ancestry, Amazonia harboured the highest Native ancestry and the Andean and Orinoquían regions showed the highest proportion of European ancestry. The Andean region was further sub-divided into 6 sub-regions: North East, Central West, Central East, West, South West and South East. Among these regions, the South West region showed a significantly lower European admixture than the other regions. Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and variance values of ancestry among individuals within populations showed a potential stratification of the Pacific population.

New digital control system for the operation of the Colombian research reactor IAN-R1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Celis del A, L.; Rivero, T.; Bucio, F.; Ramirez, R.; Segovia, A.; Palacios, J.

2015-09-01

En 2011, Mexico won the Colombian international tender for the renewal of instrumentation and control of the IAN-R1 Reactor, to Argentina and the United States. This paper presents the design criteria and the development made for the new digital control system installed in the Colombian nuclear reactor IAN-R1, which is based on a redundant and diverse architecture, which provides increased availability, reliability and safety in the reactor operation. This control system and associated instrumentation met all national export requirements, with the safety requirements established by the IAEA as well as the requirements demanded by the Colombian Regulatory Body in nuclear matter. On August 20, 2012, the Colombian IAN-R1 reactor reached its first criticality controlled with the new system developed at Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares (ININ). On September 14, 2012, the new control system of the Colombian IAN-R1 reactor was officially handed over to the Colombian authorities, this being the first time that Mexico exported nuclear technology through the ININ. Currently the reactor is operating successfully with the new control system, and has an operating license for 5 years. (Author)

Common Elements Treatment Approach based on a Cognitive Behavioral Intervention: implementation in the Colombian Pacific

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sara Gabriela Pacichana-Quinayáz

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Due to the limited supply of mental health services for Afro-Colombian victims of violence, a Common Elements Treatment Approach (CETA intervention has been implemented in the Colombian Pacific. Given the importance of improvement in mental health interventions for this population, it is necessary to characterize this process. This article seeks to describe the implementation of CETA for Afro-Colombian victims of violence in Buenaventura and Quibdó, Colombia through case studieswith individual in-depth interviews with Lay Psychosocial Community Workers (LPCW, supervisors, and coordinators responsible for implementing CETA. From this six core categories were obtained: 1. Effect of armed conflict and poverty 2. Trauma severity 3. Perceived changes with CETA 4. Characteristics and LPCW’s performance 5. Afro-Colombian culturalapproach and 6. Strategies to promote users’ well-being.Colombian Pacific’s scenario implies several factors, such as the active armed conflict, economic crisis, and lack of mental health care resources, affecting the implementation process and the intervention effects. This implies the need to establish and strengthen partnerships between institutions in order to administer necessary mental health care for victims of violence in the Colombian Pacific.

Artists in and out of the Caribbean

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sally Price

1999-07-01

Full Text Available [First paragraph] Caribbean Art. VEERLE POUPEYE. London: Thames and Hudson, 1998. 224 pp. (Paper US$ 14.95 Transforming the Crown: African, Asian and Caribbean Artists in Britain, 1966-1996. MORA J. BEAUCHAMP-BYRD & M. FRANKLIN SIRMANS (eds.. New York: Caribbean Cultural Center, 1998. 177 pp. (Paper US$ 39.95, £31.95 "Caribbean" (like "Black British" culture is (as a Dutch colleague once said of postmodernism a bit of a slippery fish. One of the books under review here presents the eclectic artistic productions of professional artists with Caribbean identities of varying sorts - some of them lifelong residents of the region (defined broadly to stretch from Belize and the Bahamas to Curacao and Cayenne, some born in the Caribbean but living elsewhere, and others from far-away parts of the world who have lingered or settled in the Caribbean. The other focuses on artists who trace their cultural heritage variously to Lebanon, France, Malaysia, Spain, China, England, Guyana, India, the Caribbean, the Netherlands, the Philippines, and the whole range of societies in West, East, and Central Africa, all of whom meet under a single ethnic label in galleries in New York and London. Clearly, the principles that vertebrate Caribbean Art and Transforming the Crown are built on the backs of ambiguities, misperceptions, ironies, and ethnocentric logics (not to mention their stronger variants, such as racism. Yet far from invalidating the enterprise, they offer an enlightening inroad to the social, cultural, economic, and political workings of artworlds that reflect globally orchestrated pasts of enormous complexity.

Autonomy of will principle and international instruments in the colombian judicial system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leonardo Espinosa Quintero

2009-06-01

Full Text Available The irruption of International Business Law (IBL or the Uniform International Trade Law has produced a series of “waves” in the Colombian legal system. It has been attributed to the private autonomy of the will, as a principle protected by IBL, the authority to replace the government power of protecting the interests of society. However, despite this principle has existed for centuries, currently it has been subject of reinterpretation. This paper will specifically approach the ‘Reconstruction’ of this principle from the jurisprudence of the Colombian Constitutional Court perspective and from the academic proposal of the Colombian Professor Diego Eduardo Lopez Medina.

Andrew spares Florida Coast

Science.gov (United States)

Bush, Susan

When geologists heard of the intensity of Hurricane Andrew, which struck the Florida coast on August 25 and then moved on to southern Louisiana, they were expecting the same kinds of coastal damage that Hurricane Hugo brought to the Caribbean and Carolina shores in 1989. Both storms were category 4 hurricanes, having winds of 131-155 mph and surges of 13-18 feet. However, the coastal damage never materialized, leaving geologists to analyze the factors that lessened the impact of the storm. “For minimum coastal damage, you couldn't have designed a better storm,” said Orrin Pilkey, director of the Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines (PSDS) in Durham, N.C. This was due in part to the nature of the storm itself and where it hit land, and in part to the regional geology, said Rob Thieler of PSDS. Despite the huge amounts of damage to buildings, there was virtually no evidence of coastal process destruction, he said.

Colombians in the United States: A Study of Their Well-Being

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cándida Madrigal

2013-09-01

Full Text Available This study examined the extent to which four factors—acculturation, ethnic identity, self-esteem, and resilience—can explain the well-being of Colombian immigrants in the United States across three waves of immigration (wave 1, from 1945–1964; wave 2, from 1965–1989; and wave 3, from 1990–2008. The results indicate that of the four factors, self-esteem most correlated with and was a predictor of well-being. Participants exhibited high levels of well-being as their level of self-esteem increased. Ethnic identity negatively predicted well-being, especially for men who entered during wave 3; as the extent of their ethnic identity increased, their well-being decreased. Correspondingly, Colombians who entered as political refugees reported a lower level of well-being. This research was groundbreaking in assessing factors contributing to the well-being of Colombian immigrants and assisting in the search for appropriate scales to study this population. Although its results have to be considered with caution, the study opens doors to future research, policies, and programs regarding the mental health assessment and treatment of Colombians in the United States.

[Systematic review of antimicrobial resistance in Enterobacteriaceae isolates from Colombian hospitals].

Science.gov (United States)

González, Leidy; Cortés, Jorge Alberto

2014-01-01

Bacterial resistance is a public health problem worldwide that seriously compromises the possibility to treat infections. To identify levels of resistance to antibiotic markers in Enterobacteriaceae isolates from Colombian hospitals. A systematic literature survey was done including articles indexed in Medline, Embase and LILACS. A manual search was made of Colombian scientific journals and other publications on infectious disease that were not available electronically. In total, 43 observational studies and epidemiological reports were identified with information about resistance among Enterobacteriaceae isolates in Colombian hospitals, mainly from Bogotá, Cali and Medellín. The resistance rate of Escherichia coli ranges from 3 to 11%, 5 to 20% and from 0.2 to 0.8% for piperacillin-tazobactam, third generation cephalosporins and carbapenems, respectively. For Klebsiella pneumoniae resistance rates ranges from 21.8 to 48.1% to piperacillin-tazobactam, 20 to 35% to broad-spectrum cephalosporins and 3 to 8% to carbapenems, with significant variations by cities, levels of care and clinical settings. The spread of bacterial resistance in Enterobacteriaceae isolated in Colombian hospitals is a growing problem that calls for priority action to cut the chains of transmission.

Colombian equity return and narrow money supply: an asymmetric cointegration analysis

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Chu V. Nguyen

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The asymmetric, cointegrating relationship between the return on equity market and the narrowly defined money supply is documented. In fact, equity return and the monthly percentage change in the Colombian money supply M1 spread adjusts to the threshold value slower when a contractionary countercyclical policy action or an economic shock causes the money supply M1 to fall relative to the share price index, widening their spread, than when an expansionary countercyclical monetary policy action or a shock causes money supply M1 to move in the opposite direction, narrowing their spread. The empirical findings further indicate the impact lag on the Colombian monetary policy in the equity market is two years. These empirical findings should be of interest to both domestic and international investors who are interested in the Colombian equity market. The results also reveal the presence of both the neoclassical and the post-Keynesian positions on the relationship between equity return and money supply M1 in the Colombian financial market. In the age of globalization, these findings may provide a better understanding of the impact of the countercyclical monetary policy on the equity market in Latin American economies.

Stranding survey as a framework to investigate rare cetacean records of the north and north-eastern Brazilian coasts

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Alexandra Fernandes Costa

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Marine mammal stranding events are used as an important tool for understanding cetacean biology worldwide. Nonetheless, there are vast gaps of knowledge to be filled in for a wide range of species. Reputable information is required regarding species from large baleen whales to sperm and beaked whales, as well as pelagic dolphins. This paper describes new cetacean records from north and north-eastern Brazil, which are both the least surveyed areas regarding aquatic mammals. Regular beach surveys were conducted to recover cetacean carcasses along the coast of Pará beginning November 2005. At the coasts of the Maranhão and Piauí states, the surveys were conducted between 2003 and 2013. From 2003 to 2014, 34 strandings of cetaceans were registered. The study provides four additional species records’ in the area based on strandings (Balaenoptera borealis, Balaenoptera physalus, Peponocephala electra, and Pseudorca crassidens. A mass stranding of Guiana dolphins (Sotalia guianensis, N = 12, the most common species for the region, was reported for the first time. The records presented herein are of special concern, since they expand the knowledge on cetaceans from the Brazilian coast. In addition, this study conducted an analysis to verify the similarity between cetacean compositions described for north and north-eastern Brazil and the southern Caribbean region. The results showed a high similarity between these regions, proving the connection with the Caribbean cetacean fauna.

Some relative notes to the diversity of the Colombian flora

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diaz Piedrahita, Santiago

2002-01-01

Although it is impossible to calculate an exact figure, it is calculated in 35.000 the number of species of plants that conform the Colombian flora; apart from applying the concept of species it is necessary to mention the absence of an official politics that favors the investigation. The author makes a journey of the Colombian flora from geologic times until our days, including the climatological changes and the different flora types according to our thermal soils

Revision of the species of the genus Cathorops (Siluriformes: Ariidae from Mesoamerica and the Central American Caribbean, with description of three new species

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Alexandre P. Marceniuk

Full Text Available The ariid genus Cathorops includes species that occur mainly in estuarine and freshwater habitats of the eastern and western coasts of southern Mexico, Central and South America. The species of Cathorops from the Mesoamerica (Atlantic slope and Caribbean Central America are revised, and three new species are described: C. belizensis from mangrove areas in Belize; C. higuchii from shallow coastal areas and coastal rivers in the Central American Caribbean, from Honduras to Panama; and C. kailolae from río Usumacinta and lago Izabal basins in Mexico and Guatemala. Additionally, C. aguadulce, from the río Papaloapan basin in Mexico, and C. melanopus from the río Motagua basin in Guatemala and Honduras, are redescribed and their geographic distributions are revised.

Population genetic analysis of Colombian Trypanosoma cruzi isolates revealed by enzyme electrophoretic profiles

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Manuel Ruiz-Garcia

2001-01-01

Full Text Available Although Colombia presents an enormous biological diversity, few studies have been conducted on the population genetics of Trypanosoma cruzi. This study was carried out with 23 Colombian stocks of this protozoa analyzed for 13 isoenzymatic loci. The Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, the genetic diversity and heterogeneity, the genetic relationships and the possible spatial structure of these 23 Colombian stocks of T. cruzi were estimated. The majority of results obtained are in agreement with a clonal population structure. Nevertheless, two aspects expected in a clonal structure were not discovered in the Colombian T. cruzi stocks. There was an absence of given zymodemes over-represented from a geographical point of view and the presumed temporal stabilizing selective phenomena was not observed either in the Colombian stocks sampled several times through the years of the study. Some hypotheses are discussed in order to explain the results found.

The Colombian wild bees: Why and how to preserve them

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Guiomar Nates Parra

2000-01-01

Full Text Available The Colombian wild bees, as well as those in the rest of the whole world are undergoing the rigor of human activities and so are considered to be under threat of extinction. The current knowledge about Colombian bees, like other insects, is still in its beginnings, is fragmentated and a synthesis is desirable. Only 5% of the Colombian bees are well known, especially the corbiculates bees of the Apidae family. A small bitin taxonomic work has been done by Colombian researchers and nothing else has been contributed by foreign ones. Not having enough resources, plus the difficulties to send material overseas and the lack of specialist on the subject, have made the work more difficult. However, the great variety of species that is thought to be found in our country represent a reason to do research for a better understanding of this group biodiversity. An analisis of the main causes of risk (deforestation, grazing, africanized honeybees and bad explotation of native bees for the wild apifauna ispresented. Some propossals are provided to protect these species, that will be more fruitfull by joint cooperation with academic centers, farmers, countryman, indianpopulation and the whole society. We must have in mind that throug pollination bees become important pieces into the ecosistem, allowing the conservation of many vegetal species and other comunities.

[Public health stewardship and governance regarding the Colombian healthcare system, 2012-2013].

Science.gov (United States)

Roth-Deubel, André N; Molina-Marín, Gloria

2013-01-01

Analysing decision-making concerning public health issues regarding the Colombian healthcare system from a market economy-based approach. This study involved applying Glaser and Strauss's grounded theory in six Colombian cities during 2012: Bogotá, Barranquilla, Bucaramanga, Leticia, Medellin and Pasto. 120 individual interviews were conducted with professionals involved in decision-making, running public healthcare programmes and making policy within public and private institutions. Fourteen focus groups were held with community organisation leaders. The findings suggested national and municipal health authorities' weak stewardship and ineffective governance regarding public healthcare policy and programmes, related to a lack of staff trained in public health management issues. In turn, this was related to political parties' interference and private insurers' particular interests and the structural fragmentation of functions and actors within the health system, thereby limiting public health development. A new axiology is necessary for achieving effective governance (I.e. cooperation between Colombian Healthcare Social Security System actors) to overcome current incompetence and financial self-interest predominating within the Colombian healthcare system.

Critical analysis of the Colombian mining legislation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vargas P, Elkin; Gonzalez S, Carmen Lucia

2003-01-01

The document analyses the Colombian mining legislation, Act 685 of 2001, based on the reasons expressed by the government and the miners for its conceit and approval. The document tries to determine the developments achieved by this new Mining Code considering international mining competitiveness and its adaptation to the constitutional rules about environment, indigenous communities, decentralization and sustainable development. The analysis formulates general and specific hypothesis about the proposed objectives of the reform, which are confronted with the arguments and critical evaluations of the results. Most hypothesis are not verified, thus demonstrating that the Colombian mining legislation is far from being the necessary instrument to promote mining activities, making it competitive according to international standards and adapted to the principles of sustainable development, healthy environment, community participation, ethnic minorities and regional autonomy

Numerical tool for tsunami risk assessment in the southern coast of Dominican Republic

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Macias Sanchez, J.; Llorente Isidro, M.; Ortega, S.; Gonzalez Vida, J. M., Sr.; Castro, M. J.

2016-12-01

The southern coast of Dominican Republic is a very populated region, with several important cities including Santo Domingo, its capital. Important activities are rooted in the southern coast including tourism, industry, commercial ports, and, energy facilities, among others. According to historical reports, it has been impacted by big earthquakes accompanied by tsunamis as in Azua in 1751 and recently Pedernales in 2010, but their sources are not clearly identified. The aim of the present work is to develop a numerical tool to simulate the impact in the southern coast of the Dominican Republic of tsunamis generated in the Caribbean Sea. This tool, based on the Tsunami-HySEA model from EDANYA group (University of Malaga, Spain), could be used in the framework of a Tsunami Early Warning Systems due the very short computing times when only propagation is computed or it could be used to assess inundation impact, computing inundation with a initial 5 meter resolution. Numerical results corresponding to three theoretical sources are used to test the numerical tool.

Representations of the armed conflict in Colombian cinema

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Jerónimo León Rivera-Betancur, M.A.

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Cinema is an act of representation and it is based on the construction of reality inspired by experience. In Colombia, cinema has not been the product of a structured industry, but rather the effort of some filmmakers who have found different ways of telling stories about topics that are part of the national experience. The armed conflict in Colombia, understood as the confrontation between government forces and organized outlawed groups, has prevailed for more than fifty years and has been present in art forms ever since. This research examines a sample of Colombian films to establish the different ways the subject of the armed conflict has been represented in Colombian cinema.

Adjusted linguistic validation and psychometric properties of the Colombian version of KIDSCREEN-52.

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Jaimes-Valencia, Mary Luz; Perpiñá-Galvañ, Juana; Cabañero-Martínez, Maria José; Cabrero-García, Julio; Richart-Martínez, Miguel

2018-01-01

In health and clinical studies, health-related quality of life is often assessed using the well-established KIDSCREEN-52 questionnaires as well as the Vécu et Santé Perçue de l'Adolescent (VSP-A). The purpose of this study was twofold: to perform an adjusted linguistic validation of the Colombian version of the KIDSCREEN-52 and to assess its psychometric properties in children and adolescents. A total of 146 children and adolescents completed the KIDSCREEN-52, adolescents ( n = 48) additionally completed the VSP-A. Psychometric analyses focused on the internal consistency as well as the convergent and discriminant validity of the KIDSCREEN-52 Colombian version. Syntactic and semantic modifications were made to 19 items in the adapted version of the KIDSCREEN-52. Cronbach's α ranged from .74 to .89 for eight dimensions, while α Colombian version of the KIDSCREEN-52 showed acceptable reliability and validity. This study provides a cultural adaptation of the Spanish version of the KIDSCREEN-52 for Colombian children and adolescents.

The European Union and the Caribbean Region: Situating the Caribbean Overseas Countries and Territories

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Paul Sutton

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract:This paper examines one important dimension of the European Union's (EU 'regional' engagement with the Caribbean: its relations with the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT, with a particular focus on the possibility of furthering the policy goals of greater regional integration and cooperation. It does so in three parts. The first sets out the basis for current EU policy to the OCT which has been under discussion between the EU, the OCT and the four EU member states most involved (Denmark, France, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom since 2008. It reports EU proposals for change and the responses to them by the Caribbean OCTs. The second part examines EU policy toward promoting greater regional cooperation among the Caribbean OCTs and between them and some of the other Caribbean regional organizations. Three distinct frameworks for cooperation and integration are discussed: with independent states as established in the Caribbean Community, the Caribbean Forum and the Economic Partnership Agreement; with the French departments and collectivities; and with the Caribbean OCT. In each the position of the Caribbean OCT is situated. The final part briefly discusses the creation of a 'new' framework for regional cooperation specific for the Caribbean OCT which will most closely match their interests in the Caribbean.Resumen: La Unión Europea y la Región del Caribe: Situando a los Países y Territorios de Ultramar del CaribeEste ensayo analiza una dimensión importante de la Unión Europea (UE 'regional' y su compromiso con el Caribe: de igual manera sus relaciones con los Países y Territorios de Ultramar (PTU, con un enfoque particular sobre la posibilidad de promover los objetivos de la política con una mayor integración regional y cooperación. Este proceso se desglosa en tres partes. La primera establece la base para la actual política de la UE hacia los PTU, ya que esta ha sido objeto de debate entre los mismos y los cuatro

KNOWLEDGE BASE AND EFL TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS: A COLOMBIAN PERSPECTIVE

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Yamith Fandiño

2013-04-01

Full Text Available In the 21st century, Colombian pre-service EFL Teacher Education Programs (TEPs should study what constitutes the core knowledge base for language teachers to be effective in their profession. These programs must refrain from simply conceptualizing knowledge base as the acquisition of the basic skills required for teaching, the competency of educators in their subject matter area, and the use of pedagogical skills. Instead, they should strive to reflect on what Colombian language teachers need to know about teaching and learning, and study how their knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes inform their practices. A starting point to do so is to interpret the variety of proposals that have been generated through the years in the field. This paperoffers a review of what teacher knowledge base is, presents an overview of how Colombian EFL TEPs are working on teacher knowledge,and suggests some strategies to envision a more complete framework of reference for teacher formation in Colombia.

Electronic Government : Caribbean Pilot Project | IDRC ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Electronic Government : Caribbean Pilot Project. Caribbean countries are increasingly adopting information and communication technologies (ICTs) in ... The Government of Jamaica is willing to donate the solution to other ... Related content ...

The atypical Caribbean-Colombia oceanic plateau and its role in the deformation of the Northern Andes

Science.gov (United States)

Ferrari, L.; Lopez-Martinez, M.; Petrone, C. M.; Serrano, L.

2013-05-01

The Late Cretaceous to Early Tertiary tectono-magmatic evolution of the Northern Andes has been strongly influenced by the dextral oblique interaction of the Caribbean-Colombian oceanic plateau (CCOP) with northwestern South America. This complex interaction has resulted in several pulses of transpressional deformation and crustal accretion to the South America plate but also in a widespread deformation in the plateau itself. In this peculiar type of orogeny one of the factors controlling the deformation is the crustal structure and thus the rheological profiles of the two lithospheric sections that interact. The genesis of the CCOP has been traditionally associated to the melting of the Galapagos plume head when it impacted the Farallon plate, which is supposed to have built an unsubductable and thick crustal section. This interpretation was based on the apparent clustering of ages at ~91-89 Ma for several obducted fragments of the CCOP in northwestern South America and in the Caribbean islands. However, seismic profiles show that magmatism added a very variable amount but no more than 10 km of igneous material to the original crust of the Farallon plate, making the CCOP much more irregular than other oceanic plateaus. Recent studies of key areas of the obducted part of the CCOP contradict the notion that the plateau formed by melting of a plume head at ~ 90 Ma. Particularly, new geochronologic data and petrologic modeling from the small Gorgona Island document a magmatic activity spanning the whole Late Cretaceous (98.7±7.7 to 64.4±5 Ma) and a progressive increase in the degree of melting and melt extraction with time. Multiple magmatic pulses over several tens of Ma in small areas like Gorgona, are also recognized in other areas of the CCOP, documenting a long period of igneous activity with peaks at 74-76, 80-82, and 88-90 Ma in decreasing order of importance. Even older, Early Cretaceous ages, have been reported for fragments in Costa Rica and Curaçao. A

Ancestry, admixture and fitness in Colombian genomes

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Rishishwar, Lavanya; Conley, Andrew B.; Wigington, Charles H.; Wang, Lu; Valderrama-Aguirre, Augusto; King Jordan, I.

2015-01-01

The human dimension of the Columbian Exchange entailed substantial genetic admixture between ancestral source populations from Africa, the Americas and Europe, which had evolved separately for many thousands of years. We sought to address the implications of the creation of admixed American genomes, containing novel allelic combinations, for human health and fitness via analysis of an admixed Colombian population from Medellin. Colombian genomes from Medellin show a wide range of three-way admixture contributions from ancestral source populations. The primary ancestry component for the population is European (average = 74.6%, range = 45.0%–96.7%), followed by Native American (average = 18.1%, range = 2.1%–33.3%) and African (average = 7.3%, range = 0.2%–38.6%). Locus-specific patterns of ancestry were evaluated to search for genomic regions that are enriched across the population for particular ancestry contributions. Adaptive and innate immune system related genes and pathways are particularly over-represented among ancestry-enriched segments, including genes (HLA-B and MAPK10) that are involved in defense against endemic pathogens such as malaria. Genes that encode functions related to skin pigmentation (SCL4A5) and cutaneous glands (EDAR) are also found in regions with anomalous ancestry patterns. These results suggest the possibility that ancestry-specific loci were differentially retained in the modern admixed Colombian population based on their utility in the New World environment. PMID:26197429

First Colombian multicentric newborn screening for congenital toxoplasmosis.

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Jorge Enrique Gómez-Marin

Full Text Available AIMS: To determine the incidence of congenital toxoplasmosis in Colombian newborns from 19 hospital or maternal child health services from seven different cities of five natural geographic regions (Caribbean, Central, Andean, Amazonia and Eastern. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We collected 15,333 samples from umbilical cord blood between the period of March 2009 to May 2010 in 19 different hospitals and maternal-child health services from seven different cities. We applied an IgM ELISA assay (Vircell, Spain to determine the frequency of IgM anti Toxoplasma. The results in blood cord samples were confirmed either by western blot and repeated ELISA IgM assay. In a sub-sample of 1,613 children that were negative by the anti-Toxoplasma IgM assay, the frequency of specific anti-Toxoplasma IgA by the ISAGA assay was determined. All children with positive samples by IgM, IgA, clinical diagnosis or treatment during pregnancy were recalled for confirmatory tests after day 10 of life. RESULTS: 61 positive samples for specific IgM (0.39% and 9 positives for IgA (0.5% were found. 143 questionnaires were positive for a clinical diagnosis or treatment for toxoplasmosis during pregnancy. 109 out of the 218 children that had some of the criteria for postnatal confirmatory tests were followed. Congenital toxoplasmosis infection was confirmed in 15 children: 7 were symptomatic, and three of them died before the first month of life (20% of lethality. A significant correlation was found between a high incidence of markers for congenital toxoplasmosis and higher mean annual rainfall for the city. CONCLUSIONS: Incidence for congenital toxoplasmosis is significantly different between hospitals or maternal child health services from different cities in Colombia. Mean annual rainfall was correlated with incidence of congenital toxoplasmosis.

Contaminants in the coastal karst aquifer system along the Caribbean coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Metcalfe, Chris D.; Beddows, Patricia A.; Bouchot, Gerardo Gold; Metcalfe, Tracy L.; Li Hongxia; Van Lavieren, Hanneke

2011-01-01

Intensive land development as a result of the rapidly growing tourism industry in the 'Riviera Maya' region of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico may result in contamination of groundwater resources that eventually discharge into Caribbean coastal ecosystems. We deployed two types of passive sampling devices into groundwater flowing through cave systems below two communities to evaluate concentrations of contaminants and to indicate the possible sources. Pharmaceuticals and personal care products accumulated in the samplers could only have originated from domestic sewage. PAHs indicated contamination by runoff from highways and other impermeable surfaces and chlorophenoxy herbicides accumulated in samplers deployed near a golf course indicated that pesticide applications to turf are a source of contamination. Prevention and mitigation measures are needed to ensure that expanding development does not impact the marine environment and human health, thus damaging the tourism-based economy of the region. - Research highlights: → Intensive land development as a result of the rapidly growing tourism industry in the 'Riviera Maya' region of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico is contaminating groundwater resources that discharge into Caribbean coastal ecosystems. → Passive sampling devices deployed in groundwater flowing through cave systems below two communities in the Riviera Maya accumulated: pharmaceuticals and personal care products originating from domestic sewage. → PAHs originating from runoff from highways and other impermeable surfaces; chlorophenoxy herbicides originating from pesticide applications to lawns and turf. → Prevention and mitigation measures are needed to ensure that expanding development does not impact the marine environment and human health in the region. - Contaminants accumulated in passive samplers deployed in flooded cave systems in the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico indicate contamination by domestic sewage, runoff and applications of pesticides

Contaminants in the coastal karst aquifer system along the Caribbean coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Metcalfe, Chris D., E-mail: cmetcalfe@trentu.ca [Worsfold Water Quality Centre, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, K9J 7B8 (Canada); Beddows, Patricia A. [Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL (United States); Bouchot, Gerardo Gold [Departemento de Recursos del Mar, CINVESTAV Unidad Merida, Yucatan (Mexico); Metcalfe, Tracy L.; Li Hongxia [Worsfold Water Quality Centre, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, K9J 7B8 (Canada); Van Lavieren, Hanneke [UN University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH), Hamilton, ON (Canada)

2011-04-15

Intensive land development as a result of the rapidly growing tourism industry in the 'Riviera Maya' region of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico may result in contamination of groundwater resources that eventually discharge into Caribbean coastal ecosystems. We deployed two types of passive sampling devices into groundwater flowing through cave systems below two communities to evaluate concentrations of contaminants and to indicate the possible sources. Pharmaceuticals and personal care products accumulated in the samplers could only have originated from domestic sewage. PAHs indicated contamination by runoff from highways and other impermeable surfaces and chlorophenoxy herbicides accumulated in samplers deployed near a golf course indicated that pesticide applications to turf are a source of contamination. Prevention and mitigation measures are needed to ensure that expanding development does not impact the marine environment and human health, thus damaging the tourism-based economy of the region. - Research highlights: > Intensive land development as a result of the rapidly growing tourism industry in the 'Riviera Maya' region of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico is contaminating groundwater resources that discharge into Caribbean coastal ecosystems. > Passive sampling devices deployed in groundwater flowing through cave systems below two communities in the Riviera Maya accumulated: pharmaceuticals and personal care products originating from domestic sewage. > PAHs originating from runoff from highways and other impermeable surfaces; chlorophenoxy herbicides originating from pesticide applications to lawns and turf. > Prevention and mitigation measures are needed to ensure that expanding development does not impact the marine environment and human health in the region. - Contaminants accumulated in passive samplers deployed in flooded cave systems in the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico indicate contamination by domestic sewage, runoff and applications of

Holocene relative sea-level changes from North America and the Caribbean

Science.gov (United States)

Horton, Benjamin; Engelhart, Simon; Vacchi, Matteo; Khan, Nicole; Peltier, Dick; Roy, Keven

2014-05-01

Reconstructions of Holocene relative sea level (RSL) are important for identifying the ice equivalent meltwater contribution to sea-level change during deglaciation. Holocene RSL reconstructions from near, intermediate and far field regions enable the assessment of earth and ice parameters of Glacial Isostatic Adjustment (GIA) models. RSL reconstructions provide data for estimating rates of spatially variable and ongoing vertical land motion; a requirement for understanding the variation in modern and late Holocene sea level as recorded by instrumental and proxy records. Here we explain the methodology employed to reconstruct former sea levels, which follows the practice of the International Geoscience Programme (IGCP). We produce sea level index points from the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of North America and the Caribbean. Index points are defined as the most reliable observations of former sea levels. They consist of an estimate of X (age) and Y (the position of former RSL). Where a suite of index points are developed for a locality or region, they describe changes in RSL through time and estimate rates of change. A valid index point must meet the following four criteria; (1) location of the sample is known; (2) the altitude of the sample (and the error associated with measuring that altitude) is known; (3) the indicative meaning (the relationship between the sample and a tide level) is estimated; and (4) the age of the sample, which is commonly radiocarbon dated is calibrated to sidereal years using the latest calibration curves. In total databases have over 2000 sea-level index points from formerly ice covered, uplifting regions of Canada, to the region of forebulge collapse along the subsiding mid-Atlantic and mid-Pacific coastlines of the United States, to the tropical regions of the Caribbean. Recent analyses of these new published databases have led to a further refinement of the most recent of the ICE-NG (VMX) series of global models of GIA. The records

Colombian deathscapes : Social practices and policy responses

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Klaufus, C.

2018-01-01

This article analyzes social practices in Colombian deathscapes in light of cemetery modernization plans, based on fieldwork in Bogotá and Medellín. Using a performative approach it analyzes the antagonistic aspects of 2 sets of events articulating social inequality and violence: sanctification

Caribbean literary theory: modernist and postmodern

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A. James Arnold

1995-01-01

Full Text Available [First paragraph] The Repeating Mand: The Caribbean and the Postmodern Perspective. ANTONIO BENITEZ-ROJO. Durham NC: Duke University Press, 1992. xi + 303 pp. (Cloth US$ 49.95, Paper US$ 15.95 Myth and History in Caribbean Fiction: Alejo Carpentier, Wilson Harris, and Edouard Glissant. BARBARA J. WEBB. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 1992. x + 185 pp. (Cloth US$ 25.00 Caribbean literature has been overtaken of late by the quarrels that have pitted postmodernists against modernists in Europe and North America for the past twenty years. The modernists, faced with the fragmentation of the region that hard-nosed pragmatists and empiricists could only see as hostile to the emergence of any common culture, had sought in myth and its literary derivatives the collective impulse to transcend the divisions wrought by colonial history. Fifteen years ago I wrote a book that combined in its lead title the terms Modernism and Negritude in an effort to account for the efforts by mid-century Caribbean writers to come to grips with this problem. A decade later I demonstrated that one of the principal Caribbean modernists, Aimé Césaire, late in his career adopted stylistic characteristics that we associate with the postmodern (Arnold 1990. The example of Césaire should not be taken to suggest that we are dealing with some sort of natural evolution of modernism toward the postmodern. In fact the two terms represent competing paradigms that organize concepts and data so differently as to offer quite divergent maps of the literary Caribbean.

EPR and Fluorescence Spectroscopy in the Photodegradation Study of Arabian and Colombian Crude Oils

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Carmen L. B. Guedes

2006-01-01

W/m2. The reduction in the linewidth of the free radical of 9.8% in Arabian oil and 18.5% in Colombian oil, as well as the decrease in radical numbers, indicated photochemical degradation, especially in Colombian oil. The linewidth narrowing corresponding to free radicals in the irradiated oils occurred due to the rearrangement among radicals and aromatic carbon consumption. The irradiated oils showed a reduction in the relative intensity of fluorescence of the aromatics with high molecular mass, polar aromatics, and asphaltene. The fluorescent fraction was reduced by 61% in Arabian oil and 72% in Colombian oil, corresponding to photochemical degradation of crude oil aromatic compounds.

Agents of coral mortality on reef formations of the Colombian Pacific

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Raúl Navas-Camacho

2010-05-01

Full Text Available The National Monitoring System for Coral Reefs of Colombia (SIMAC monitors the impact of some of the most important agents of coral tissue loss (bleaching and/or disease in the Colombian Pacific coral formations since 1998. Physiological bleaching is among the main results of stress in the area. Signs of coral diseases resembling bacterial bleaching such as White Plague and White Band, were observed in Malpelo and Gorgona islands. Damage to the Pacific gorgonian Pacifigorgia spp., similar to those produced by Aspergillosis in Caribbean corals, was detected in Utría Bay. The presence of tumors in colonies of massive corals was also recorded. Even though coral diseases are globally widespread, their occurrence in American Pacific reefs has been poorly documented to date. Rev. Biol. Trop. 58 (Suppl. 1: 133-138. Epub 2010 May 01.A través del Sistema Nacional de Monitoreo de Arrecifes Coralinos en Colombia-SIMAC se han evaluado algunos agentes de mortalidad coralina en el Pacifico Colombiano desde 1998. Uno de los principales factores que han contribuido a la pérdida de cobertura coralina han sido los eventos de blanqueamiento. No obstante, también se han observado signos que sugieren la presencia de enfermedades coralinas como el blanqueamiento bacteriano, la Plaga Blanca, la Banda Blanca, los tumores coralinos y la Aspergilosis en Pacifigorgia spp.. Aunque las enfermedades coralinas están globalmente distribuidas, su ocurrencia en el Pacifico tropical americano ha sido pobremente documentada. Esta nota incluye la ocurrencia de potenciales enfermedades coralinas en el Pacífico Colombiano.

Studies on Colombian cryptogams. V. Taxonomy, distribution and ecology of macrolichens of the Colombian Paramos: 1. Cladonia subgenus Cladina

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sipman, H.J.M.; Cleef, A.M.

1979-01-01

Morphology, chemistry, distribution and ecology of 6 species of Cladonia subgenus Cladina (Lichenes) from the Colombian paramos are described: C. arcuata Ahti, C. boliviano Ahti, C. confusa Sant., C. polia Sant., C. rangiferina (L.) Wigg. var. abbayesii Ahti, and C. colombiana spec. Nov. C. bicolor

The European Union – Caribbean Relation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Broberg, Morten

2016-01-01

EU diplomats consider the Caribbean countries to be allies and therefore expect these countries to support the EU in international affairs – but they find that this support has been waning in recent years. Caribbean diplomats and politicians do not share the European viewpoint. Rather, they take ...

CARIBE WAVE/LANTEX Caribbean and Western Atlantic Tsunami Exercises

Science.gov (United States)

von Hillebrandt-Andrade, C.; Whitmore, P.; Aliaga, B.; Huerfano Moreno, V.

2013-12-01

Over 75 tsunamis have been documented in the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions over the past 500 years. While most have been generated by local earthquakes, distant generated tsunamis can also affect the region. For example, waves from the 1755 Lisbon earthquake and tsunami were observed in Cuba, Dominican Republic, British Virgin Islands, as well as Antigua, Martinique, Guadalupe and Barbados in the Lesser Antilles. Since 1500, at least 4484 people are reported to have perished in these killer waves. Although the tsunami generated by the 2010 Haiti earthquake claimed only a few lives, in the 1530 El Pilar, Venezuela; 1602 Port Royale, Jamaica; 1918 Puerto Rico; and 1946 Samaná, Dominican Republic tsunamis the death tolls ranged to over a thousand. Since then, there has been an explosive increase in residents, visitors, infrastructure, and economic activity along the coastlines, increasing the potential for human and economic loss. It has been estimated that on any day, upwards of more than 500,000 people could be in harm's way just along the beaches, with hundreds of thousands more working and living in the tsunamis hazard zones. Given the relative infrequency of tsunamis, exercises are a valuable tool to test communications, evaluate preparedness and raise awareness. Exercises in the Caribbean are conducted under the framework of the UNESCO IOC Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Tsunami and other Coastal Hazards Warning System for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions (CARIBE EWS) and the US National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program. On March 23, 2011, 34 countries and territories participated in the first CARIBE WAVE/LANTEX regional tsunami exercise, while in the second exercise on March 20, 2013 a total of 45 countries and territories participated. 481 organizations (almost 200 more than in 2011) also registered to receive the bulletins issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC), West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center and/or the Puerto Rico

Reproducción de la raya eléctrica Narcine bancroftii (Torpediniformes: Narcinidae en Santa Marta, Caribe colombiano Reproduction of the electric ray Narcine bancroftii (Torpediniformes: Narcinidae in Santa Marta, Colombian Caribbean

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Fabián Moreno

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Se analizaron aspectos reproductivos de la raya eléctrica Narcine bancroftii, capturada como bycatch con una red playera de cerco en dos playas del sector de El Rodadero, Santa Marta, Caribe colombiano. Los ejemplares fueron sexados, pesados y medidos, se identificó su estado de desarrollo gonadal mediante características morfológicas externas e internas. Se evaluó la condición reproductiva con el comportamiento de los índices biológicos (gonadosomático IGS y hepatosomático IHS y la talla a la madurez sexual (l50%. Los resultados obtenidos mostraron que el IGS tiene un máximo anual entre septiembre y diciembre cuando probablemente ocurre la cópula. El IHS presentó su mayor valor en enero, cuando termina su periodo reproductivo. La talla media de madurez en hembras fue de 32,2 cm y en machos de 20,2 a 22,9 cm. El período de gestación es de cuatro meses y las crías nacen de febrero a abril.This paper provides information about reproductive aspects of the electric ray Narcine bancroftii, caught as bycatch with beach seines in two beaches of El Rodadero, Santa Marta, Colombian Caribbean, between August (2005 and October (2006. The electric rays obtained were separate by sex, weighed and measured; the development of reproductive stage was identified by external and internal characteristics. The reproductive condition was determinate by (gonadosomatic GSI and hepatosomatic HSI indexes and the size at sexual maturity (l50%. The results showed that the GSI has one peak at year between September and December when probably the copulation carried out, the HSI presented its highest value in January, which corresponds to the end of the reproductive period. The size at sexual maturity was 32.2 cm in females and it was between 20.2 and 22.9 cm in males. We propose that the gestation period extends during four months, starting with the birth of individuals in February and finishing in April.

Teaching and Learning with Caribbean Students.

Science.gov (United States)

London, Clement B. G.

Presently, the most frequent point of contact between the United States and many Caribbean island states is the immigrant population. Incentives for immigration are provided by a tradition of colonialism, economies dependent upon agriculture, and problems resulting from rapidly increasing populations. The continuing influx of Caribbeans to the…

Preoccupations with Modernity: Geopolitics of Knowledge in Colombian Reproduction Laws, 1936-2006

OpenAIRE

Sanchez, Alisa C.

2016-01-01

The dissertation examines how Colombian professionals have developed reproductive laws and policies during the past century in the name of being modern. I focus on four moments of reproductive lawmaking from 1936-2006, analyzing legal and sociolegal texts that record or inform the lawmaking process. These four moments of reproductive lawmaking are the 1936 Colombian Criminal Code, which increased penalties for men’s sexual crimes as well as abortion; two 1960s policies that promoted family pl...

Colombian drugs policy. The dose for personal and health rights

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Juan Camilo Fischer Rodríguez

2013-07-01

Full Text Available This article is a review of Colombian law on drugs, with special emphasis on the so-called dose for personal and health rights that relate to the use of legal or illegal drugs. A brief contextualization of international treaties on drugs is presented, as well as presenting some cases representing the current debate on trade control measures and use of illegal drugs. The article argues that in the international and Colombian debate there are no homogeneous positions, and the repressive policies towards illegal drug use coexist with approaches from the public health that point to the recognition of the rights of people who use legal or illegal substances.

Income distribution in the Colombian economy from an econophysics perspective

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Hernando Quevedo Cubillos

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Recently, in econophysics, it has been shown that it is possible to analyze economic systems as equilibrium thermodynamic models. We apply statistical thermodynamics methods to analyze income distribution in the Colombian economic system. Using the data obtained in random polls, we show that income distribution in the Colombian economic system is characterized by two specific phases. The first includes about 90% of the interviewed individuals, and is characterized by an exponential Boltzmann-Gibbs distribution. The second phase, which contains the individuals with the highest incomes, can be described by means of one or two power-law density distributions that are known as Pareto distributions.

Violence, Oppression, and Double Standards in Three Colombian Films

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Melissa R. Meade

2011-08-01

Full Text Available This article compares three Colombian films that tell distinct stories of violence, personal and political oppression, and double standards. The films Confesión a Laura (Confessing to Laura, Jaime Osorio, 1991, La Primera Noche (The First Night, Luis Alberto Restrepo, 2003 and El Rey (The King, José Antonio Dorado, 2004 each highlight the characters’ struggles in the Colombian socio-political landscape. Each  film’s content and themes do not merely offer representations of national culture, but also provide a way in which to discuss the political and social struggles of Colombia. The directors explore these stories of violence and socio-political struggle through the use of mis-en-scène, cinematography, sound, and editing.

Marine organisms as source of extracts to disrupt bacterial communication: bioguided isolation and identification of quorum sensing inhibitors from Ircinia felix

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Jairo Quintana

Full Text Available AbstractIn this study, 39 extracts from marine organisms were evaluated as quorum sensing inhibitors, collected in the Colombian Caribbean Sea and the Brazilian Coast including 26 sponges, seven soft corals, five algae and one zooanthid. The results showed that crude extracts from the soft coral Eunicea laciniata, and the sponges Svenzea tubulosa, Ircinia felix and Neopetrosia carbonaria were the most promising source of quorum sensing inhibitors compounds without affecting bacterial growth, unlike the raw extracts of Agelas citrina, Agelas tubulata, Iotrochota arenosa, Topsentia ophiraphidites, Niphates caycedoi, Cliona tenuis, Ptilocaulis walpersi, Petrosia pellasarca, and the algae Laurencia catarinensis and Laurencia obtusa, which displayed potent antibacterial activity against the biosensors employed. The crude extract from the sponge I. felix was fractionated, obtaining furanosesterterpenes which were identified and evaluated as quorum sensing inhibitors, showing a moderate activity without affecting the biosensor's growth.

Transparency and Its Determinants at Colombian Universities

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Flórez-Parra, Jesús Mauricio; López-Pérez, María Victoria; López-Hernández, Antonio Manuel

2017-01-01

Over the past decade, one of the demands upon public institutions, among which we find universities, has been for transparency and improvement of accountability. In this context, Colombian universities are introducing different methods of management and governance aimed at addressing the demands of society generally in relation to transparency and…

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Global Entrepreneurship Monitor Caribbean 2011 : Colombian national report ... More than 90% of investment in the garment industry is foreign direct investment from ... of Asia and Pacific developing countries to trade in agricultural products.

Acrylamide levels in selected Colombian foods.

Science.gov (United States)

Pacetti, Deborah; Gil, Elizabeth; Frega, Natale G; Álvarez, Lina; Dueñas, Pilar; Garzón, Angélica; Lucci, Paolo

2015-01-01

Acrylamide (AA) levels in conventional (n = 112) and traditional (n = 43) Colombian foods were analysed by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC/MS) detection. Samples included: infant powdered formula, coffee and chocolate powders, corn snacks, bakery products and tuber-, meat- and vegetable-based foods. There was a wide variability in AA levels among different foods and within different brands of the same food, especially for coffee powder, breakfast cereals biscuits and French fries samples. Among the conventional foods tested, the highest mean AA value was found in bakery products, such as biscuit (1104 µg kg(-1)) and wafer (1449 µg kg(-1)), followed by potato chips (916 µg kg(-1)). On the other hand, among the traditional foods, higher AA amounts were detected in fried platano (2813 µg kg(-1)) and yuca (3755 µg kg(-1)) compared to other products. Interestingly, the arepa, a traditional Colombian bakery product made with corn flour, showed a lower AA content (< 75 µg kg(-1)) when compared with similar bakery products tested, such as soft bread (102-594 µg kg(-1)), which is a made with wheat flour.

The colombian private sector and climate change: the road from kyoto

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olander, Jacob

1998-02-01

Because of its profound economic implications, the Kyoto Protocol merits careful study and active, continued participation on the part of the Colombian private sector. The article presents a brief summary of the main elements of the Protocol and its implications for Colombian business. For the business sector in Colombia, Joint implementation has been a key theme in motivating interest and participation on the issue of climate change. Now, after Kyoto, a new instrument has been created, the Clean Development Mechanism, which may permit international investment in forestry and energy projects that reduce greenhouse gas GHG- emissions. The Kyoto Protocol reduces the risk that Colombia need to assume new emissions reductions commitments, and in this new phase it is logical to focus on the opportunities created by the Protocol and the Framework Convention, especially the Clean Development Mechanism. Colombian business leaders should continue to participate actively in the international negotiations that will establish the rules of the game and in the development of private projects in industry, energy and forestry that capture

Rodolia cardinalis (Mulsant) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), a new predator of Crypticerya multicicatrices Kondo and Unruh (Hemiptera: Monophlebidae)

OpenAIRE

Pinchao, Ever Camilo; Kondo, Takumasa; González F., Guillermo

2016-01-01

The Colombian fluted scale (CFS), Crypticerya multicicatrices Kondo & Unruh (Hemiptera: Monophlebidae) is a polyphagous scale insect which affects about 100 species of plants. Between 2010–2013, the species was reported as an invasive pest on the islands of San Andres and Old Providence, Colombian territory in the Caribbean sea. Currently, populations of the CFS also have increased in the city of Cali, Valle del Cauca State, mainland Colombia, affecting different host plants, especially l...

Malaria vectors in ecologically heterogeneous localities of the Colombian Pacific region.

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Nelson Naranjo-Díaz

Full Text Available The Colombian Pacific region is second nationally in number of malaria cases reported. This zone presents great ecological heterogeneity and Anopheles species diversity. However, little is known about the current spatial and temporal distribution of vector species. This study, conducted in three ecologically different localities of the Pacific region, aimed to evaluate the composition and distribution of Anopheles species and characterize transmission intensity. A total of 4,016 Anopheles mosquitoes were collected representing seven species. The composition and dominant species differed in each locality. Three species were infected with malaria parasites: Anopheles darlingi and An. calderoni were infected with Plasmodium falciparum and An. nuneztovari with Plasmodium vivax VK210 and VK247. Annual EIRs varied from 3.5-7.2 infective bites per year. These results confirm the importance of the primary vector An. nuneztovari in areas disturbed by human interventions, of An. darlingi in deforested margins of humid tropical rainforest and An. albimanus and the suspected vector An. calderoni in areas impacted by urbanization and large-scale palm oil agriculture close to the coast. This constitutes the first report in the Colombia Pacific region of naturally infected An. darlingi, and in Colombia of naturally infected An. calderoni. Further studies should evaluate the epidemiological importance of An. calderoni in the Pacific region.

Tomographically-imaged subducted slabs and magmatic history of Caribbean and Pacific subduction beneath Colombia

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Bernal-Olaya, R.; Mann, P.; Vargas, C. A.; Koulakov, I.

2013-12-01

We define the length and geometry of eastward and southeastward-subducting slabs beneath northwestern South America in Colombia using ~100,000 earthquake events recorded by the Colombian National Seismic Network from 1993 to 2012. Methods include: hypocenter relocation, compilation of focal mechanisms, and P and S wave tomographic calculations performed using LOTOS and Seisan. The margins of Colombia include four distinct subduction zones based on slab dip: 1) in northern Colombia, 12-16-km-thick oceanic crust subducts at a modern GPS rate of 20 mm/yr in a direction of 110 degrees at a shallow angle of 8 degrees; as a result of its low dip, Pliocene-Pleistocene volcanic rocks are present 400 km from the frontal thrust; magmatic arc migration to the east records 800 km of subduction since 58 Ma ago (Paleocene) with shallow subduction of the Caribbean oceanic plateau starting ~24-33 Ma (Miocene); at depths of 90-150 km, the slab exhibits a negative velocity anomaly we associate with pervasive fracturing; 2) in the central Colombia-Panama area, we define an area of 30-km-thick crust of the Panama arc colliding/subducting at a modern 30/mm in a direction of 95 degrees; the length of this slab shows subduction/collision initiated after 20 Ma (Middle Miocene); we call this feature the Panama indenter since it has produced a V-shaped indentation of the Colombian margin and responsible for widespread crustal deformation and topographic uplift in Colombia; an incipient subduction area is forming near the Panama border with intermediate earthquakes at an eastward dip of 70 degrees to depths of ~150 km; this zone is not visible on tomographic images; 3) a 250-km-wide zone of Miocene oceanic crust of the Nazca plate flanking the Panama indenter subducts at a rate of 25 mm/yr in a direction of 55 degrees and at a normal dip of 40 degrees; the length of this slab suggests subduction began at ~5 Ma; 4) the Caldas tear defines a major dip change to the south where a 35 degrees

Search Results | Page 823 | IDRC - International Development ...

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Results 8221 - 8230 of 8531 ... Global Entrepreneurship Monitor Caribbean 2011 : Colombian national report ... in agriculture and water resources in the Greater Horn of Africa. ... aware of different documents relating to climate change adaptation ...

Cross-cultural adaptation in urban ethnobotany: the Colombian folk pharmacopoeia in London.

Science.gov (United States)

Ceuterick, Melissa; Vandebroek, Ina; Torry, Bren; Pieroni, Andrea

2008-12-08

To investigate traditional health care practices and changes in medicinal plant use among the growing Colombian community in London. Ethnobotanical fieldwork consisted of qualitative, in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 23 Colombians living in London and botanical identification of 46 plant species actively used as herbal remedies. Subsequently, research data were compared with literature on ethnobotany and traditional herbal medicine in the home country, using a framework on cross-cultural adaptation, adjusted for the purpose of this study. Similarities and discrepancies between data and literature are interpreted as potential indicators of continuity and loss (or deculturation) of traditional remedies, respectively. Remedies used in London that are not corroborated by the literature suggest possible newly acquired uses. Cross-cultural adaptation related to health care practices is a multifaceted process. Persistence, loss and incorporation of remedies into the Colombian folk pharmacopoeia after migration are influenced by practical adaptation strategies as well as by symbolic-cultural motives of ethnic identity.

Surveillance of avian influenza in the Caribbean through the Caribbean Animal Health Network: surveillance tools and epidemiologic studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Lefrançois, T; Hendrikx, P; Ehrhardt, N; Millien, M; Gomez, L; Gouyet, L; Gaidet, N; Gerbier, G; Vachiéry, N; Petitclerc, F; Carasco-Lacombe, C; Pinarello, V; Ahoussou, S; Levesque, A; Gongora, H V; Trotman, M

2010-03-01

The Caribbean region is considered to be at risk for avian influenza (AI) due to a large backyard poultry system, an important commercial poultry production system, the presence of migratory birds, and disparities in the surveillance systems. The Caribbean Animal Health Network (CaribVET) has developed tools to implement AI surveillance in the region with the goals to have 1) a regionally harmonized surveillance protocol and specific web pages for AI surveillance on www.caribvet.net, and 2) an active and passive surveillance for AI in domestic and wild birds. A diagnostic network for the Caribbean, including technology transfer and AI virus molecular diagnostic capability in Guadeloupe (real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction for the AI virus matrix gene), was developed. Between 2006 and 2009, 627 samples from four Caribbean countries were tested for three circumstances: importation purposes, following a clinical suspicion of AI, or through an active survey of wild birds (mainly waders) during the southward and northward migration periods in Guadeloupe. None of the samples tested were positive, suggesting a limited role of these species in the AI virus ecology in the Caribbean. Following low pathogenic H5N2 outbreaks in the Dominican Republic in 2007, a questionnaire was developed to collect data for a risk analysis of AI spread in the region through fighting cocks. The infection pathway of the Martinique commercial poultry sector by AI, through introduction of infected cocks, was designed, and recommendations were provided to the Caribbean Veterinary Services to improve cock movement control and biosecurity measures. The CaribVET and its organization allowed interaction between diagnostic and surveillance tools on the one hand and epidemiologic studies on the other, both of them developed in congruence with regional strategies. Together, these CaribVET activities contribute to strengthening surveillance of avian influenza virus (AIV) in the

Population genetic analysis of Colombian Trypanosoma cruzi isolates revealed by enzyme electrophoretic profiles

OpenAIRE

Ruiz-Garcia, Manuel; Montilla, Marleny; Nicholls, Sebastian; Alvarez, Diana

2001-01-01

Although Colombia presents an enormous biological diversity, few studies have been conducted on the population genetics of Trypanosoma cruzi. This study was carried out with 23 Colombian stocks of this protozoa analyzed for 13 isoenzymatic loci. The Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, the genetic diversity and heterogeneity, the genetic relationships and the possible spatial structure of these 23 Colombian stocks of T. cruzi were estimated. The majority of results obtained are in agreement with a clo...

Strategies in the Colombian Telecommunication Market – Seen Through the Perspective of Porter

OpenAIRE

Arbin, Bodil; Jönsson, Lars Holmberg and Caroline

2006-01-01

The most important conclusion we can draw from our research is that Porter´s three generic strategies, mainly the differentiation strategy, still are frequently used in the Colombian telecommunication market. Another conclusion is that a high-speed changing environment, such as the Colombian market, demands that the operators combine and integrate their strategy with other secondary strategies to become succesful. They can not, as Porter says, only depend on one strategy

Menaces and environmental risks in the Colombian coastal areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alonso, David A; Vides, Martha P; Londono, Marelvis

2002-01-01

The paper includes topics like the vulnerability of the areas coastal Colombians, inventory and characteristics of the areas, identification of the excellent development factors and evaluation of physical and natural changes, among other topics

Inefficiency persistence and heterogeneity in Colombian electricity utilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Galán, Jorge E.; Pollitt, Michael G.

2014-01-01

The electricity reform in Colombia has exhibited gains in terms of reliability but its effects on firm efficiency and service quality have not been clear. Previous studies evaluating the performance of distribution companies after the reform have not found evidence of improvements, although large differences in efficiency have been found among firms. This suggests high inefficiency persistence and heterogeneity in the Colombian distribution sector. In this paper, we propose an extension of dynamic stochastic frontier models that accounts for unobserved heterogeneity in the inefficiency persistence and in the technology. The model incorporates total expenses, service quality and energy losses in an efficiency analysis of Colombian distributors over fifteen years after the reform. We identify the presence of high inefficiency persistence in the sector, and important differences between firms. In particular, rural companies and firms with small customers present low persistence and evidence the largest gains in efficiency during the period. However, increases in efficiency are only manifested during thelast five years when the main improvements in service quality and energy losses are presented. Overall, inefficiency persistence, customer density and consumption density are found to be important criteria to be considered for regulatory purposes. - Highlights: • We evaluate efficiency of Colombian electricity distributors after the reform. • We use a stochastic frontier model with dynamic effects and heterogeneity. • We find high inefficiency persistence but important differences among firms. • High persistent and low efficient firms should draw the attention of the regulator. • Recent regulation in quality has increased not only efficiency but also tariffs

Domestic violence shapes Colombian women's partner choices.

Science.gov (United States)

Borras-Guevara, Martha Lucia; Batres, Carlota; Perrett, David I

2017-01-01

Potential protection from violence has been suggested as an explanation for women's preferences for more masculine partners. Previous studies, however, have not considered that violence may be multi-modal, and hence come from different sources. Therefore, we tested the effect of different fears of violence (i.e. vulnerability to public crime, likelihood of within-partnership violence) on masculinity preferences of women from Colombia, a country known for its high rates of violence. Eighty-three adult heterosexual women (mean age ± SD = 26.7 ± 6.01) answered a survey that included questions about health (e.g. frequency of illnesses during the last year and during childhood), access to media (e.g. time spent watching television, frequency of internet use), education (i.e. highest level achieved) and violence perceptions. Participants' masculinity preferences for Salvadoran, European and Colombian male faces were recorded. Factor analysis revealed two different factors for the answers to questions related to violence. One factor loaded mostly on questions related to public violence and the second factor related to domestic violence. We found that women with higher scores on the domestic violence factor preferred significantly less masculine Colombian male faces. Even after controlling for participant age, education, access to media (TV and internet) and health-related factors, the domestic violence factor contributed significantly to explaining masculinity preferences. The results presented here suggest that women's preferences for masculinity may be a strategy to avoid aggressive partners and that the source of violence matters in mate choice. Women who perceive higher risks of domestic violence prefer less masculine looking partners. Using an experimental approach, we show that Colombian women who feel more in danger of violence within partnership prefer the faces of less masculine males. This was true even after controlling for women's education level

Ciguatera fish poisoning on the West Africa Coast: An emerging risk in the Canary Islands (Spain).

Science.gov (United States)

Boada, Luis D; Zumbado, Manuel; Luzardo, Octavio P; Almeida-González, Maira; Plakas, Steven M; Granade, Hudson R; Abraham, Ann; Jester, Edward L E; Dickey, Robert W

2010-12-01

Ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP) is endemic in certain tropical and subtropical regions of the world. CFP had not been described on the West Africa Coast until a 2004 outbreak in the Canary Islands. In 2008-2009, two additional outbreaks of ciguatera occurred. Individuals afflicted had consumed lesser amberjack (Seriola rivoliana) captured from nearby waters. Caribbean ciguatoxin-1 (C-CTX-1) was confirmed in fish samples by LC-MS/MS. Ciguatoxic fish in this region may pose a new health risk for the seafood consumer. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Comparative Analysis of Genetic Ancestry and Admixture in the Colombian Populations of Chocó and Medellín.

Science.gov (United States)

Conley, Andrew B; Rishishwar, Lavanya; Norris, Emily T; Valderrama-Aguirre, Augusto; Mariño-Ramírez, Leonardo; Medina-Rivas, Miguel A; Jordan, I King

2017-10-05

At least 20% of Colombians identify as having African ancestry, yielding the second largest population of Afro-descendants in Latin America. To date, there have been relatively few studies focused on the genetic ancestry of Afro-Latino populations. We report a comparative analysis of the genetic ancestry of Chocó, a state located on Colombia's Pacific coast with a population that is >80% Afro-Colombian. We compared genome-wide patterns of genetic ancestry and admixture for Chocó to six other admixed American populations, with an emphasis on a Mestizo population from the nearby Colombian city of Medellín. One hundred sample donors from Chocó were genotyped across 610,545 genomic sites and compared with 94 publicly available whole genome sequences from Medellín. At the continental level, Chocó shows mostly African genetic ancestry (76%) with a nearly even split between European (13%) and Native American (11%) fractions, whereas Medellín has primarily European ancestry (75%), followed by Native American (18%) and African (7%). Sample donors from Chocó self-identify as having more African ancestry, and conversely less European and Native American ancestry, than can be genetically inferred, as opposed to what we previously found for Medellín, where individuals tend to overestimate levels of European ancestry. We developed a novel approach for subcontinental ancestry assignment, which allowed us to characterize subcontinental source populations for each of the three distinct continental ancestry fractions separately. Despite the clear differences between Chocó and Medellín at the level of continental ancestry, the two populations show overall patterns of subcontinental ancestry that are highly similar. Their African subcontinental ancestries are only slightly different, with Chocó showing more exclusive shared ancestry with the modern Yoruba (Nigerian) population, and Medellín having relatively more shared ancestry with West African populations in Sierra

Hydroelectric resources. Inventory of the hydroelectric resources of the Atlantic Coast

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arrieta, R.M.; Insignares R, G.

1987-01-01

Basically this report gives a clear vision of the possibilities of energy development in the Colombian Atlantic Coast, projects that contemplate a wide range as soon as it refers that is to say to generation ranges, they have been identified at level macro in the Sierra Nevada region and the Peasant with a profitable hydroelectric potential of 631 MW; in the Sinu region, 3 projects were identified with a profitable potential of 1186 MW and in the Magdalena region, was also identified 3 projects whose profitable potential is of 475 MW. At level micro, the carried out studies defined in the same previous regions a series of projects that they necessarily reach the megawatt. The report contains a description of each one of the identified projects and its current situation. It also presents a review of the makers of turbines that exist at the moment in the country

Molecular Characterization of Colombian Yam Germoplasm by "Selective Amplificaron of M i c rósate l lite Polymorphic Loci" (SAMPL

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Silvia Bustamante R.

2006-07-01

Full Text Available In Colombia, yam (Dioscoreu spp. has been a basic and traditional crop for small-and medium-scale farmers. It has been an important source of family employment in the Colombian Atlantic Coast for the past several centuries. However, yam is the most fragüe crop regarding market issues and disease susceptibility (e.g. to anthracnose and viruses. At present, the crop is under progressive recovery from a previous drastic reduction in área and production, and apparently allows high profits. Is imperative for the future of the crop, that the rural farmers are supplied with selected varieties, thereby increasing their sustainability and economic yield. However, such varieties are not available, but have to be bred. Breeding of yam in turn is difficult, and presupposes knowledge about the genetic diversity in the breeding germplasm, which is not known. For these reasons, we characterized the Colombian yam varieties used in the fields as well as wild relatives with a molecular marker technique: SAMPL (Selective Amplification of Microsatellite Polymorphic Loci. Positions of 160 unequivocally scorable bands (of which 56 were monomorphic, 35% of total, with an average of 2.8 polymorphic bands per assay were transformed into a binary character matrix and analyzed. The resulting similarity matrix was transformed into a dendrogram with the UPGMA algorithm. The diversity of the collections with this technique was 0.0471 with a mean similarity of 0.9529. Key Words: Dioscorea spp, microsatellites, DNA

The Colombian environment and the illicit cultivations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diaz Piedrahita, Santiago

1998-01-01

A profile of the richness, diversity and use of the Colombian flora is provided. the uses, historically, of the coca (Erytroxilon coca), marijuana (Cannabis indica), and poppy (Papaver somniferum), as escape mechanisms, are analyzed and attention is given to the ecological damages (deforestation, use of herbicides, erosion, and destruction of sources of water) generated by these now illegal crops

Toward a Caribbean psychology: an African-centered approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Sutherland, Marcia Elizabeth

2011-01-01

Although the Americas and Caribbean region are purported to comprise different ethnic groups, this article’s focus is on people of African descent, who represent the largest ethnic group in many countries. The emphasis on people of African descent is related to their family structure, ethnic identity, cultural, psychohistorical, and contemporary psychosocial realities. This article discusses the limitations of Western psychology for theory, research, and applied work on people of African descent in the Americas and Caribbean region. In view of the adaptations that some people of African descent have made to slavery, colonialism, and more contemporary forms of cultural intrusions, it is argued that when necessary, notwithstanding Western psychology’s limitations, Caribbean psychologists should reconstruct mainstream psychology to address the psychological needs of these Caribbean people. The relationship between theory and psychological interventions for the optimal development of people of African descent is emphasized throughout this article. In this regard, the African-centered and constructionist viewpoint is argued to be of utility in addressing the psychological growth and development of people of African descent living in the Americas and Caribbean region.

From "sociological anti latifundium" to historiographical revisionism. The cattle raising in the historiography of the Colombian Caribbean region Del "antilatifundismo sociológico" al revisionismo historiográfico. La ganadería en la historiografía sobre región Caribe colombiana

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sergio Paolo Solano

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to review the various interpretations of the historical significance of livestock in the Colombian Caribbean region. To this end, we study the intellectual and political process that led to form a body of opinions called by Louis E. Nieto Arteta "antilatifundismo" sociological" as well as the challenges to this tradition by recent research on the subject. As part of this discussion is to suggest points of view about relationships and conflicts between expanding livestock staged and certain forms of corporate ownership of land, as were the lands of the reservations of indigenous and communal lands and lands community populations.El objetivo del presente artículo es pasar revista a las diversas interpretaciones sobre el significado histórico de la ganadería en la región Caribe colombiana (**. Para ello, se estudia el proceso intelectual y político que llevó a formar un cuerpo de opiniones llamado por Luís E. Nieto Arteta "antilatifundismo sociológico", como también los desafíos planteados a esta tradición por las recientes investigaciones sobre el tema. En el marco de esa discusión se proponen ciertos puntos de vistas en torno a las relaciones y los conflictos escenificados entre la expansión ganadera y ciertas formas de propiedad corporativa de la tierra, como eran los terrenos de los resguardos de los indígenas y los ejidos o tierras comunales de las poblaciones.

The Cost of Collateralized Borrowing in the Colombian Money Market: Does Connectedness Matter?

OpenAIRE

Constanza Martínez; Carlos León

2014-01-01

Under the view that the market is a weighted and directed network (Barabási, 2003), this document is a first attempt to model the Colombian money market within a spatial econometrics framework. By estimating two standard spatial econometric models, we study the cost of collateralized borrowing (i.e. sell/buy backs) among Colombian financial institutions, and its relationship with the effects induced by traditional variables (leverage, size and borrowing levels), and by spatial variables resul...

Caribbean Music.

Science.gov (United States)

Dean, Kris

1991-01-01

The Caribbean is a rich breeding ground for African-derived music. A synopsis is given of the music of the following countries and styles: (1) Jamaica; (2) Trinidad and Tobago; (3) Calypso; (4) steel pan; (5) Haiti; (6) Dominican Republic; (7) Cuba; (8) Puerto Rico; and (9) other islands. (SLD)

Variability of photosynthetic pigments in the Colombian Pacific ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Journal of Earth System Science; Volume 111; Issue 3. Variability of photosynthetic pigments in the Colombian Pacific Ocean and its relationship with the wind field using ADEOS-I data. Efrain Rodriguez-Rubio Jose Stuardo. Volume 111 Issue 3 September 2002 pp 227-236 ...

Forced Migration of Colombians : Fear, Historical Memory and ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

This project follows two years of successful research under project 102661 on forced migration of Colombians within Colombia and to Ecuador and Canada. Researchers in Colombia and Canada investigated the ways in which fear, historical memory and social representation by and about forced migrants influence their ...

Terrestrial Mammal Occupancy in the Context of Widespread Forest Loss and a Proposed Interoceanic Canal in Nicaragua's Decreasingly Remote South Caribbean Region.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christopher A Jordan

Full Text Available Central America is experiencing rapid forest loss and habitat degradation both inside and outside of protected areas. Despite increasing deforestation, the Caribbean region of Nicaragua plays an important role in the survival or extinction of large mammal populations in Central America given that it still retains core areas of habitat for large mammal species. The proposed interoceanic canal project that would bisect the southern half of this Caribbean region represents a new threat that, combined with an advancing agricultural frontier, could affect populations of large mammal species such as jaguars, white-lipped peccaries, and Baird's tapirs. We used occupancy models to examine the relative occupancy probabilities for an assemblage of terrestrial mammals in the south Caribbean region of Nicaragua to identify current core areas for our study species and conduct a preliminary evaluation of the potential impacts of the proposed interoceanic canal. We modeled a community level distribution of eight species with varying levels of sensitivity to human encroachment and a range of habitat associations. Our model results reveal three priority areas for terrestrial mammal conservation in our study area. The mapped predictions show that the only remaining area of suitable habitat for large mammals in the path of the proposed interoceanic canal is a relatively thin strip of forest that runs along the Caribbean Coast. In light of these findings, we propose five recommendations that will help ensure the conservation of this area of the proposed canal route as suitable habitat for our study species.

Analytical Support to African and Caribbean Trade Negotiations ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Analytical Support to African and Caribbean Trade Negotiations - Phase III. International Lawyers and Economists against Poverty (ILEAP) is an initiative that aims to help African and Caribbean countries derive full benefit from integration into ...

Compared sub-bottom profile interpretation in fjords of King George Island and Danco Coast, Antarctica

Science.gov (United States)

Rodrigo, C.; Vilches, L.; Vallejos, C.; Fernandez, R.; Molares, R.

2015-12-01

The fjords of the South Shetland Islands (Antarctica) and Danco Coast (Antarctic Peninsula) represent climatic transitional areas (subpolar to polar). The analysis of the distribution of sub-bottom facies helps to understand the prevailing sedimentary and climatic processes. This work seeks to characterize and compare the fjord seismic facies, of the indicated areas, to determine the main sedimentary processes in these regions. Compressed High-Intensity Radiated Pulse (CHIRP) records from 3.5 kHz sub-bottom profiler were obtained from the cruise: NBP0703 (2007); and pinger 3.5 kHz sub-bottom profiler records from the cruises: ECA-50 INACH (2014), and First Colombian Expedition (2015). Several seismic facies were recognized in all studied areas with some variability on their thickness and extent, and indicate the occurrence of similar sedimentary processes. These are: SSD facies (strong to weak intensity, stratified, draped sheet external shape), is interpreted as sedimentary deposits originated from suspended sediments from glaciar plumes and/or ice-rafting. This facies, in general, is thicker in the fjords of King George Island than in the larger fjords of the Danco Coast; on the other hand, within the Danco Coast area, this facies is thinner and more scarce in the smaller fjords and bays. MCM facies (moderate intensity, chaotic and with mounds) is associated with moraine deposits and/or basement. This is present in all areas, being most abundant in the Danco Coast area. WIC facies (weak intensity and chaotic) is interpreted as debris flows, which are present in both regions, but is most common in small fjords or bays in the Danco Coast, perhaps due to higher slopes of the seabed. In this work we discuss the influence of local climate, sediment plumes from the glaciers and other sedimentary processes on the distribution and geometry of the identified seismic facies.

The importance of sponges and mangroves in supporting fish communities on degraded coral reefs in Caribbean Panama.

Science.gov (United States)

Seemann, Janina; Yingst, Alexandra; Stuart-Smith, Rick D; Edgar, Graham J; Altieri, Andrew H

2018-01-01

Fish communities associated with coral reefs worldwide are threatened by habitat degradation and overexploitation. We assessed coral reefs, mangrove fringes, and seagrass meadows on the Caribbean coast of Panama to explore the influences of their proximity to one another, habitat cover, and environmental characteristics in sustaining biomass, species richness and trophic structure of fish communities in a degraded tropical ecosystem. We found 94% of all fish across all habitat types were of small body size (≤10 cm), with communities dominated by fishes that usually live in habitats of low complexity, such as Pomacentridae (damselfishes) and Gobiidae (gobies). Total fish biomass was very low, with the trend of small fishes from low trophic levels over-represented, and top predators under-represented, relative to coral reefs elsewhere in the Caribbean. For example, herbivorous fishes comprised 27% of total fish biomass in Panama relative to 10% in the wider Caribbean, and the small parrotfish Scarus iseri comprised 72% of the parrotfish biomass. We found evidence that non-coral biogenic habitats support reef-associated fish communities. In particular, the abundance of sponges on a given reef and proximity of mangroves were found to be important positive correlates of reef fish species richness, biomass, abundance and trophic structure. Our study indicates that a diverse fish community can persist on degraded coral reefs, and that the availability and arrangement within the seascape of other habitat-forming organisms, including sponges and mangroves, is critical to the maintenance of functional processes in such ecosystems.

The importance of sponges and mangroves in supporting fish communities on degraded coral reefs in Caribbean Panama

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Janina Seemann

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Fish communities associated with coral reefs worldwide are threatened by habitat degradation and overexploitation. We assessed coral reefs, mangrove fringes, and seagrass meadows on the Caribbean coast of Panama to explore the influences of their proximity to one another, habitat cover, and environmental characteristics in sustaining biomass, species richness and trophic structure of fish communities in a degraded tropical ecosystem. We found 94% of all fish across all habitat types were of small body size (≤10 cm, with communities dominated by fishes that usually live in habitats of low complexity, such as Pomacentridae (damselfishes and Gobiidae (gobies. Total fish biomass was very low, with the trend of small fishes from low trophic levels over-represented, and top predators under-represented, relative to coral reefs elsewhere in the Caribbean. For example, herbivorous fishes comprised 27% of total fish biomass in Panama relative to 10% in the wider Caribbean, and the small parrotfish Scarus iseri comprised 72% of the parrotfish biomass. We found evidence that non-coral biogenic habitats support reef-associated fish communities. In particular, the abundance of sponges on a given reef and proximity of mangroves were found to be important positive correlates of reef fish species richness, biomass, abundance and trophic structure. Our study indicates that a diverse fish community can persist on degraded coral reefs, and that the availability and arrangement within the seascape of other habitat-forming organisms, including sponges and mangroves, is critical to the maintenance of functional processes in such ecosystems.

Language-Planning in the Creole-Speaking Caribbean.

Science.gov (United States)

Devonish, Hubert

1984-01-01

As a result of anticolonial movements in the Caribbean, Creole languages are becoming major languages of communication. Language planning has begun to focus on them. These languages must be taught to non-native speakers who want to participate fully in Caribbean culture. This is clearly demonstrated in the area of cinema. (VM)

African dust and the demise of Caribbean coral reefs

Science.gov (United States)

Shinn, E.A.; Smith, G.W.; Prospero, J.M.; Betzer, P.; Hayes, M.L.; Garrison, V.; Barber, R.T.

2000-01-01

The vitality of Caribbean coral reefs has undergone a continual state of decline since the late 1970s, a period of time coincidental with large increases in transatlantic dust transport. It is proposed that the hundreds of millions of tons/year of soil dust that have been crossing the Atlantic during the last 25 years could be a significant contributor to coral reef decline and may be affecting other ecosystems. Benchmark events, such as near synchronous Caribbean-wide mortalities of acroporid corals and the urchin Diadema in 1983, and coral bleaching beginning in 1987, correlate with the years of maximum dust flux into the Caribbean. Besides crustal elements, in particular Fe, Si, and aluminosilicate clays, the dust can serve as a substrate for numerous species of viable spores, especially the soil fungus Aspergillus. Aspergillus sydowii, the cause of an ongoing Caribbean-wide seafan disease, has been cultured from Caribbean air samples and used to inoculate sea fans.

Incidences and Analyses of Green Marketing Strategy in Colombian Exports Incidences and Analyses of Green Marketing Strategy in Colombian Exports

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anne Marie Zwerg-Villegas

2008-12-01

Full Text Available As environmental awareness plays a more prominent role in purchasing decisions, as consumers demand improved corporate responsibility, and as national governments implement regulation of not just the immediate firm’s environmental impact, but instead on the impact throughout the value chain; those corporations which participate in green marketing strategies will be positioned for marketplace competitive advantage. This paper takes the reader through a literature review to define green marketing and applies the term to Colombian exporting firms recognized for their environmental practices or products. A survey of seventy-five small and medium sized Colombian exporters determines usage and perceptions of green marketing practices. Research indicates that Colombian small and medium sized firms do not yet feel market pressures to adopt green marketing strategies, but do so based on corporate level ethics.Mientras la conciencia ambiental juega un papel más importante en las decisiones decompra, los consumidores demandan mejoras en la responsabilidad corporativa y losgobiernos nacionales implementan legislación para reglamentar no solo el impactoambiental de la empresa inmediata sino también de la cadena de valor entera; lascorporaciones que participan en estrategias de mercadeo verde se posicionarán parala ventaja competitiva en el mercado. Esta obra lleva al lector por un recuento literariopara definir al mercadeo verde y después aplica el término a empresas colombianas exportadoras reconocidas por sus prácticas o productos ambientales. La encuestade setenticinco pequeñas y medianas empresas exportadoras determina el uso ypercepciones de las prácticas de mercadeo verde. La investigación demuestra queempresas pequeñas y medianas colombianas no sienten presiones del mercado poradoptar estrategias verdes sino se hace por ética corporativa.

Regional strategy tested in Caribbean.

Science.gov (United States)

1984-01-01

Barbados, St. Vincent, and St. Lucia have joined forces in the world's 1st regional Contraceptive Social Marketing (CSM) effort -- the Caribbean CSM. The Barbados Family Planning Association (BFPS) is overseeing the operation, which begins selling 2 contraceptive pills and a condom in early February. Costs and start-up times were shaved by adopting brand names and advertising materials from Jamaica's highly successful CSM project. Jamaica's popular "Panther" condom and "Perle" oral contraceptive (OC) are being used by the Caribbean CSM project. Perle's 9-year-old package has been redesigned and the Caribbean CSM project also is selling a 2nd, low-dose version called "Perle-LD." The products are manufactured in the US by Syntex as Noriday and Norminest, respectively. But the regional approach's financial gains also had a debit side, most notably a tripling of bureaucratic procedures. Part of project difficulties stem from differences among the 3 Caribbean countries. While sharing a common cultural heritage, St. Lucians speak a patois dialect in addition to the English prevalent on the other islands. The biggest hurdle was overcoming an economic disparity between Barbados and its less affluent neighbors, St. Vincent and St. Lucia. The CSM project decided to try a 2-tier product pricing strategy. In US currency, prices run $1.75 per cycle for both OCs on Barbados, but $1.26 on St. Vincent and St. Lucia. A Panther 3-pack costs 75 cents on Barbados and 42 cents on the othe 2 islands. The project is being promoted with generic family planning media advertisements. The project also has held physician orientation seminars on each island. The pilot program will be accompanied by retailer training seminars. In addition the project may introduce a spermicidal foaming tablet, once the US Food and Drug Administration approvs a new American-made product. The unique Caribbean CSM project may spread an idea as potent as the family planning message. Its success could transmit the

Caribbean Oceans: Utilizing NASA Earth Observations to Detect, Monitor, and Respond to Unprecedented Levels of Sargassum in the Caribbean Sea

Science.gov (United States)

Ped, Jordan; Scaduto, Erica; Accorsi, Emma; Torres-Perez, Juan (Editor)

2016-01-01

In 2011 and 2015, the nations of the Caribbean Sea were overwhelmed by the unprecedented quantity of Sargassum that washed ashore. This issue prompted international discussion to better understand the origins, distribution, and movement of Sargassum, a free-floating brown macro alga with ecological, environmental, and commercial importance. In the open ocean, Sargassum mats serve a vital ecological function. However, when large quantities appear onshore without warning, Sargassum threatens local tourist industries and nearshore ecosystems within the Caribbean. As part of the international response, this project investigated the proliferation of this macro alga within the Caribbean Sea from 2003-2015, and used NASA Earth observations to detect and model Sargassum growth across the region. The Caribbean Oceans team calculated the Floating Algal Index (FAI) using Terra Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data, and compared the FAI to various oceanic variables to determine the ideal pelagic environment for Sargassum growth. The project also examined the annual spread of Sargassum throughout the region by using Earth Trends Modeler (ETM) in Clark Labs' TerrSet software. As part of the international effort to better understand the life cycle of Sargassum in the Caribbean, the results of this project will help local economies promote sustainable management practices in the region.

Biofilm inhibition activity of compounds isolated from two Eunicea species collected at the Caribbean Sea

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yenny Martínez Díaz

Full Text Available Abstract Biofilm has a primary role in the pathogenesis of diseases and in the attachment of multicellular organisms to a fouled surface. Because of that, the control of bacterial biofilms has been identified as an important target. In the present study, five lipid compounds isolated from soft coral Eunicea sp. and three terpenoids together with a mixture of sterols from Eunicea fusca collected at the Colombian Caribbean Sea showed different effectiveness against biofilm formation by three marine bacteria associated with immersed fouled surfaces, Ochrobactrum pseudogringnonense,Alteromona macleodii and Vibrio harveyi, and against two known biofilm forming bacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923. The pure compounds were characterized by NMR, HRESI-MS, HRGC-MS and optical rotation. The most effective compounds were batyl alcohol (1 and fuscoside E peracetate (6, acting against four strains without affecting their microbial growth. Compound 1 showed biofilm inhibition greater than 30% against A. macleodii, and up to 60% against O. pseudogringnonense,V. harveyi and S. aureus. Compound 6 inhibited O. pseudogringnonense and V. harveyi between 25 and 50%, and P. aeruginosa or S. aureus up to 60% at 0.5 mg/ml. The results suggest that these compounds exhibit specific biofilm inhibition with lower antimicrobial effect against the bacterial species assayed.

48 CFR 25.405 - Caribbean Basin Trade Initiative.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... Initiative. 25.405 Section 25.405 Federal Acquisition Regulations System FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS FOREIGN ACQUISITION Trade Agreements 25.405 Caribbean Basin Trade Initiative. Under the Caribbean Basin Trade Initiative, the United States Trade Representative has determined that, for...

Impact of Eastern Caribbean Circulation Seasonality on two Reef Organisms

Science.gov (United States)

Cherubin, L. M.; Paris, C. B.; Baums, I. B.; Idrisi, N.

2008-05-01

The variability of the Caribbean current is under the influence of the fresh water input from the Orinoco and Amazon rivers. Sea Surface Salinity maps of the eastern Caribbean show the seasonal extension of the riverine fresh water across the Caribbean basin, from August to December (wet season). The plume is divided into two main cores: one flows into the Caribbean Sea mostly through the Grenada Passage where it merges with the Caribbean Current while the other core is formed further north by advection of the river plume by the North Brazil Current rings. Due to the presence of fresh water the Caribbean Sea mesoscale activity is strongly increased during the wet season. Therefore, both coral reef ecosystems and coastal flows are under the scope of the large scale flow seasonality. The impact of the flow mesoscale seasonality on reef organisms is studied through two reef organisms: (1) Reef-building coral: Genetic analyzes show that populations of the Caribbean reef-building coral, Acropora palmata, have experienced little or no recent genetic exchange between the western and eastern Caribbean. Western Puerto Rico is identified as an area of mixing between the two subregions. Using a bio- physical coupled model accounting for larvae life history traits, we verify the plausibility of a present day oceanographic barrier caused by the Caribbean Current seasonal variability in the vicinity of Mona Passage. (2) Grouper: Several grouper species form spawning aggregations at the shelf edge of the US Virgin Islands starting at the end of the wet season in December. Using ADCP current measurements and numerical simulations, unusual large 'dispersion' pulses are shown to be associated with the presence of sub-mesoscale coherent features more likely to be formed during the wet season. Spawning occurring during the dry season (January to April) is mostly tide driven, suggesting a limited dispersal.

Higher frequency of isolated PMS2 loss in colorectal tumors in Colombian population: preliminary results

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shamekh R

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Rania Shamekh,1 Mauro Cives,2 Jaime Mejia,3 Domenico Coppola,4 1Department of Pathology, University of South Florida, 2Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, USA; 3Department of Pathology, Institutode Patologia Mejia Jimenez, Cali, Colombia; 4Department of Anatomic Pathology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, USA Abstract: Colorectal cancer (CRC is the third most common cancer and the fourth most common cause of death worldwide. It accounts for >9% of all cancers. One of the pathogenic factors of CRC is germline mutation, leading to alteration and inactivation in the mismatch repair (MMR genes. The aim of the study is to compare the frequency of alterations in MMR protein expression in Caucasian CRC patients with Colombian CRC patients. A total of 45 Colombians and 48 Caucasians with CRC were studied. The microsatellite instability status of tumors was determined in primary CRC by immunohistochemistry using the automated Ventana Ultra. The combined loss of MLH1 and PMS2 was the most common alteration in both Colombian (11%, five out of 45 and Caucasian (12%, six out of 48 CRC patients. Interestingly, the loss of PMS2 expression in the presence of intact MLH1 was the second most common alteration in Colombians (8%, four out of 45, which was never seen in the Caucasian cohort (P=0.05. The loss of MLH1 alone and the combined loss of MSH6 and PMS2 expression were only observed in one out of 45 (2% Colombians but not in Caucasians. The combined loss of MSH2 and MSH6 was not observed in any of the patients studied. The preliminary findings support a significant difference in alterations of MMR protein expression in Colombian CRC patients compared with Caucasian CRC patients. These findings are novel and warrant further studies in larger cohorts. Keywords: colon cancer, MSI, MMR, immunohistochemistry

Macro-Prudential Assessment of Colombian Financial Institutions’ Systemic Importance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

León, C.; Machado, C.; Murcia, A.

2014-01-01

Three metrics are designed to assess Colombian financial institutions’ size, connectedness and non-­substitutability as the main drivers of systemic importance: (i) centrality as net borrower in the money market network; (ii) centrality as payments originator in the large-value payment system

Internalized racism and mental health among African-Americans, US-born Caribbean Blacks, and foreign-born Caribbean Blacks.

Science.gov (United States)

Mouzon, Dawne M; McLean, Jamila S

2017-02-01

The tripartite model of racism includes personally mediated racism, institutionalized racism, and the less-oft studied internalized racism. Internalized racism - or negative beliefs about one's racial group - results from cultural racism that is endemic in American society. In this project, we studied whether these negative stereotypes are associated with mental health among African-Americans and Caribbean Blacks. Using secondary data from the National Survey of American Life, we investigated the association between internalized racism and mental health (measured by depressive symptoms and serious psychological distress (SPD)) among these two groups. We also explored whether ethnicity/nativity and mastery moderate the association between internalized racism and mental health among African-Americans and Caribbean Blacks. Internalized racism was positively associated with depressive symptoms and SPD among all Black subgroups. However, internalized racism was a weaker predictor of SPD among foreign-born Caribbean Blacks than US-born Caribbean Blacks and US-born African-Americans. Additionally, higher mastery was protective against distress associated with internalized racism. Internalized racism is an important yet understudied determinant of mental health among Blacks. Future studies should take into account additional heterogeneity within the Black population (e.g. African-born individuals) and other potential protective mechanisms in addition to mastery (e.g. self-esteem and racial identity).

TWO NEW TAXA OF MARCGRAVIASTRUM (MARCGRAVIACEAE AND A CATALOGUE OF COLOMBIAN TAXA OF THIS GENUS1

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giraldo-Cañas Diego

2012-06-01

Full Text Available A new species of Marcgraviastrum is validated, described, and illustrated. The new species is known only from the Colombian Guayana (Departments of Caquetá, Guaviare, and Vaupés. Its morphological relationships are discussed. Furthermore, a new combination into Marcgraviastrum is published. A checklist of the nine Colombian species of the genus is presented.

COLOMBIAN FROZEN BIODIVERSITY: 16 YEARS OF THE TISSUE COLLECTION OF THE HUMBOLDT INSTITUTE

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Enrique Arbeláez-Cortés

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Collections of tissue samples stand as keystone sources of molecular information to construct biodiversity knowledge, and are particularly useful in megadiverse countries. In 1998 the Humboldt Institute (Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt began a tissue collection of Colombian biodiversity (IAvH-CT and the aim of this work is to present a diagnostic and an historical narrative for that collection, constructed by compiling information and experiences on its management as well as by organizing and curating the information of each catalogued sample. After 16 years the IAvH-CT harbors 16469 samples, which represent around 2530 species from 1289 genera, and 323 families of the Colombian biodiversity. Samples are biased toward plants and birds (84 %, but also include other animal taxa. Geographically, IAvH-CT includes samples from all Colombian departments, but there is a broad variation in their coverage. When compared with other international collections IAvH-CT fulfills several standards of sample storage and data management, but have a major weakness that is that several tissues seem to lack a vouchered specimen. Tissues housed at IAvH-CT have been included in at least 48 studies published in several scientific journals. IAvH-CT is implementing strategies to improve curatorial standards, fill-up taxonomic gaps, and to explore the potential of its samples to understand the outstanding Colombian biota in a cooperative research frame among institutions.

From the past to the globalized future for Caribbean birds

Science.gov (United States)

Joseph Wunderle Jr.

2008-01-01

Extinctions of Caribbean animals were well underway during the period of Amerindian occupation and have continued since the arrival of Columbus. Despite high extinction rates, the Caribbean still retains high levels of terrestrial biodiversity and, for some taxa, exceptionally high levels of endemism relative to other parts of the world. The fate of the Caribbean’s...

First Colombian Solar Radio Interferometer: current stage

Science.gov (United States)

Guevara Gómez, J. C.; Martínez Oliveros, J. C.; Calvo-Mozo, B.

2017-10-01

Solar radio astronomy is a fast developing research field in Colombia. Here, we present the scientific goals, specifications and current state of the First Colombian Solar Radio Interferometer consisting of two log-periodic antennas covering a frequency bandwidth op to 800 MHz. We describe the importance and benefits of its development to the radioastronomy in Latin America and its impact on the scientific community and general public.

78 FR 57534 - Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic

Science.gov (United States)

2013-09-19

... requirements, South Atlantic, Virgin Islands. Dated: September 12, 2013. Samuel D. Rauch III, Deputy Assistant... Mexico, and South Atlantic AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and... Mexico, and South Atlantic: Caribbean coral, Caribbean reef fish, Caribbean spiny lobster, Caribbean...

Validation of the European Cyberbullying Intervention Project Questionnaire for Colombian Adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Herrera-López, Mauricio; Casas, José A; Romera, Eva M; Ortega-Ruiz, Rosario; Del Rey, Rosario

2017-02-01

Cyberbullying is the act of using unjustified aggression to harm or harass via digital devices. Currently regarded as a widespread problem, the phenomenon has attracted growing research interest in different measures of cyberbullying and the similarities and differences across countries and cultures. This article presents the Colombian validation of the European Cyberbullying Intervention Project Questionnaire (ECIPQ) involving 3,830 high school students (M = 13.9 years old, standard deviation = 1.61; 48.9 percent male), of which 1,931 were Colombian and 1,899 Spanish. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), content validation, and multigroup analysis were performed with each of the sample subgroups. The optimal fits and psychometric properties obtained confirm the robustness and suitability of the assessment instrument to jointly measure cyber-aggression and cyber-victimization. The results corroborated the theoretical construct and the two-dimensional and universal nature of cyberbullying. The multigroup analysis showed that cyberbullying dynamics are similar in both countries. The comparative analyses of prevalence revealed that Colombian students are less involved in cyberbullying. The results indicate the suitability of the instrument and the advantages of using such a tool to evaluate and guide psychoeducational interventions aimed at preventing cyberbullying in countries where few studies have been performed.

The Kyoto Protocol: the Colombian role in the negotiations and the future implications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Montoya Pedroza, Jairo

1998-02-01

The present article describes the Colombian delegation role carried out in the Third Conference of the Parties of the Climate Change Convention celebrated last December. Taking into account the commitments assumed by different countries around the greenhouse gases reduction, it points out their implications, for Colombia and for the entire world, in sectors like the energy and the environmental. Finally it suggests a series of measures and procedure that the Colombian government should adopt with the objective of establishing a concerted position in front of the next negotiations on the topic

Phylogenetic and morphologic analyses of a coastal fish reveals a marine biogeographic break of terrestrial origin in the southern Caribbean.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ricardo Betancur-R

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Marine allopatric speciation involves interplay between intrinsic organismal properties and extrinsic factors. However, the relative contribution of each depends on the taxon under study and its geographic context. Utilizing sea catfishes in the Cathorops mapale species group, this study tests the hypothesis that both reproductive strategies conferring limited dispersal opportunities and an apparent geomorphologic barrier in the Southern Caribbean have promoted speciation in this group from a little studied area of the world.Mitochondrial gene sequences were obtained from representatives of the Cathorops mapale species group across its distributional range from Colombia to Venezuela. Morphometric and meristic analyses were also done to assess morphologic variation. Along a approximately 2000 km transect, two major lineages, Cathorops sp. and C. mapale, were identified by levels of genetic differentiation, phylogenetic reconstructions, and morphological analyses. The lineages are separated by approximately 150 km at the Santa Marta Massif (SMM in Colombia. The northward displacement of the SMM into the Caribbean in the early Pleistocene altered the geomorphology of the continental margin, ultimately disrupting the natural habitat of C. mapale. The estimated approximately 0.86 my divergence of the lineages from a common ancestor coincides with the timing of the SMM displacement at approximately 0.78 my.Results presented here support the hypothesis that organismal properties as well as extrinsic factors lead to diversification of the Cathorops mapale group along the northern coast of South America. While a lack of pelagic larval stages and ecological specialization are forces impacting this process, the identification of the SMM as contributing to allopatric speciation in marine organisms adds to the list of recognized barriers in the Caribbean. Comparative examination of additional Southern Caribbean taxa, particularly those with varying life

Contaminants in the coastal karst aquifer system along the Caribbean coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico.

Science.gov (United States)

Metcalfe, Chris D; Beddows, Patricia A; Bouchot, Gerardo Gold; Metcalfe, Tracy L; Li, Hongxia; Van Lavieren, Hanneke

2011-04-01

Intensive land development as a result of the rapidly growing tourism industry in the "Riviera Maya" region of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico may result in contamination of groundwater resources that eventually discharge into Caribbean coastal ecosystems. We deployed two types of passive sampling devices into groundwater flowing through cave systems below two communities to evaluate concentrations of contaminants and to indicate the possible sources. Pharmaceuticals and personal care products accumulated in the samplers could only have originated from domestic sewage. PAHs indicated contamination by runoff from highways and other impermeable surfaces and chlorophenoxy herbicides accumulated in samplers deployed near a golf course indicated that pesticide applications to turf are a source of contamination. Prevention and mitigation measures are needed to ensure that expanding development does not impact the marine environment and human health, thus damaging the tourism-based economy of the region. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An Historical and Contemporary Overview of Gendered Caribbean Relations

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Dr. Sharla Blank

2013-06-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a broad overview of historical and contemporary gender and social class relations in the British, French, and Spanish Caribbean islands focusing primarily on Afro-Caribbean people. It begins with a discussion of gendered relations during slavery and then investigates gender roles post emancipation. Next, multiple aspects of contemporary West Indian family life are addressed including the prevalence of matrifocal households and child shifting. The important roles played by Caribbean female household heads are discussed in the context of patriarchy. Highlights include the significance of the maternal role over the marital, socializing youth, particular negative expectations each sex holds of the other, customary sexual behavior, as well as common relationship types. Varying aspects of women’s behavior according to social class is touched upon followed by a brief synopsis of the status of Caribbean women on measures of educational and work force participation rates; finally, a summary of the dearth of active women’s movements in the region is addressed. The paper provides an introduction to the intimate and working lives of Caribbean women and men.

Dog Food Consumption in the Caribbean: A Baseline Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fielding, William J.

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Dogs in the Caribbean have been traditionally viewed as low maintenance pets which are fed leftovers from the household. Changes in the lifestyle of Caribbean families have resulted in changes in their eating patterns. These changes can be expected to have consequences for the feeding of dogs, which may require households to switch to commercial dog food. This paper reports the finding of a survey of groups involved with pets and animal welfare in the Caribbean conducted on behalf of the Pet Food Institute, a non-profit industry association. The study examined perspectives on how dogs are fed in the Caribbean and activities conducted to educate pet owners and the public. Use of household scraps and commercial dog food was associated with household income, except in the case of some high income dependent territories. The findings indicate that while many animal welfare groups in the Caribbean provide educational programs, not all of these provide recommendations on feeding pets and so they neglect to provide information on an important aspect of animal welfare.

Cookbooks and Caribbean cultural identity : an English-language hors d'oeuvre

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B.W. Higman

1998-01-01

Full Text Available Analysis of 119 English-language cookbooks (1890-1997 published in or having to do with the Caribbean. This study of the history of cookbooks indicates what it means to be Caribbean or to identify with some smaller territory or grouping and how this meaning has changed in response to social and political developments. Concludes that cookbook-writers have not been successful in creating a single account of the Caribbean past or a single, unitary definition of Caribbean cuisine or culture.

SEAMAP Caribbean Reef Fish Survey (PC1202, EK60)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Objectives of the 2012 SEAMAP Caribbean Reef Fish Survey were to assess relative abundance of reef fish species around the US Caribbean Islands, estimate...

SEAMAP Caribbean Reef Fish Survey (PC1202, ME70)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Objectives of the 2012 SEAMAP Caribbean Reef Fish Survey were to assess relative abundance of reef fish species around the US Caribbean Islands, estimate...

Sexual relationships and working lives of free Afro-Caribbean women

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olsen, Marie Veisegaard

2016-01-01

The article explores how the sexual relationships and working lives of free Afro-Caribbean women in the town of Christiansted, St. Croix, the Danish-Norwegian West Indies, were affected by discourses of race and gender during the period c. 1780–1820. To further the understanding of the conditions...... of the free Afro-Caribbean women in Christiansted, the article relates to the situation in other Caribbean colonies, especially the British West Indies, based on the assumption that it was the same discourses of race and gender that swept through all the Caribbean slave societies. In its approach, the article...... is inspired by concepts of race and gender in postcolonial studies. The investigation shows the prevalence in the Danish-Norwegian West Indies of discourses of Afro-Caribbean women as, on the one hand, unwomanly and physically strong and, on the other hand, promiscuous and of easy virtue. On this basis...

Population and the Colombian economy.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanders, T G

1983-01-01

Colombia is the only one of the 6 most populous Latin American countries that is currently free of major economic crisis requiring an agreement with the International Monetary Fund. The difference in the economic performances of these countries is relative, since the rate of growth in the Colombian economy was only 1.5% in 1982. Yet, Colombia seems to have weathered the international recession better than most. The crisis atmosphere in the rest of Latin America, triggered by overall economic decline, high rates of inflation, and an indebtedness that soaks up much of export earnings to service it, is lacking in Colombia or present in lesser degree. If Colombia can strengthen its political performance and tighten national unity, it could move through the 1980s with considerable confidence and success in economic development. Colombia differs little from other major Latin American countries with regard to traditionalism and modernization. Most Colombians are secularized. Colombia is far ahead of most comparable Latin American countries in fertility control. The lower rate of population increase defines the extent to which the economy must provide education, health, food, and jobs. 2 other factors are essential for understanding the current situation in Colombia and its prospects for the 1980s. Government policy in the 1970s opted for an austerity program while the other countries were growing rapidly, in large part through borrowed resources. A 2nd factor is the prospect of attaining autonomy in energy production. These special characteristics--population, public policy, and energy--are discussed. Since the mid 1960s Colombia has functioned with 3 family planning programs. Their existence makes contraception easily available to the population generally. In 1960 Colombia had a higher total fertility rate (TFR) 7.0, than either Venezuela (6.6) or Brazil (5.3), but by 1976 its TFR was down to 4.1, while Venezuela's (4.8) and Brazil's (4.3) were now higher. On balance

Observations on the whale shark (Rhincodon typus) in the Dutch Caribbean

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Debrot, A.O.; Leon, R.; Esteban, N.; Meesters, H.W.G.

2013-01-01

Records of whale sharks in the Caribbean are relatively sparse. Here we document 24 records of whale sharks (Rhincodon typus Smith 1882) for the Dutch Caribbean, four for the windward islands of Saba, St. Eustatius and St. Maarten, and twenty for the southern Caribbean leeward islands of Aruba,

Colombian approaches to psychology in the 19th century.

Science.gov (United States)

Oviedo, Gilberto Leonardo

2012-11-01

Colombian intellectuals of the 19th century widely consulted scientific psychology in regard to their political, religious, and educational interests. Colombian independence from Spain (1810) introduced the necessity of transforming the former subjects into illustrious citizens and members of a modern state. After independence, political liberals embraced Bentham's thesis of utilitarianism and the theories of sensibility, with a teaching style based in induction. Conservatives defended the Catholic tradition about the divine origin of the soul and used scholasticism as a model of teaching. A bipartisan coalition, the Regeneration, incorporated the ideas of modern psychology based on the principles of Thomistic thought (Neo-Thomism). The Neo-Thomists considered psychology as a science of the soul and debated physiological explanations of the mind. The conceptual advances of the period have been trivialized in historical accounts of psychology in Colombia, due to the emphasis on the institutionalization processes of the discipline in 1947. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved).

The CAMI Project - Weather and Climate Services for Caribbean Food Security

Science.gov (United States)

Trotman, Adrian; Van Meerbeeck, Cedric

2013-04-01

Food security is major focus of Caribbean governments, with production being of particular concern. For the past three decades, Caribbean agriculture has been declining in relative importance, both in terms of its contribution to GDP and its share of the labour force. One of the problems Caribbean agriculture faces is the destructive impacts from weather and climate extremes. These include flood, drought, extreme temperatures, and strong winds from tropical cyclones. Other potential disasters, such as from pests and diseases attacks, are also weather and climate driven. These make weather and climate information critically important to decision-making in agriculture in the Caribbean region. In an effort to help reduce weather and climate related risks to the food security sector, The Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology, along with its partners the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and ten National Meteorological Services from within the Caribbean Community launched and implemented the Caribbean Agrometeorological Initiative (CAMI). From 2010 to 2013, CAMI set out to provide relevant information to farmers, and the industry in general, for decision and policy making. The project is funded by the European Union through the Science and Technology Programme of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of Countries' (ACP). The overarching objective of CAMI was to increase and sustain agricultural productivity at the farm level in the Caribbean region through improved applications of weather and climate information, using an integrated and coordinated approach. Currently, this is done through (i) provision of relevant climate information appropriately disseminated, (ii) predictions on seasonal rainfall and temperature, (iii) support for improved irrigation management, (iv) the development of strategically selected weather-driven pest and disease models, (v) use of crop simulation models

Asymptomatic plasmodial infection in Colombian pregnant women.

Science.gov (United States)

Carmona-Fonseca, Jaime; Agudelo, Olga M; Arango, Eliana M

2017-08-01

Information about asymptomatic plasmodial infection is scarce in the world, and the current antimalarial program goals (control, elimination, and eradication) demand this evidence to be well documented in different populations and malaria transmission settings. This study aimed to measure the prevalence of API in Colombian pregnant women at delivery. A retrospective prevalence survey was used. Women were recruited at hospital obstetric facility in each of the municipalities of Turbo, Necoclí in Antioquia department, and Puerto Libertador in Córdoba department. Malaria infection was tested by thick blood smear (TBS) and real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR). Ninety-six pregnant women at delivery were studied: 95% were asymptomatic (91/96), 45% had asymptomatic plasmodial infection (API) by qPCR (41/91), and only 8% (7/91) had API by microscopy. The prevalence of submicroscopic infections (TBS negative and qPCR positive) was very high, 37% (34/91) in asymptomatic women and 41% (39/96) in total women studied (91 asymptomatic and 5 symptomatic). The prevalence of API in Colombian pregnant women is much higher than which is expected for a country that does not have the level of malaria transmission as Sub-Saharan African countries. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A multi-layered network of the (Colombian) sovereign securities market

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Renneboog, Luc; Leon Rincon, Carlos; Pérez, Jhonatan; Alexandrova-Kabadjova, Bilana; Diehl, Martin; Heuver, Richard; Martinez-Jaramillo, Serafín

2015-01-01

We study the network of Colombian sovereign securities settlements. With data from the settlement market infrastructure we study financial institutions’ transactions from three different trading and registering individual networks that we combine into a multi-layer network. Examining this network of

Social Well-Being Among Colombian and Peruvian Immigrants in Northern Chile.

Science.gov (United States)

Urzúa Morales, Alfonso; Delgado-Valencia, Eric; Rojas-Ballesteros, Mariela; Caqueo-Urízar, Alejandra

2017-10-01

In recent years, northern Chile has received a large number of immigrants attracted mainly by mining and related services. The last population census revealed that 70.5 % of foreigners in Chile came from South America, and were mainly Peruvians (30.5 %), Argentines (16.8 %), and Colombians (8.1 %). The aim of this cross-sectional study is to describe the social well-being levels reported by Colombian and Peruvian immigrants in northern Chile, as well as their connection to socio-demographic and relational factors. The Spanish version of the Scale of Social Well-being (Keyes in Soc Psychol Q 61:121-140, 1998) was administered to 431 men and women over 18 years old, with a minimum residence of 6 months in the city of Antofagasta. The highest-rated aspect was Social Contribution, and the lowest-rated aspect was Social Acceptance. The relational variables that show statistically significant differences in both populations relate to who the subject lives with, the degree of contact that the subject has with people from Chile, and the subject's relationship status. There are no differences that indicate a higher level of social well-being in one population more than the other; however, it appears that the Peruvian population has a greater perception of Social Coherence, while Colombians show a greater perception of Social Contribution.

78 FR 64200 - Caribbean Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings

Science.gov (United States)

2013-10-28

... Caribbean Fishery Management Council's (Council) Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) will hold... Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National... held at the Caribbean Fishery Management Council Headquarters, located at 270 Mu[ntilde]oz Rivera...

The Strengthening of the Colombian Air Force: An Effective Strategy on the Road to Negotiation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Janiel Melamed Visbal

2015-10-01

Full Text Available This article discusses how the strengthening of the Colombian Air Force since the beginning of the new millennium, resulted in the military weakening of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC-EP. These circumstances, along with the overall strengthening of the national security forces allowed to develop the proper conditions to initiate a set of peace talks between the most remarkable insurgent organization and the Colombian State, in very different conditions from previous experiences.

[EVALUATION OF THE BODY ADIPOSITY INDEX IN PREDICTING PERCENTAGE BODY FAT AMONG COLOMBIAN ADULTS].

Science.gov (United States)

González-Ruíz, Katherine; Correa-Bautista, Jorge Enrique; Ramírez-Vélez, Robinson

2015-07-01

the body adiposity index (BAI) is a new simplistic method for predicting body fat percentage (BF%) via a simple equation of hip circumference to height. Up to now, few studies have evaluated the performance of BAI in determining excess fat in Colombians. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of BAI as a predictor of body fat in among Colombian adults. cross-sectional study carried out in a sample of 204 male belonging to the education sector from Bogotá, Colombia. BAI was calculated based on the equation reported in the Bergman et al. %BF determined by tetrapolar bioimpedance analysis (BIA) was used as the reference measure of adiposity. Bland-Altman analysis was used to assess the agreement between the two methods: BAI and BIA. Associations between anthropometric measures of adiposity were investigated by Pearson correlation analysis. in general pupulation, the BAI overestimates %BF (mean difference: 12.5 % [95%CI = -4.04 % to -21.02 %]), mainly at lower levels of adiposity (mean difference: 10.2 ± 3.3). Significant correlations were found between BAI and all measurements, being the strongest-moderate correlation with %BF (r = 0.777, p Colombian adults and has a tendency to provide overestimated values as BF% decreases. Therefore, this method can be a useful tool to predict %BF in Colombian adults, although it has some limitations. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

Educating and Preparing for Tsunamis in the Caribbean

Science.gov (United States)

von Hillebrandt-Andrade, C.; Aliaga, B.; Edwards, S.

2013-12-01

The Caribbean and Adjacent Regions has a long history of tsunamis and earthquakes. Over the past 500 years, more than 75 tsunamis have been documented in the region by the NOAA National Geophysical Data Center. Just since 1842, 3446 lives have been lost to tsunamis; this is more than in the Northeastern Pacific for the same time period. With a population of almost 160 million, over 40 million visitors a year and a heavy concentration of residents, tourists, businesses and critical infrastructure along its shores (especially in the northern and eastern Caribbean), the risk to lives and livelihoods is greater than ever before. The only way to survive a tsunami is to get out of harm's way before the waves strike. In the Caribbean given the relatively short distances from faults, potential submarine landslides and volcanoes to some of the coastlines, the tsunamis are likely to be short fused, so it is imperative that tsunami warnings be issued extremely quickly and people be educated on how to recognize and respond. Nevertheless, given that tsunamis occur infrequently as compared with hurricanes, it is a challenge for them to receive the priority they require in order to save lives when the next one strikes the region. Close cooperation among countries and territories is required for warning, but also for education and public awareness. Geographical vicinity and spoken languages need to be factored in when developing tsunami preparedness in the Caribbean, to make sure citizens receive a clear, reliable and sound science based message about the hazard and the risk. In 2006, in the wake of the Indian Ocean tsunami and after advocating without success for a Caribbean Tsunami Warning System since the mid 90's, the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO established the Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Tsunami and other Coastal Hazards Warning System for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions (CARIBE EWS). Its purpose is to advance an end to end tsunami

77 FR 60380 - Caribbean Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting

Science.gov (United States)

2012-10-03

... Caribbean Fishery Management Council's Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) will hold meetings. DATES... Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National... CONTACT: Caribbean Fishery Management Council, 268 Mu[ntilde]oz Rivera Avenue, Suite 1108, San Juan...

Theorising African Caribbean Absences in Multicultural Art Education

Science.gov (United States)

Dash, Paul

2010-01-01

This article looks at the learning of African Caribbean pupils in art and design classrooms in the United Kingdom. It proceeds from the proposition that African Caribbean pupils, as the descendants of enslaved peoples whose cultural lineage has been blurred by the skewed relationship with the white majority group, are uniquely disadvantaged in the…

Lack of Association between Recurrent Pregnancy Loss and Inherited Thrombophilia in a Group of Colombian Patients

OpenAIRE

Cardona, Henry; Castañeda, Serguei A.; Cardona Maya, Wálter; Alvarez, Leonor; Gómez, Joaquín; Gómez, Jorge; Torres, José; Tobón, Luis; Bedoya, Gabriel; Cadavid, Ángela P.

2012-01-01

Studies have shown an association between recurrent pregnancy loss and inherited thrombophilia in Caucasian populations, but there is insufficient knowledge concerning triethnic populations such as the Colombian. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether inherited thrombophilia is associated with recurrent pregnancy loss. Methods. We conducted a case-control study of 93 patients with recurrent pregnancy loss (cases) and 206 healthy multiparous women (controls) in a Colombian subpopulation...

Smart grids in the colombian electric system: Current situation and potential opportunities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

William Mauricio Giral Ramírez

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Context: This paper focuses on providing a functional analysis of smart grids, with the purpose of establishing a framework to identify the main characteristics of the current electric interconnection system in Colombia. It also names the positive incentives proposed by the Colombian government to support both research and development projects that implement non-conventional energy sources and promoting energy management based on efficiency. Method: An architecture model that describes the components interoperability of a smart grid is presented using a descriptive methodology. Results: The results include a list of the objectives established by the Colombian public and private entities related to energy development, specially focusing on the opportunities to provide some kind of artificial intelligence to the current electrical system. Conclusions: It is necessary for the Colombian energy system to supply the energy demand considering electrical safety, social equity, and the minimum environmental impact. These restrictions impose new challenges for the energy system itself: From a technical point of view, the traditional electrical grid must be outfitted with the characteristics of a smart grid, and from a legal perspective, it is essential to generate a clear regulatory framework that promotes the development of this type of technology.

Spatial analysis of the invasion of lionfish in the western Atlantic and Caribbean.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnston, Matthew W; Purkis, Samuel J

2011-06-01

Pterois volitans and Pterois miles, two sub-species of lionfish, have become the first non-native, invasive marine fish established along the United States Atlantic coast and Caribbean. The route and timing of the invasion is poorly understood, however historical sightings and captures have been robustly documented since their introduction. Herein we analyze these records based on spatial location, dates of arrival, and prevailing physical factors at the capture sights. Using a cellular automata model, we examine the relationship between depth, salinity, temperature, and current, finding the latter as the most influential parameter for transport of lionfish to new areas. The model output is a synthetic validated reproduction of the lionfish invasion, upon which predictive simulations in other locations can be based. This predictive model is simple, highly adaptable, relies entirely on publicly available data, and is applicable to other species. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fuel ethanol production from sugarcane and corn: Comparative analysis for a Colombian case

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quintero, J.A.; Montoya, M.I.; Sanchez, O.J.; Giraldo, O.H.; Cardona, C.A.

2008-01-01

The Colombian government has defined the use of bioethanol as a gasoline enhancer to reduce greenhouse gases, gasoline imports, and to boost the rural economy. To meet the projected fuel ethanol demand needed to oxygenate the gasoline in the whole country, the construction of about five additional ethanol production plants is required. For this, a comparative analysis of the technological options using different feedstocks should be performed. In this work, a comparison of the economical and environmental performance of the ethanol production process from sugarcane and corn under Colombian conditions has been carried out. Net present value and total output rate of potential environmental impact were used as the economical and environmental indicators, respectively. Through the integration of these indicators into one index by using the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) approach, sugarcane ethanol process was determined as the best choice for Colombian ethanol production facilities. AHP scores obtained in this study for sugarcane and corn ethanol were 0.571 and 0.429, respectively. However, starchy crops like corn, cassava or potatoes used as feedstock for ethanol production could potentially cause a higher impact on the rural communities and boost their economies if social matters are considered

Clinical and molecular analysis of the enamelin gene ENAM in Colombian families with autosomal dominant amelogenesis imperfecta

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sandra Gutiérrez

2012-01-01

Full Text Available In this study, we analyzed the phenotype, clinical characteristics and presence of mutations in the enamelin gene ENAM in five Colombian families with autosomal dominant amelogenesis imperfecta (ADAI. 22 individuals (15 affected and seven unaffected belonging to five Colombian families with ADAI and eight individuals (three affected and five unaffected belonging to three Colombian families with autosomal recessive amelogenesis imperfecta (ARAI that served as controls for molecular alterations and inheritance patterns were studied. Clinical, radiographic and genetic evaluations were done in all individuals. Eight exons and three intron-exon boundaries were sequenced for mutation analysis. Two of the five families with ADAI had the hypoplasic phenotype, two had the hypocalcified phenotype and one had the hypomaturative phenotype. Anterior open bite and mandibular retrognathism were the most frequent skeletal abnormalities in the families with ADAI. No mutations were found. These findings suggest that ADAI in these Colombian families was unrelated to previously described mutations in the ENAM gene. These results also indicate that other regions not included in this investigation, such as the promoter region, introns and other genes should be considered as potential ADAI candidates.

Gobernanza en los Parques Nacionales Naturales colombianos: reflexiones a partir del caso de la comunidad Orika y su participación en la conservación del Parque Nacional Natural Corales del Rosario y San Bernardo .

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos Andrés Duran.

2009-04-01

Full Text Available Environmental policies in Colombia’s national parks tend to generate local conflicts and contradictory outcomes. This article describes the history and development of these policies, and criticizes their effects, in the case of the Islas del Rosario, a group of islands off of Colombia´s Caribbean coast whose surrounding marine area was declared a national park in 1977. The article focuses on the main efforts to generate environmental governance over the marine, coastal, and terrestrial ecosystems and the effects of this management model on the Afro-Colombian community that inhabits Orika. It also analyses the political and environmental empowerment of this community, following its organization as part of participatory processes, and how it ended up becoming a political and ethnic actor that proposed a different model of governance in the protected area. Finally, the article discusses the difficulties that environmental policy faces when scientific knowledge is privileged over reality, local culture, and traditional knowledge.

Presencia en Isla Fuerte, Bolívar de Lutzomyia evansi vector de leishmaniosis visceral Presense of lutzomyia evansi vector of visceral leishmaniosis in Isla Fuerte, Colombia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ivan Darío Vélez

1994-01-01

Full Text Available Se hizo un Inventario de fauna flebotomínea en Isla Fuerte, Bolívar, costa caribe colombiana. Se demostró por primera vez en dicha Isla la presencia de Lu. evansi, Lu. gomezi y Lu. trinidadensis. La presencia de Lu. Evansi (91.7% de las 73 capturas, vector principal de la leishmaniosis visceral en la costa caribe colombiana, convierte a Isla Fuerte en una zona de riesgo potencial de transmisión de leishmaniosis visceral.

An inventory was made of phiebotomidae fauna in Isla Fuerte, Bolívar, on the caribbean colombian coast. The presence of Lu. evansi was demonstrated for the first time in that island and this species constituted 91.7% of 73 captures. Therefore the island becomes a potential risk for transmission of visceralleish. maniosis since Lu. evansi its main vector.

Climate Change and Caribbean Small Island States: The State of Play

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Benjamin, Lisa

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Studies have indicated that climate change is likely to have dramatic negative effects for Caribbean small island developing states. This article considers the main economic effects that climate change is anticipated to have in these vulnerable states, charts the progress of international negotiations at the 2009 Copenhagen conference, and provides a brief analysis of the impact of the Copenhagen Accord on Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS.Although climate change has traditionally been seen solely as an environmental issue, its economic effects on vulnerable developing nations, such as Caribbean SIDS, forces a re-definition of climate change to that of a more complex union of environmental and developmental issues for these states. By highlighting some of the anticipated economic effects of climate change for Caribbean SIDS, the author aims to provide a broader context for the issue of climate change for Caribbean SIDS.

Stable nitrogen isotopes in the turtle grass Thalassia testudinum from the Mexican Caribbean: Implications of anthropogenic development

Science.gov (United States)

Sánchez, Alberto; Ortiz-Hernández, Ma. Concepción; Talavera-Sáenz, Ana; Aguíñiga-García, Sergio

2013-12-01

Nutrient inputs associated with population growth threaten the integrity of coastal ecosystems. To assess the rapid increase in tourism, we compared the δ15N from Thalassia testudinum collected at sites with different levels of tourism development to detect the N inputs of wastewater discharge (WD) along the coast of Quintana Roo. The contributions of nitrogen enriched in 15N are directly related to the increase of WD inputs in areas of tourism development (Nichupte Lagoon in Cancun) and decreased toward Bahia Akumal and Tulum. The δ15N from T. testudinum was significantly lower at Mahahual and Puerto Morelos. In areas of the lowest development and with tourist activity restricted, such as the Yum Balam Reserve and Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, the δ15N values were relatively enriched compared to Mahahual and Puerto Morelos. Therefore, Puerto Morelos and Mahahual may be used for baseline isotopic monitoring where tourist activities are growing and can lead to environmental pressure on the reef lagoon ecosystem. The anthropogenic N input has the potential to impact, both environmentally and economically, the seagrass meadows and the coral reefs along the coast of Quintana Roo and the Caribbean.

Effectiveness of lionfish removal efforts in the Southern Caribbean

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de León, R.; Vane, K.; Bertuol, P.; Chamberland, V.C.; Simal, F.; Imms, E.; Vermeij, M.J.A.

2013-01-01

Lionfish Pterois volitans and P. miles have spread rapidly throughout the Caribbean Sea since 1985, where they negatively impact native fish communities and therefore are considered by some as the most damaging invasive species in the Caribbean to date. To combat further population growth and spread

Caribbean shallow water Corallimorpharia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hartog, J.C.den

1980-01-01

The present paper comprises a review of the Caribbean shallow water Corallimorpharia. Six species, belonging to four genera and three families are treated, including Pseudocorynactis caribbeorum gen. nov. spec. nov., a species with tentacular acrospheres containing the largest spirocysts ever

Subduction and Plate Edge Tectonics in the Southern Caribbean

Science.gov (United States)

Levander, A.; Schmitz, M.; Niu, F.; Bezada, M. J.; Miller, M. S.; Masy, J.; Ave Lallemant, H. G.; Pindell, J. L.; Bolivar Working Group

2013-05-01

The southern Caribbean plate boundary consists of a subduction zone at at either end of a complex strike-slip fault system: In the east at the Lesser Antilles subduction zone, the Atlantic part of the South American plate subducts beneath the Caribbean. In the north and west in the Colombia basin, the Caribbean subducts under South America. In a manner of speaking, the two plates subduct beneath each other. Finite-frequency teleseismic P-wave tomography confirms this, imaging the Atlantic and the Caribbean plates subducting steeply in opposite directions to transition zone depths under northern South America (Bezada et al, 2010). The two subduction zones are connected by the El Pilar-San Sebastian strike-slip fault system, a San Andreas scale system that has been cut off at the Bocono fault, the southeastern boundary fault of the Maracaibo block. A variety of seismic probes identify subduction features at either end of the system (Niu et al, 2007; Clark et al., 2008; Miller et al. 2009; Growdon et al., 2009; Huang et al., 2010; Masy et al, 2011). The El Pilar system forms at the southeastern corner of the Antilles subduction zone with the Atlantic plate tearing from South America. The deforming plate edges control mountain building and basin formation at the eastern end of the strike-slip system. Tearing the Atlantic plate from the rest of South America appears to cause further lithospheric instability continentward. In northwestern South America the Caribbean plate very likely also tears, as its southernmost element subducts at shallow angles under northernmost Colombia but then rapidly descends to the transition zone under Lake Maracaibo (Bezada et al., 2010). We believe that the flat slab controls the tectonics of the Neogene Merida Andes, Perija, and Santa Marta ranges. The nonsubducting part of the Caribbean plate also underthrusts northern Venezuela to about the width of the coastal mountains (Miller et al., 2009). We infer that the edge of the underthrust

[Analysis of barriers to therapeutic adherence for Colombian women with HIV/AIDS: a question of health rights].

Science.gov (United States)

Arrivillaga-Quintero, Marcela

2010-01-01

To identify and analyze HIV/AIDS treatment adherence among Colombian women. A qualitative, descriptive-interpretative study with content analysis was developed between 2008 and 2009. Sixty six women participated in five focus group discussions. To complement data, semi-structured interviews with seven key informants were conducted. Main barriers are determined structurally by the current Colombian health system, based on insurance market. The right to access to treatment in a timely and continuous manner, the rights to confidentiality and non discrimination, and the right to quality care with gender focus are affected among participant women. Consequently, adherence is negatively affected. The current Colombian health system determines critical processes affecting HIV/AIDS treatment adherence in women. However, further research must be conducted to identify specific associations with non-universal health systems.

Studies on Colombian Cryptogams. VIII. The genus Jensenia Lindb. (Hepaticae)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gronde, van der Keympe

1980-01-01

A study of recent material of the dendroid thallose liverwort genus Jensenia (Metzgeriales) from the Colombian Andes revealed the existence of three taxa in the area: J. erythropus (Gott.) Grolle var. erythropus, J. erythropus var. nobandae van der Gronde var. nov. and J. florschuetzii van der

Latin American and Caribbean Environmental Economics Program ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

This grant for Phase 3 of IDRC support will help the network strategically address ... Among the recommendations: LACEEP will undertake to address regional ... These activities will directly contribute to LACEEP's long-term development goal: ... Adaptation strategies for two Colombian cities were discussed at ADAPTO's ...

The social relations of bereavement in the Caribbean.

Science.gov (United States)

Marshall, Ronald; Sutherland, Patsy

2008-01-01

The objectives of this article are to discuss the various types of behaviors associated with grief and bereavement, and to examine the relationships, consequences, and outcomes of bereavement practices among the various religious and ethnic groups in the English-speaking Caribbean Islands of Jamaica, Trinidad, Grenada, and Barbados. The rituals associated with death and grief differs across cultures and is greatly influenced by religious beliefs and traditions. How these rituals are played out depend on the culture of origin and level of acculturation of the various groups into mainstream society. In the Caribbean region, expressions of grief represent religious and cultural traditions that may have a significant impact on social relations, particularly in multi-ethnic and multicultural societies. In the English-speaking Caribbean Islands of Jamaica, Trinidad, Grenada, and Barbados, mourning follows the patterns of traditional religious practices which have remained consistent over time. While families and friends may offer social support before and after burial or cremation, the social aspects of bereavement may also have implications for inter-group relations. Insights into bereavement practices and what it holds for ethnic and religious groups in contemporary Caribbean are presented.

A Case against the Legal Rules on Conflicted Interested Transactions in Colombian Corporate Law

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan Antonio Gaviria

2017-07-01

Full Text Available This paper contends and explains why the Colombian corporate legal rules on conflict of interest are inefficient, proposing some legal changes. In particular, this paper poses four criticisms. First, Colombian law requires that the highest corporate body shall always authorize any transaction between the legal entity and any of its managers or controlling shareholders. Second, such authorization lacks any legal effect whenever the transaction is detrimental to the company. Third, all transactions entered into without such approval are voidable. Fourth, there are no exceptions regarding transactions among companies belonging to the same entrepreneurial group.

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International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Results 51 - 60 of 121 ... Forced migration of Colombians : a comparative study on fear, historical memory ... and marginal urban settlements in Latin America and the Caribbean ... and regions affected by violent conflict : Colombia case study ... Ibero-American Network of Data Analysis on Crime and Citizen Security (RIADD).

Identidad problemática del tiburón Martillo Ojichico (Carcharhiniformes: Sphyrna) existente en Colombia

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Acero-P., A.; Cánter-Ríos, D.; Polanco-F., A.

2007-01-01

The presence of Sphyrna tudes in Colombian waters is supported by a 506 mm total length male collected in the southernmost corner of the Caribbean Sea, the mouth of Atrato river. A short discussion on the confusing taxonomic and nomenclatural history of the smalleye hammerhead is included.

Molecular characterisation of Colombian yam germplasm by "DNA amplification fingerprinting (DAF" in radioactivo conditions Caracterización molecular del germoplasma de ñame colombiano utilizando "DNA Amplificaron Fingerprinting (DAF" en condiciones radiactivas

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Bustamante Silvia L.

2003-12-01

Full Text Available Samples from the Universidad de Córdoba's yam collection (Dioscorea spp. and others originating from IITA (International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan, Nigeria were molecularly characterised to complement existing information about them. The yam (Diosocorea spp. represents a basic crop for small-scale farmers on the Colombian Atlantic Coast who sow around 20,000 hectares per year. Even though they are dioecious species, only one sex is represented in Colombia; it must also be stated that climatic conditions are not propitious for its flowering. This situation has caused difficulty for work in yam breeding. The yam species and varieties used in the Colombian ABP (Agricultural Biotechnology Programme have been molecularly characterised by AFLPs in a previous publication describing a preliminary study emerging from the need to broaden the characterisation of those accessions kept at the Universidad de Córdoba. Comparisons have also been done with some African accessions donated by IITA. In this article, samples were molecularly characterised by another fingerprinting technique, the DAF technique (DNA Amplification Fingerprinting based on PCR, using random oligonucleotides for generating characteristic band patterns from each individual. The results showed 0.0413 population diversity with 0.9587 average similarity, indicating that the yam collection studied had very little genetic diversity and, probably, this could be why the crop is vulnerable to plagues and diseases, as happened at the end of the 1980s when anthracnose practically devastated the crop on the Colombian Atlantic coast. Similarity was also found between those Colombian and African samples analysed, agreeing with low diversity and less distance between common ancestors. The molecular results suggest the need for using other molecular techniques having a greater power of discrimination and also the need to broaden the genetic diversity in yam crops for providing greater

Population structure analyses and demographic history of the malaria vector Anopheles albimanus from the Caribbean and the Pacific regions of Colombia

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Conn Jan E

2009-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Anopheles albimanus is an important malaria vector in some areas throughout its distribution in the Caribbean and the Pacific regions of Colombia, covering three biogeographic zones of the neotropical region, Maracaibo, Magdalena and Chocó. Methods This study was conducted to estimate intra-population genetic diversity, genetic differentiation and demographic history of An. albimanus populations because knowledge of vector population structure is a useful tool to guide malaria control programmes. Analyses were based on mtDNA COI gene sequences and four microsatellite loci of individuals collected in eight populations from the Caribbean and the Pacific regions of Colombia. Results Two distinctive groups were consistently detected corresponding to COI haplotypes from each region. A star-shaped statistical parsimony network, significant and unimodal mismatch distribution, and significant negative neutrality tests together suggest a past demographic expansion or a selective sweep in An. albimanus from the Caribbean coast approximately 21,994 years ago during the late Pleistocene. Overall moderate to low genetic differentiation was observed between populations within each region. However, a significant level of differentiation among the populations closer to Buenaventura in the Pacific region was observed. The isolation by distance model best explained genetic differentiation among the Caribbean region localities: Los Achiotes, Santa Rosa de Lima and Moñitos, but it could not explain the genetic differentiation observed between Turbo (Magdalena providence, and the Pacific region localities (Nuquí, Buenaventura, Tumaco. The patterns of differentiation in the populations from the different biogeographic provinces could not be entirely attributed to isolation by distance. Conclusion The data provide evidence for limited past gene flow between the Caribbean and the Pacific regions, as estimated by mtDNA sequences and current gene

Rickettsioses in Latin America, Caribbean, Spain and Portugal

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Marcelo B. Labruna

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Data on genus and infectious by Rickettsia were retrospectively compiled from the critical review literature regarding all countries in Latin America, Caribbean islands, Portugal and Spain. We considered all Rickettsia records reported for human and/or animal hosts, and/or invertebrate hosts considered being the vector. In a few cases, when no direct detection of a given Rickettsia group or species was available for a given country, the serologic method was considered. A total of 13 Rickettsia species have been recorded in Latin America and the Caribbean. The species with the largest number of country confirmed records were Rickettsia felis (9 countries, R. prowazekii (7 countries, R. typhi (6 countries, R. rickettsii (6 countries, R. amblyommii (5 countries, and R. parkeri (4 countries. The rickettsial records for the Caribbean islands (West Indies were grouped in only one geographical area. Both R. bellii, R. akari, and Candidatus ‘R. andeane’ have been recorded in only 2 countries each, whereas R. massiliae, R. rhipicephali, R.monteiroi, and R. africae have each been recorded in a single country (in this case, R. africae has been recorded in nine Caribbean Islands. For El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua, no specific Rickettsia has been reported so far, but there have been serological evidence of human or/and animal infection. The following countries remain without any rickettsial records: Belize, Venezuela, Guyana, Surinam, and Paraguay. In addition, except for a few islands, many Caribbean islands remain without records. A total of 12 Rickettsia species have been reported in Spain and Portugal: R. conorii, R. helvetica, R. monacensis, R. felis, R. slovaca, R. raoultii, R. sibirica, R. aeschlimannii, R. rioja, R. massiliae, R. typhi, and R. prowazekii. Amongst these Rickettsia species reported in Spain and Portugal, only R. prowazekii, R. typhi, R. felis, and R. massiliae have also been reported in Latin America. This study summarizes

Education-Related Factors in Cultural Intelligence Development: A Colombian Study

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Robledo-Ardila, Cristina; Aguilar-Barrientos, Sara; Román-Calderón, Juan Pablo

2016-01-01

This article reports the results of a study inquiring about the role of education-related factors in the development of cultural intelligence. Five hundred fifty-seven students of a Colombian international business (IB) undergraduate program participated in the study. The psychometric properties of the measures were assessed by conducting…

High prevalence of luminal B breast cancer intrinsic subtype in Colombian women.

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Serrano-Gomez, Silvia Juliana; Sanabria-Salas, Maria Carolina; Hernández-Suarez, Gustavo; García, Oscar; Silva, Camilo; Romero, Alejandro; Mejía, Juan Carlos; Miele, Lucio; Fejerman, Laura; Zabaleta, Jovanny

2016-07-01

Breast cancer is the most frequent malignancy in women worldwide. Distinct intrinsic subtypes of breast cancer have different prognoses, and their relative prevalence varies significantly among ethnic groups. Little is known about the prevalence of breast cancer intrinsic subtypes and their association with clinicopathological data and genetic ancestry in Latin Americans. Immunohistochemistry surrogates from the 2013 St. Gallen International Expert Consensus were used to classify breast cancers in 301 patients from Colombia into intrinsic subtypes. We analyzed the distribution of subtypes by clinicopathological variables. Genetic ancestry was estimated from a panel of 80 ancestry informative markers. Luminal B breast cancer subtype was the most prevalent in our population (37.2%) followed by luminal A (26.3%), non-basal triple negative (NBTN) (11.6%), basal like (9%), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) enriched (8.6%) and unknown (7.3%). We found statistical significant differences in distribution between Colombian region (P = 0.007), age at diagnosis (P = 0.0139), grade (P studies analyzing the molecular profiles of breast cancer in Colombian women will help us understand the molecular basis of this subtype distribution and compare the molecular characteristics of the different intrinsic subtypes in Colombian patients. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Towards indigenous feminist theorizing in the Caribbean.

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Mohammed, P

1998-01-01

This theoretical study of feminism in the Caribbean opens by presenting the contemporary image of the Caribbean and then pointing to the continuing influence of the colonial past in the creation of contemporary community and the establishment of identity. The paper continues with a focus on three aspects of identity, or difference, that have influenced the daily articulation of feminism and academic debates. The first concerns the positions taken by women in the region's political struggles. The second is an exploration of the linguistic meanings of the gender discourse within the region. Finally, the essay examines the idea of linguistic difference in light of contemporary Western feminist views of "sexual difference" versus equality. The discussion of each of these issues is grounded in historical analysis and illustrated with specific examples. The study concludes that, in this region, feminism offers a new way to investigate the past while creating challenges and opportunities in the struggle to establish a Caribbean identity.

δ15N in the turtle grass from the Mexican Caribbean

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Talavera-Saenz, A.; Sanchez, A.; Ortiz-Hernandez, M.

2013-05-01

Nutrient inputs associated with population growth threaten the integrity of coastal ecosystems. To assess the rapid increase in tourism, we compared the δ15N from Thalassia testudinum collected at sites with different levels of tourism development and population to detect the N inputs of wastewater discharge (WD) along the coast of Quintana Roo. The contributions of nitrogen enriched in 15N are directly related to the increase of WD inputs in areas of high tourism development (Nichupte Lagoon in Cancun, >3 million tourists per year from 2007 to 2011 and 0.7 million of resident population) and decreased towards Bahia Akumal and Tulum (>3 million tourists per year from 2007 to 2011 and 0.15 million of resident population). The δ15N from T. testudinum was significantly lower at Mahahual and Puerto Morelos (about 0.4 million tourists per year in 2007 to 2011 and 0.25 million of resident population) than other the sites. In areas of the lowest development and with tourist activity restricted and small population, such as the Yum Balam Reserve and Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, the δ15N values were in much higher enrichment that Mahahual and Puerto Morelos. Therefore is suggested that Mahahual and Puerto Morelos may be used for baseline isotopic monitoring, over environmental pressure on the reef lagoon ecosystem, where tourist activities and population are growing very slow rate. The anthropogenic N input has the potential to impact, both environmentally and economically, the seagrass meadows and the coral reefs along the coast of Quintana Roo and the Caribbean.

IDRC in the Caribbean

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Since the early 1970s, IDRC has supported the efforts of researchers in the English-speaking Caribbean to reduce poverty and inequality, restore degraded coastal ecosystems, and protect communities against disease and natural disasters. Research has helped to improve farming and fishing practices and tackle.

Status and conservation of coral reefs in Costa Rica.

Science.gov (United States)

Cortés, Jorge; Jiménez, Carlos E; Fonseca, Ana C; Alvarado, Juan José

2010-05-01

Costa Rica has coral communities and reefs on the Caribbean coast and on the Pacific along the coast and off-shore islands. The Southern section of the Caribbean coast has fringing and patch reefs, carbonate banks, and an incipient algal ridge. The Pacific coast has coral communities, reefs and isolated coral colonies. Coral reefs have been seriously impacted in the last 30 years, mainly by sediments (Caribbean coast and some Pacific reefs) and by El Niño warming events (both coasts). Monitoring is being carried out at three sites on each coast. Both coasts suffered significant reductions in live coral cover in the 1980's, but coral cover is now increasing in most sites. The government of Costa Rica is aware of the importance of coral reefs and marine environments in general, and in recent years decrees have been implemented (or are in the process of approval) to protect them, but limited resources endanger their proper management and conservation, including proper outreach to reef users and the general public.

50 CFR 622.50 - Caribbean spiny lobster import prohibitions.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... ATLANTIC Management Measures § 622.50 Caribbean spiny lobster import prohibitions. (a) Minimum size limits... States other than Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands, and a more restrictive minimum size limit that applies to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. (1) No person may import a Caribbean spiny lobster...

78 FR 33959 - National Caribbean-American Heritage Month, 2013

Science.gov (United States)

2013-06-06

... progress. Separated by sea but united by a yearning for independence, our countries won the right to chart... those enduring achievements. It is also a chance to recognize men and women who trace their roots to the Caribbean. Through every chapter of our Nation's history, Caribbean Americans have made our country stronger...

Characteristic of combustion of Colombian gases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gil B, Edison; Maya, Ruben; Andres, Amel A.

1996-01-01

The variety of gas locations in the country, makes that the gas that will be distributed by the net of present gas pipeline a very different composition, what bears to that these they behave in a different way during its use. In this work the main characteristics of the combustion are calculated for the Colombian gases, basically the properties of the combustion and the characteristics of the smoke, as basic information for the design and operation of the gas teams and their certification. These properties were calculated with the special help software for combustion developed by the authors

Structure and financing of nature management costs in Caribbean Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Beek, van I.J.M.; Debrot, A.O.; Rockmann, C.; Jak, R.G.

2015-01-01

The Nature Policy Plan Caribbean Netherlands identifies the need to “Evaluate the financial instruments available for nature conservation in the Caribbean Netherlands and make recommendations aimed at guaranteeing a sustainable financial future” as one of its strategic actions. Three preceding

Pedagogical Intercultural Practice of Teachers in Virtual Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Barreto, Carmen Ricardo; Haydar, Jorge Mizzuno

2016-01-01

This study presents some of the results of the project "Training and Development of Intercultural Competency of Teachers in Virtual Environments", carried out in ten Colombian Caribbean higher education institutions (HEI) offering virtual programs. It was performed in three steps: 1-diagnosis, 2-training, and 3-analysis of the…

Regional P-wave Tomography in the Caribbean Region for Plate Reconstruction

Science.gov (United States)

Li, X.; Bedle, H.; Suppe, J.

2017-12-01

The complex plate-tectonic interactions around the Caribbean Sea have been studied and interpreted by many researchers, but questions still remain regarding the formation and subduction history of the region. Here we report current progress towards creating a new regional tomographic model, with better lateral and spatial coverage and higher resolution than has been presented previously. This new model will provide improved constraints on the plate-tectonic evolution around the Caribbean Plate. Our three-dimensional velocity model is created using taut spline parameterization. The inversion is computed by the code of VanDecar (1991), which is based on the ray theory method. The seismic data used in this inversion are absolute P wave arrival times from over 700 global earthquakes that were recorded by over 400 near Caribbean stations. There are over 25000 arrival times that were picked and quality checked within frequency band of 0.01 - 0.6 Hz by using a MATLAB GUI-based software named Crazyseismic. The picked seismic delay time data are analyzed and compared with other studies ahead of doing the inversion model, in order to examine the quality of our dataset. From our initial observations of the delay time data, the more equalized the ray azimuth coverage, the smaller the deviation of the observed travel times from the theoretical travel time. Networks around the NE and SE side of the Caribbean Sea generally have better ray coverage, and smaller delay times. Specifically, seismic rays reaching SE Caribbean networks, such as XT network, generally pass through slabs under South American, Central American, Lesser Antilles, Southwest Caribbean, and the North Caribbean transform boundary, which leads to slightly positive average delay times. In contrast, the Puerto Rico network records seismic rays passing through regions that may lack slabs in the upper mantle and show slightly negative or near zero average delay times. These results agree with previous tomographic

Rise of China in the Caribbean: Impacts for Regional Security

Science.gov (United States)

2013-12-13

Prima facie , more demonstrative of a policy is to retain primacy in the region while engaging the interests and cooperation of Caribbean states. In...and diplomatic cooperation with Caribbean nations. The prima facie implications are therefore, without evidence to the contrary, that these

Extensive Listening in a Colombian University: Process, Product, and Perceptions

Science.gov (United States)

Mayora, Carlos A.

2017-01-01

The current paper reports an experience implementing a small-scale narrow listening scheme (one of the varieties of extensive listening) with intermediate learners of English as a foreign language in a Colombian university. The paper presents (a) how the scheme was designed and implemented, including materials and procedures (the process); (b) how…

Caribbean Coral Reef, Seagrass and Mangrove Sites (CARICOMP), (NODC Accession 0000501)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Caribbean Coastal Marine Productivity (CARICOMP) Program is a Caribbean-wide research and monitoring network of 27 marine laboratories, parks, and reserves in 17...

Common wood decay fungi found in the Caribbean Basin

Science.gov (United States)

D. Jean. Lodge

2016-01-01

There are hundreds of wood-decay fungi in the Caribbean Basin, but relatively few of these are likely to grow on manmade structures built of wood or wood-composites. The wood-decay fungi of greatest concern are those that cause brown-rot, and especially brown-rot fungi that are resistant to copper-based wood preservatives. Some fungi that grow in the Caribbean and...

Anti-quorum sensing activity of essential oils from Colombian plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Jaramillo-Colorado, Beatriz; Olivero-Verbel, Jesus; Stashenko, Elena E; Wagner-Döbler, Irene; Kunze, Brigitte

2012-01-01

Essential oils from Colombian plants were characterised by GC-MS, and assayed for anti-quorum sensing activity in bacteria sensor strains. Two major chemotypes were found for Lippia alba, the limonene-carvone and the citral (geranial-neral). For other species, the main components included α-pinene (Ocotea sp.), β-pinene (Swinglea glutinosa), cineol (Elettaria cardamomun), α-zingiberene (Zingiber officinale) and pulegone (Minthostachys mollis). Several essential oils presented promising inhibitory properties for the short chain AHL quorum sensing (QS) system, in Escherichia coli containing the biosensor plasmid pJBA132, in particular Lippia alba. Moderate activity as anti-QS using the same plasmid, were also found for selected constituents of essential oils studied here, such as citral, carvone and α-pinene, although solely at the highest tested concentration (250 µg mL(-1)). Only citral presented some activity for the long chain AHL QS system, in Pseudomonas putida containing the plasmid pRK-C12. In short, essential oils from Colombian flora have promising properties as QS modulators.

[Personality Traits Screening in a Colombian Adult Population Sample - Colombian National Survey of Mental Health-2015].

Science.gov (United States)

Oviedo, Gabriel Fernando; Gómez-Restrepo, Carlos; Rondón, Martín; Borda Bohigas, Juan Pablo; Tamayo Martínez, Nathalie

2016-12-01

Personality refers to the individual style in characteristic patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving. Traits may configure a personality disorder when there is a long-lasting rigid pattern of inner experience that deviates from the expectations of the individual's culture, are inflexible and form maladaptative schemes in different interpersonal scenarios. Given the pervasiveness of this structure, they cause impairment of functioning in the affected person. To establish the prevalence of personality traits in all selected adults, using the module-structured interview WHO WHM-CIDI-CAPI for clusters A, B and C of personality traits. Colombian National Survey on Mental Health with persons older than 18 years of age. Personality traits that are the most frequently described: Cluster A 46% (95%CI, 45.2-48.1) of people believe they are convinced that there are conspiracies behind many things in the world. Regarding the features of cluster B, 35.6% (95%CI, 34.2-37.0) of the population reports that generally they do not feel bad when offending or upsetting someone and 35.4% (95%CI, 33.9-36.8) refer to show feelings to anyone. The highest proportion of traits were found to the probable borderline personality disorder, as 4.6% (95%CI, 4.1-5.2) of the Colombian population aged 18 and older has 6 or more features of this type, and is the widely reported as an individual entity with similar rates in men and women. The high prevalence of disruptive personality traits requires more research. The high prevalence reported for borderline personality traits suggests the need to implement measures to improve and integrate a collaborative model of care for people afflicted with a possible borderline personality disorder. Copyright © 2016 Asociación Colombiana de Psiquiatría. Publicado por Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

Changes on the coastline of buenaventura bay (colombian pacific) and its relationship with the climatic conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Coca-Domínguez, Oswaldo; Ricaurte-Villota, Constanza; Andres Ordoñez, Silvio

2016-04-01

Some authors point out that the variability of a coastal system is the response of physical factors (climate, waves, currents, wind, etc.) or combination of some of them, for example long-term variations in the relationship between climate and supply of sedimentary material. For Colombian Pacific coast it has been said that the regimen of meso-tidal is one of the agents that contribute to changes in the morphology of the littoral zone. Between 2012-2015 was conducted a research in the mouth of Buenaventura Bay (Colombia Pacific coast), using two stations: Soldado point (southern point of the bay) and Bazan point (the northern point of the bay), for those stations the digital elevation model (DEM) was performed using a DGPS with technology GNSS the recent evolution of the coastline and changes in volume of sand from beaches for two scalar approaches were determined: annual and intra-annual. The use of ArcGIS 3D Analyst in the DEMs allowed to calculate the cubic area between the raised surfaces each month. Changes in the coastline were made using Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) an ARCGIS extension. We used zonal and meridional components of the wind data near the coast from WindSat, rainfall and sea level anomaly data from the database AVISO (Archiving, Validation and Interpretation of Satellite Oceanographic), and sea level pressure (SLP) from NCEP/NCAR (National Center for Environmental Prediction/ National Center for Atmospheric Research), in collaboration with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Finally, climatic variables were correlated with the rates of coastal erosion and changes in sand volume of the beaches, because wind and precipitation are some of the factors in sediment transport. The study showed erosion rates with negative values in 2014 and 2015 that represent loss of land, the intra-annual variability in September and October were the highest loss of land, this coincides with the values of the highest tides of the

Gendered Perceptions of Schooling: Classroom Dynamics and Inequalities within Four Caribbean Secondary Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Younger, Mike; Cobbett, Mary

2014-01-01

This paper sets out to interrogate the reality of secondary schooling in one part of the Caribbean, through a case study exploration of the "gender regimes" of four secondary schools in the small Eastern Caribbean nation state of Antigua and Barbuda. In Antigua, as in the Caribbean region more broadly, the focus of attention has been on…

Comparative genetic structure of two mangrove species in Caribbean and Pacific estuaries of Panama

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Cerón-Souza Ivania

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Mangroves are ecologically important and highly threatened forest communities. Observational and genetic evidence has confirmed the long distance dispersal capacity of water-dispersed mangrove seeds, but less is known about the relative importance of pollen vs. seed gene flow in connecting populations. We analyzed 980 Avicennia germinans for 11 microsatellite loci and 940 Rhizophora mangle for six microsatellite loci and subsampled two non-coding cpDNA regions in order to understand population structure, and gene flow within and among four major estuaries on the Caribbean and Pacific coasts of Panama. Results Both species showed similar rates of outcrossing (t= 0.7 in A. germinans and 0.8 in R. mangle and strong patterns of spatial genetic structure within estuaries, although A. germinans had greater genetic structure in nuclear and cpDNA markers (7 demes > 4 demes and Sp= 0.02 > 0.002, and much greater cpDNA diversity (Hd= 0.8 > 0.2 than R. mangle. The Central American Isthmus serves as an exceptionally strong barrier to gene flow, with high levels nuclear (FST= 0.3-0.5 and plastid (FST= 0.5-0.8 genetic differentiation observed within each species between coasts and no shared cpDNA haplotypes between species on each coast. Finally, evidence of low ratios of pollen to seed dispersal (r = −0.6 in A. germinans and 7.7 in R. mangle, coupled with the strong observed structure in nuclear and plastid DNA among most estuaries, suggests low levels of gene flow in these mangrove species. Conclusions We conclude that gene dispersal in mangroves is usually limited within estuaries and that coastal geomorphology and rare long distance dispersal events could also influence levels of structure.

Comparative genetic structure of two mangrove species in Caribbean and Pacific estuaries of Panama

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Background Mangroves are ecologically important and highly threatened forest communities. Observational and genetic evidence has confirmed the long distance dispersal capacity of water-dispersed mangrove seeds, but less is known about the relative importance of pollen vs. seed gene flow in connecting populations. We analyzed 980 Avicennia germinans for 11 microsatellite loci and 940 Rhizophora mangle for six microsatellite loci and subsampled two non-coding cpDNA regions in order to understand population structure, and gene flow within and among four major estuaries on the Caribbean and Pacific coasts of Panama. Results Both species showed similar rates of outcrossing (t= 0.7 in A. germinans and 0.8 in R. mangle) and strong patterns of spatial genetic structure within estuaries, although A. germinans had greater genetic structure in nuclear and cpDNA markers (7 demes > 4 demes and Sp= 0.02 > 0.002), and much greater cpDNA diversity (Hd= 0.8 > 0.2) than R. mangle. The Central American Isthmus serves as an exceptionally strong barrier to gene flow, with high levels nuclear (FST= 0.3-0.5) and plastid (FST= 0.5-0.8) genetic differentiation observed within each species between coasts and no shared cpDNA haplotypes between species on each coast. Finally, evidence of low ratios of pollen to seed dispersal (r = −0.6 in A. germinans and 7.7 in R. mangle), coupled with the strong observed structure in nuclear and plastid DNA among most estuaries, suggests low levels of gene flow in these mangrove species. Conclusions We conclude that gene dispersal in mangroves is usually limited within estuaries and that coastal geomorphology and rare long distance dispersal events could also influence levels of structure. PMID:23078287

El legado de los inmigrantes árabes y judíos al desarrollo económico de la Costa Caribe colombiana y a la conformación de su empresariado entre 1850-2000

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Katya Inéso Igirio Gamero

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Árabes y judíos jugaron un papel significativo en el desarrollo económico del Caribe colombiano entre los años 1850 y 2000. Para comprender su influencia, se hace necesario conocer sus orígenes, las condiciones que generaron las migraciones de sus pueblos y los principales obstáculos que encontraron al llegar. También quiénes fueron los pioneros, cómo fue su ascenso social y establecer cuáles son sus principales aportes al desarrollo empresarial, político y sociocultural de la región.Este estudio de corte histórico-regional, dejó entrever su espíritu empresarial centrado en las “cadenas de ayuda”, amplio conocimiento del mercado internacional e incomparable habilidad para comerciar que atraía capitales de ultramar, cuya tradición de comerciantes, contribuyó al proceso de industrialización que experimentó el Caribe Colombiano en el siglo XX; árabes y judíos incursionaron en una variedad de actividades económicas en las poblaciones donde se asentaron: ventas al por mayor y al detal, actividades industriales, frigoríficos, ganadería, cinematografía, periodismo, cultura y política, que además explica la urgencia que manifestó esta comunidad de adquirir status, conexiones políticas, capacidad para relacionarse con otros actores sociales, internos y externos y promover un ambiente favorable a las iniciativas empresariales capaces de influir en las decisiones de política a nivel regional y nacional.Palabras Clave: Cadenas de ayuda; espíritu empresarial; migraciones; iniciativa; créditos personales; cultura.The legacy did arab and jewish immigrants leave to the colombian caribbean coast economic development and the formation of its entrepreneurship between 1850 and 2000AbstractArab and Jewish people played an important role in the economic development of the Colombian Caribbean Coast between 1850 and 2000. To understand their influence, it is necessary to know their origin, the conditions that generated the migration

Storm-wave trends in Mexican waters of the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea

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E. Ojeda

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Thirty-year time series of hindcast wave data were analysed for 10 coastal locations along the eastern Mexican coast to obtain information about storm events occurring in the region, with the goal of examining the possible presence of interannual trends in the number of storm-wave events and their main features (wave height, duration and energy content. The storms were defined according to their significant wave height and duration, and the events were classified as related to either tropical cyclones or Norte events. The occurrence and characteristics of both types of events were analysed independently. There is no statistically significant change in the number of storm-wave events related to Nortes or their characteristics during the study period. However, there is a subtle increase in the number of events related to tropical cyclones in the western Caribbean region and a more evident increase in wave height and energy content of these events.

Contagion of us subprime mortgage crisis to Colombian economy: measured by financial market data

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Chu V. Nguyen

2011-06-01

Full Text Available The long-horizon event study methodology is used to document the severe impact of the US subprime mortgage crisis on the Colombian economy. The estimated parameter of a constantmean return model is used to derive the “abnormal return” on the market portfolios of Colombia over its selected event window. Analyses of the results reveal that the US subprime mortgage crisis negatively affected both the Colombian and the US equity markets almost identically in terms of cumulative percentage reductions and timing. Statistic testing results seem to support the qualitative observation. This phenomenon can be attributable to the recent multilateral and regional trade agreements that increase the flow of trade and foreign direct investment to Colombia.

Prevalence of external injuries in small cetaceans in Aruban waters, southern Caribbean.

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Jolanda A Luksenburg

Full Text Available Aruba, located close to the coasts of Colombia and Venezuela, is one of the most densely populated islands in the Caribbean and supports a wide range of marine-related socio-economic activities. However, little is known about the impacts of human activities on the marine environment. Injuries in marine mammals can be used to examine interactions with human activities and identify potential threats to the survival of populations. The prevalence of external injuries and tooth rake marks were examined in Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis (n = 179, bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus (n = 76 and false killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens (n = 71 in Aruban waters using photo identification techniques. Eleven injury categories were defined and linked to either human-related activities or natural causes. All injury categories were observed. In total, 18.7% of all individuals had at least one injury. Almost half (41.7% of the injuries could be attributed to human interactions, of which fishing gear was the most common cause (53.3% followed by propeller hits (13.3%. Major disfigurements were observed in all three species and could be attributed to interactions with fishing gear. The results of this study indicate that fishing gear and propeller hits may pose threats to small and medium-sized cetaceans in Aruban waters. Thus, long-term monitoring of population trends is warranted. Shark-inflicted bite wounds were observed in Atlantic spotted dolphin and bottlenose dolphin. Bite wounds of cookie cutter sharks (Isistius sp. were recorded in all three species, and include the first documented record of a cookie cutter shark bite in Atlantic spotted dolphin. This is one of the few studies which investigates the prevalence of injuries in cetaceans in the Caribbean. Further study is necessary to determine to which extent the injuries observed in Aruba affect the health and survival of local populations.

Satellite Teleconferencing in the Caribbean.

Science.gov (United States)

Sankar, Hollis C.

1985-01-01

Discusses the need for, and the development, use, and future trends of, the University of the West Indies Distance Teaching Experiment, which utilizes telephone and communications satellite technology teleconferencing to extend educational opportunities to the peoples of the Caribbean. (MBR)

Post Doctorate Award on Central America and the Caribbean at St ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

English · Français ... a 2-year post doctoral position on Central America and the Caribbean under the leadership of Canadian historian, Margaret MacMillan. ... Between 1965 and 2000, about 12% of the Caribbean labour force moved to ...

Osteometric sorting of skeletal elements from a sample of modern Colombians: a pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez, Juan Manuel Guerrero; Hackman, Lucina; Martínez, Wendy; Medina, César Sanabria

2016-03-01

The Colombian armed conflict has been catalogued not only as the longest civil war in the western hemisphere, but also as having one of the highest indexes of missing persons. Among the several challenges faced by forensic practitioners in Colombia, the commingling of human remains has been recognised as one of the most difficult to approach. The method of osteometric sorting described by Byrd and Adams and Byrd (2008) has proven relevant as a powerful tool to aid in the reassociation process of skeletal structures. The aim of this research was to evaluate the three osteometric sorting models developed by Byrd (2008) (paired elements, articulating bone portions and other bone portions) in a sample of modern Colombian individuals. A set of 39 linear measurements was recorded from a sample of 100 individuals (47 females and 53 males aged between 20 and 74 and 18 and 77 years, respectively), which was used to create a reference sample database. A different subset of eight individuals (five females aged between 23 and 48 years, and three males aged between 27 and 43 years) was employed to randomly create six small-scale commingled assemblages for the purposes of testing the osteometric sorting models. Results demonstrate that this method has significant potential for use in the Colombian forensic context.

Population ecology and fishery of Cittarium pica (Gastropoda: Trochidae on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefanie Schmidt

2002-12-01

Full Text Available The West Indian Topshell Cittarium pica is artisanally collected on rocky shores along the Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica. There are neither data on the state of its exploitation nor exist any regulation of the fishery. From October 2000 to March 2001, the population dynamics of this species were studied at an unexploited and two exploited sites to determine the present impact of the fishery on the resource. Average population density with 14 ind./m² about three times higher at the unexploited than at the exploited sites. Length-frequeney histograms showed a strong shift towards smaller specimens at the exploited sites, which is also reflected in significantly higher rates of total mortality (Z = 4.05 and 4.47 when compared to the unexploited site (Z = 1.47. Von Bertalanffy growth parameters were estimated as k = 0.19-0.28 (yr-1 and L∞= 104 mm. No significant differences were found among sites. From these values a range of the growth performance index Φ was computed ( Φ = 3.31-3.48 which lies at the lower end of the values reported for other tropical marine gastropods. The size at first maturity for both sexes combined was estimated as 29.20 ± 1.14 mm. Exploitation rates >0.6 for both exploited sites and a large fraction of small specimens (El caracol Cittarium pica (West Indian Top Shell es recolectado en forma artesanal en zonas rocosas de la costa Caribe de Costa Rica. A la fecha no hay datos sobre esta extracción ni existe regulación de su pesquería. La dinámica poblacional de esta especie fue evaluada, desde octubre del 2000 hasta marzo del 2001, en dos sitios en los cuales la especies es recolectada (Playa Negra y Cahuita, y en un sitio protegido de la actividad pesquera (Isla Uvita. La densidad promedio de la población fue 14 ind/m², cerca de tres veces más alta en el sitio protegido que en los dos no protegidos. Los histogramas de frecuencia de tallas mostraron un fuerte sesgo hacia los ejemplares más pequeños en los sitios

Evaluation of the physicochemical and functional properties of Colombian bee pollen

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Carlos Fuenmayor B.

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Objective. To establish current knowledge about Colombian bee-pollen from a point of view nutritional and functional, contributing towards creating national technical standards and the identification of chemical differentiation factors for further researches. Material and methods. One hundred ninety-six samples of dried bee pollen were collected in the center region of Colombia known as Cundi-boyacense high plateau, where nearly 90% of total bee pollen production is concentrated in this country. Performed physicochemical analyses in this study were: moisture, pH, acidity, ash, carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, dietary fiber, fatty acid profile and mineral elements. Results. Bee pollen from this region had 7.7±5.2 g/100 g moisture content, and a following centesimal composition based on dry matter: ashes 2.5±0.4 g; lipids 6.90±3.5 g; proteins 23.8±3.2 g and total dietary fiber 14.5±3.5 g. The most abundant fatty acids were α-linolenic, palmitic and linoleic. Carbohydrates were the main components and fructose and glucose the most concentrated sugars. The predominant minerals assessed here were potassium, calcium and magnesium. The results were also discussed in terms of the characteristics found in Colombian bee-pollen in comparison to international regulations and findings for other varieties of commercial bee-pollen from eight different countries. Conclusions. The results found in this study suggest that bee-pollen may be used as a dietary supplement and agree with bibliographical reports and international regulations. Such characterization will enable to be proposed technical standards in line with Colombian bee-pollen properties and it is expected to improve marketing and production chain conditions.

Energy sector developments in Central America and the Caribbean

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perez, J.

1997-01-01

Energy sector developments in Central America and the Caribbean were discussed. Central America is composed of six small countries whose total population is 32 million. The Caribbean population is 20.5 million. Central America is generally poor in hydrocarbon reserves but the geological prospects in several of the countries are encouraging. The oil and petroleum products supply and demand picture, the main characteristics of the hydrocarbon market, structure of the oil industry, hydrocarbon market reforms, pricing issues and recent trend towards reforms in the electric power industry in Central America were discussed. An overview of the Inter-American Development Bank's (IDB) effort to provide technical assistance and loans to strengthen the energy sector development in Central America and the Caribbean was also given. 17 refs., 2 tabs., 23 figs

Art at the crossroads: Francisco Oller and Caribbean art

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katherine Manthorne

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Review of Edward J. Sullivan, From San Juan to Paris and Back: Francisco Oller and Caribbean Art in the Era of Impressionism: Francisco Oller (1833-1917 was a Puerto Rican born artist who helped shape the visual production of the Caribbean in the second half of the nineteenth century. He enjoyed a reputation on both sides of the Atlantic, both at home and in Europe, where he spent twenty years. This book fills provides a much-needed analysis of the achievement of Oller, who has received little scholarly attention in the past thirty years. In six chapters that analyze major artworks and themes in Oller’s oeuvre, this book recasts the artist as a key figure in nineteenth century art and sheds new light on his contribution to a uniquely Caribbean aesthetic.

Tangled roots: Kalenda and other neo-African dances in the circum-Caribbean

OpenAIRE

Julian Gerstin

2004-01-01

Investigates descriptions of Afro-Caribbean dances in early chronicles and historical material. Author focuses on choreography, as well as on musical instruments and their use. He pays special attention to descriptions of the Martinican kalenda dance. He discusses descriptions from the 18th c. of black Caribbean dance in French and other colonies, by priests and others, of the kalenda as a couple dance within a ring, and descriptions of other widespread early dances in the Caribbean, such as ...

Palm diversity and abundance in the Colombian Amazon

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Balslev, Henrik; Copete, Juan Carlos; Pedersen, Dennis

2017-01-01

We studied diversity and abundance of palms in the eastern Colombian Amazon in 71 transects, 61 measuring 5×500 m and 10 transects measuring 4×500 m, innventoring a total of 17.25 hectares. We found a total of 74 species in 21 genera. In terra firme we found 68 species in 20 genera and an average...... found in this study (Euterpe precatoria, Oenocarpus bataua, Attalea butyracea, Iriartella setigera) coincide with dominant species in other Amazonian palm communities....

Pilot Testing HIV Prevention in an Afro Caribbean Faith-Based Community.

Science.gov (United States)

Archibald, Cynthia M; Newman, David

2015-01-01

This research attempted to test an HIV prevention intervention for Afro-Caribbean female teens. The purpose was to improve knowledge and attitudes concerning HIV/AIDS, improve mother-daughter sexual communication, and to reduce risky sexual behaviors. Using a community-based approach, sixty mother and daughter pairs were randomly assigned. One condition was experimental using the Making Proud Choices Caribbean Style (MPCCS); another was a comparison of General Health Education. Independent t-tests were used for analysis between the pretest, posttest and 90 days posttests. MPCCS indicated clear usage with other Caribbean teens. This study helped to support the theory when Afro-Caribbean (AC) teens feel they need to become sexually active (subjective norm), and have referent support (parental support), they may blend values, knowledge, and skills (control beliefs), and are likely to make proud choices to reduce risky sexual behavior in minimizing HIV in their communities.

Caribbean land and development revisited

CERN Document Server

Dunkerley, James; Momsen, Janet

2007-01-01

The book is an interdisciplinary collection of fifteen essays, with an editorial introduction, on a range of territories in the Commonwealth, Francophone, and Hispanic Caribbean. The authors focus on land and development, providing fresh perspectives through a collection of international contributing authors.

Estudio sociológico y del conocimiento de los factores de riesgo de las enfermedades cardiovasculares en la Costa Caribe Colombiana (Estudio Caribe Sociological study for detection of risk factors of cardiovascular diseases in the Colombian Caribbean Coast population

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manzur Fernando

2005-09-01

de los factores de riesgo para las enfermedades cardiovasculares correlacionándolas con la edad, lo cual permite empezar a adoptar y modificar el estilo de vida para disminuir los riesgos de las enfermedades cardiovasculares.Introduction and objectives: the objective of this study was to evaluate the knowledge that the population has about the risk factors for cardiovascular diseases and to study the prevalence percentages of these factors in the colombian Caribbean population. Methodology: we took a randomized representative sample of 2023 patients through a systematic test in the city of Cartagena and nearby towns, totalizing an approximate population of 1’200.000 people who were reported and correlated to the following items: age, sex, educational level, cigarette smoking, arterial pressure, diabetes, cholesterol, triglycerides (dyslipidemia, alcoholism, stress (anxiety-depression, obesity, electrocardiogram, myocardial infarction, sedentary life, cardiovascular disease inheritance, patients under cardiovascular treatment, angina and heart failure. Results: as a result of a total of 2.023 surveys, the mean age was of 47 years. 59,7% were women and 40,3% men. According to the educational level, 32% had primary education, 19,9% were professionals, and 20,6% technicians. 25,1% had dyslipidemia (elevated cholesterol and/or triglycerides. 11,8% had diabetes. 21% were obese and 10,1% had had an anginous episode. Only 7% had heart failure and 1,4% had had myocardial infarction. 15,4% were cigarette smokers; 5,1% had ECG abnormalities; 24,2% had stress episodes and an elevated percentage, 37,4% had a sedentary life. Conclusion: the prevalence of risk factors in this study is similar to the reported in other studies in occidental countries. We found a significant difference in the sedentary life according to educational levels. We noticed an increment of the risk factors for cardiovascular diseases in correlation to age; this allows us to adopt measures in order to

Processes analysis of ocean-atmosphere interaction in Colombian marine areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Melo, Jeimmy; Pabon Caicedo, Jose Daniel

2002-01-01

This document shows the importance to understanding the processes of interaction ocean-atmosphere by means of the knowledge of the behavior of the physical and biological processes in the Colombian marine areas. For such aim, it was studied the production of the pigment concentration (chlorophyll-a) by means the state of the sea surface temperature and the atmospheric dynamics for year 2001

Analysis of Grid Emission Factors for the Electricity Sector in Caribbean Countries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hinostroza, Miriam L.; Desgain, Denis DR; Perez Martín, David

by undertaking a study to calculate standardized grid emissionfactors (GEF) for sixteen independent nations or groups of countries in the Caribbean region as a basis to the further identification of mitigation activities such as CDM PoAs or any other market-related instrument to be approved by the UNFCCC......As part of their capacity development efforts to promote mitigation actions, the UNEP DTU Partnership, together with the UNFCCC Regional Collaborating Centre in the Caribbean, UNDP and OLADE, agreed to collaborate with Caribbean countries willing to update or establish their grid emission factors...... emission factor for countries with generation units with similar characteristics. Data on the power systems of the different countries have been collected from several centres and institutions, including the UNEP DTU Partnership, the Latin American Energy Organization (OLADE), the Caribbean Community...

Studies on Colombian Cryptogams VI. High Andean species of Radula (Hepaticae)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jans, Els

1979-01-01

This study deals with the genus Radula (Hepaticae) from the high Andean forests and paramos of Colombia, above 2500 m, and is based on the determination of Colombian collections gathered by H. Bischler and by A. M. Cleef and collaborators. A key to the 8 species known from the area is given and

Life-Metaphors among Colombian Leadership Students: Core Values and Educational Implications

Science.gov (United States)

Hoffman, Edward; Acosta-Orozco, Catalina

2015-01-01

The present study utilized metaphor analysis to explore the core values of Colombian college students in a leadership program. The entire class of 60 students was invited to respond to a structured questionnaire. It asked participants to state their preferred life-metaphor, whether they had always preferred this metaphor since childhood or…

From Agamben State of Emergency to Colombian State of Emergency: A Possibility of Understanding

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Juan Carlos López

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The following article seeks to open the possibility of thinking the reality of the Colombian conflict from new conceptual categories, specifically those put forth by Giorgio Agamben, not necessarily to force the facts into the theory, but to open new possibilities of understanding the human tragedy that Colombia has lived (and continues to live in terms of human loss (death policies, of lack of conditions to live a dignified life and of an existence that is zoé (barely existence, stripped from dignity rather than bios (life in political community. The text further proposes the question of whether the Colombian State has become an everlasting State of Emergency that employs it as a normal mode of establishing social and political hegemony

Etnoeducación Indígena Intercultural en el Caribe Colombiano

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Clemente Mendoza Castro

2015-10-01

Full Text Available El ensayo resume un avance del proyecto “Estudios etnoeducativos y curriculares en el Caribe colombiano”, tiene el propósito de reflexionar sobre la etnoeducación en Colombia como aporte a la educación desde las prácticas pedagógicas de los etnoeducadores indígenas. Se analiza la historia de la etnoeducación indígena en Colombia y a manera de ejemplo sintetiza las experiencias etnoinvestigativas que se desarrollan en las escuelas indígenas de la Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, La Guajira y el Atlántico, visibilizando la visión que tienen los maestros indígenas de etnoeducación y currículo, prácticas pedagógicas, etnoinvestigación, formando la aproximación de un programa etnoeducativo curricular pensado desde la realidad social e intercultural en el Caribe colombiano. Se propone con argumentación la aproximación a un modelo curricular integrado desde la etnoeducación indígena intercultural para el Caribe colombiano.AbstractThis essay summarizes an advance of the project Ethnoeducational and curricular studies in the Colombian Caribbean, and its purpose is to reflect on the ethnoeducation in Colombia as a contribution to the education from pedagogical practices of native ethnoeducators. The history of the native ethnoeducation in Colombia is analyzed and ethnoresearch experiences carried out in the native schools at Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Guajira and Atlántico are synthesized making evident teachers’ view on ethnoeducation and curriculum, pedagogical practices, ethnoresearch, and training. This is an approximation to an ethnoeducational and curricular program thought from the social and intercultural reality in the Colombian Caribbean. The approximation to a curricular integrated model from the intercultural native ethnoeducation for the Colombian Caribbean it is proposed with arguments.

Outsourcing Strategic Services in the Colombian Defense Sector: Analysis of a Naval Aviation Case

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Godoy, Alberto E

2007-01-01

The Colombian Navy (COLNAV) has been outsourcing flight services from a private company since 2003 in order to provide transportation for troops and military cargo as well as general logistical support...

Epilepsy care in the southern Caribbean.

Science.gov (United States)

Krauss, Gregory; Sandy, Sherry; Corbin, David O C; Bird-Compton, Jacqueline; Jack, Frances; Nelson, Beverly; Jalonen, Tuula O; Ali, Amza; Fortuné, Taryn; Clarke, Dave; Okolie, Jacqueline; Cervenka, Mackenzie C

2015-10-01

Very little has been reported about the health resources available for patients with epilepsy in the five English-speaking southern Caribbean countries of Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Saint Lucia. There is no comprehensive resource describing their health systems, access to specialty care, antiepileptic drug (AED) use, and availability of brain imaging and EEG. The purpose of this study was to profile epilepsy care in these countries as an initial step toward improving the standard of care and identifying gaps in care to guide future policy changes. In each southern Caribbean country, we conducted study visits and interviewed health-care providers, government health ministers, pharmacy directors, hospital medical directors, pharmacists, clinic staff, radiologists, and radiology and EEG technicians. Health-care providers completed extensive epilepsy care surveys. The five countries all have integrated government health systems with clinics and hospitals that provide free or heavily subsidized care and AEDs for patients with epilepsy. Only Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados, however, have neurology specialists. The three smaller countries lack government imaging and EEG facilities. Trinidad had up to one-year waits for public MRI/EEG. Government formularies in Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Saint Lucia are limited to first-generation AEDs. One or more second-line agents are formulary in Trinidad and Barbados. Nonformulary drugs may be obtained for individual patients in Barbados. Grenada, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines participate in an Organization of Eastern Caribbean States formulary purchasing system, which added levetiracetam following the survey. Newer generic AED formulations with the lowest risks for pregnancy malformation were not in use. In conclusion, patients with epilepsy in the southern Caribbean have excellent access to government clinics and hospitals, but AED choices

78 FR 48654 - Fisheries of the Caribbean; Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR); Public Meeting

Science.gov (United States)

2013-08-09

...: Participants will present summary data and will discuss data needs and treatments. Although non-emergency... the Caribbean; Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR); Public Meeting AGENCY: National Marine... of SEDAR 35 data webinar for Caribbean Red Hind. SUMMARY: The SEDAR assessment of the Caribbean...

Severe impacts of brown tides caused by Sargassum spp. on near-shore Caribbean seagrass communities.

Science.gov (United States)

van Tussenbroek, Brigitta I; Hernández Arana, Héctor A; Rodríguez-Martínez, Rosa E; Espinoza-Avalos, Julio; Canizales-Flores, Hazel M; González-Godoy, Carlos E; Barba-Santos, M Guadalupe; Vega-Zepeda, Alejandro; Collado-Vides, Ligia

2017-09-15

From mid-2014 until the end of 2015, the Mexican Caribbean coast experienced a massive influx of drifting Sargassum spp. that accumulated on the shores, resulting in build-up of decaying beach-cast material and near-shore murky brown waters (Sargassum-brown-tides, Sbt). The effects of Sbt on four near-shore waters included reduction in light, oxygen (hypoxia or anoxia) and pH. The monthly influx of nitrogen, and phosphorus by drifting Sargassum spp. was estimated at 6150 and 61kgkm -1 respectively, resulting in eutrophication. Near-shore seagrass meadows dominated by Thalassia testudinum were replaced by a community dominated by calcareous rhizophytic algae and drifting algae and/or epiphytes, resulting in 61.6-99.5% loss of below-ground biomass. Near-shore corals suffered total or partial mortality. Recovery of affected seagrass meadows may take years or even decades, or changes could be permanent if massive influxes of Sargassum spp. recur. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Crouania pumila sp. nov. (Callithamniaceae: Rhodophyta, a new species of marine red algae from the Seaflower International Biosphere Reserve, Caribbean Colombia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brigitte Gavio

2013-09-01

Full Text Available In the Colombian Caribbean, the marine macroalgal flora of the Seaflower International Biosphere Reserve has been little studied, despite its ecological importance. Historical records have reported only 201 macroalgae species within its area of almost 350 000km². However, recent surveys have shown a diversity of small algae previously overlooked. With the aim to determine the macroalgal diversity in the Reserve, we undertook field surveys in different ecosystems: coral reefs, seagrass beds, and rocky and sandy substrates, at different depths, from intertidal to 37m. During these field surveys, we collected a small described species belonging to the genus Crouania (Callithamniaceae, Rhodophyta, Crouania pumila sp. nov. that is decribed in this paper. This new species was distinguished from other species of the genus by a distinctive suite of traits including its diminutive size (to only 3.5mm in length, its decumbent, slightly calcified habit (epiphytic on other algae, its ramisympodial branching, the ecorticate main axes, and the elongate shape of the terminal cells of the cortical filaments. The observations were provided for both female (cystocarpic and tetrasporangiate thalli; however, male thalli were not seen. Further studies have to be undertaken in this Reserve in order to carry out other macroalgal analysis and descriptions.

Crouania pumila sp. nov. (Callithamniaceae: Rhodophyta), a new species of marine red algae from the Seaflower International Biosphere Reserve, Caribbean Colombia.

Science.gov (United States)

Gavio, Brigitte; Reyes-Gómez, Viviana P; Wynne, Michael J

2013-09-01

In the Colombian Caribbean, the marine macroalgal flora of the Seaflower International Biosphere Reserve has been little studied, despite its ecological importance. Historical records have reported only 201 macroalgae species within its area of almost 350,000 km2. However, recent surveys have shown a diversity of small algae previously overlooked. With the aim to determine the macroalgal diversity in the Reserve, we undertook field surveys in different ecosystems: coral reefs, seagrass beds, and rocky and sandy substrates, at different depths, from intertidal to 37 m. During these field surveys, we collected a small described species belonging to the genus Crouania (Callithamniaceae, Rhodophyta), Crouania pumila sp. nov. that is decribed in this paper. This new species was distinguished from other species of the genus by a distinctive suite of traits including its diminutive size (to only 3.5 mm in length), its decumbent, slightly calcified habit (epiphytic on other algae), its ramisympodial branching, the ecorticate main axes, and the elongate shape of the terminal cells of the cortical filaments. The observations were provided for both female (cystocarpic) and tetrasporangiate thalli; however, male thalli were not seen. Further studies have to be undertaken in this Reserve in order to carry out other macroalgal analysis and descriptions.

Caribbean Knowledge Economy : Coordinating Network | IDRC ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

... Diasporic Tourism and Investment (105228) and Networks for Development : the ... The project will include training in the use of Outcome Mapping for impact ... (UWI) to establish a virtual institute for the Caribbean knowledge economy.

Caribbean Marine Mammal Assessment Vessel Surveys

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — These data sets are a compilation of large vessel surveys for marine mammal stock assessments in Caribbean waters conducted during 2000-2001. These surveys were...

Extinction rate, historical population structure and ecological role of the Caribbean monk seal.

Science.gov (United States)

McClenachan, Loren; Cooper, Andrew B

2008-06-22

The productivity and biomass of pristine coral reef ecosystems is poorly understood, particularly in the Caribbean where communities have been impacted by overfishing and multiple other stressors over centuries. Using historical data on the spatial distribution and abundance of the extinct Caribbean monk seal (Monachus tropicalis), this study reconstructs the population size, structure and ecological role of this once common predator within coral reef communities, and provides evidence that historical reefs supported biomasses of fishes and invertebrates up to six times greater than those found on typical modern Caribbean reefs. An estimated 233,000-338,000 monk seals were distributed among 13 colonies across the Caribbean. The biomass of reef fishes and invertebrates required to support historical seal populations was 732-1018 gm(-2) of reefs, which exceeds that found on any Caribbean reef today and is comparable with those measured in remote Pacific reefs. Quantitative estimates of historically dense monk seal colonies and their consumption rates on pristine reefs provide concrete data on the magnitude of decline in animal biomass on Caribbean coral reefs. Realistic reconstruction of these past ecosystems is critical to understanding the profound and long-lasting effect of human hunting on the functioning of coral reef ecosystems.

Network analysis in the Caribbean

NARCIS (Netherlands)

A.W. Veenstra (Albert); H.M. Mulder (Martyn); R.A. Sels

2003-01-01

textabstractThe Caribbean region is a cross road of international and regional container traffic. Most of the islands in the region have also adopted ambitious strategies to become prime locations for container transshipment. This paper introduces a tool that can be used to visualise and analyse the

Cross-Cultural Comparison of Anxiety Symptoms in Colombian and Australian Children

Science.gov (United States)

Amaya, Andrea Crane; Campbell, Marilyn

2010-01-01

Introduction: This cross-cultural study compared both the symptoms of anxiety and their severity in a community sample of children from Colombia and Australia. Method: The sample comprised 516 children (253 Australian children and 263 Colombian children), aged 8 to 12-years-old. The Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS) was used to measure both…

Identity management strategies among HIV-positive Colombian gay men in London.

Science.gov (United States)

Jaspal, Rusi; Williamson, Iain

2017-12-01

This study set out to explore the social-psychological aspects of living with HIV among a group of HIV-positive Colombian gay men in London, and the strategies that they deployed to manage ensuing threats to their identities. Focus group and individual interview data were collected from 14 Colombian gay men living with HIV, and were analysed using qualitative thematic analysis and identity process theory. The following themes are discussed: (1) identity struggles and conflicts in Colombia, (2), managing multiple layers of social stigma in England, and (3) changing interpersonal and intergroup dynamics, which highlight the inter-connections between sexual prejudice, sexual risk-taking and HIV stigma. Identity may be chronically threatened due to the multiple layers of stigma, which can limit the coping strategies available to individuals. Findings strongly support the need for action and programmes to highlight and tackle both racism and HIV stigma on the gay scene and to fund more specific resources for sub-communities of gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, which employ appropriately trained and culturally competent staff.

Physiological and molecular characterization of Phytophthora infestans isolates from the Central Colombian Andean Region.

Science.gov (United States)

Céspedes, María C; Cárdenas, Martha E; Vargas, Angela M; Rojas, Alejandro; Morales, Juan G; Jiménez, Pedro; Bernal, Adriana J; Restrepo, Silvia

2013-01-01

Late blight, caused by Phytophthora infestans, is one of the most devastating diseases found in potato and tomato crops worldwide. In Colombia it also attacks other important crops: cape gooseberry and tree tomato. The knowledge of the pathogen population is determinant to effectively design control strategies. To determine the physiological and molecular characteristics of a set of Colombian P. infestans isolates. Strains isolated from Cundinamarca and Boyacá were examined for the level of resistance to mefenoxam and cymoxanil. Virulence was tested for all strains and crosses between A1 mating type, from different hosts, and the Colombian A2 mating type were tested for the production and viability of oospores in different substrates. Additionally, the molecular diversity of the avirulence gene Avr3a, the β-tubulin gene, and two single copy genes showing RxLR motif, was assessed. We found all levels of mefenoxam sensitivity, with 48% of the strains resistant. A high diversity of races was detected and the population was genetically clonal. Colombian strains had the possibility of sexual reproduction. These results will help in optimizing the use of fungicides and deployment of resistance as control strategies and will contribute to broader studies on diversity of this pathogen. Copyright © 2012 Revista Iberoamericana de Micología. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Use and management of forest resources in the Colombian Amazon: cultural particularities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Angela Landínez

2012-10-01

Full Text Available This study analyzes the main cultural particularities: worldviews and ways of knowing that are associated with the use and management practices of forest resources in the Colombian Amazon. The theoretical cutting proposal contrasts, cultural level, the forms of appropriation of forest resources in indigenous and urban contexts in light of the importance that such activity involves the establishment of management strategies biodiversity in Colombia. Thus, offers an integrated perspective that will address environmental situations considering conflicting factors not only biological but cultural in various scenarios, to give substance to the decisions made and provide a reasonable treatment that enables the implementation of environmental regulatory mechanisms in strategic special biological areas as the Colombian Amazon. Finally, reflect on the importance of facilitating the functional analysis of the connections and interrelationships of ecosystem components, including human communities, to sketch involving both biological and social guidelines for sustainable use of biodiversity.

Quantifying Quaternary Deformation in the Eastern Cordillera of the Colombian Andes Using Cosmogenic Nuclide Geochronology and Fluvial Geomorphology

Science.gov (United States)

Dalman, E.; Taylor, M. H.; Veloza-fajardo, G.; Mora, A.

2014-12-01

Northwest South America is actively deforming through the interaction between the Nazca, South American, and Caribbean plates. Though the Colombian Andes are well studied, much uncertainty remains in the rate of Quaternary deformation along the east directed frontal thrust faults hundreds of kilometers in board from the subduction zones. The eastern foothills of the Eastern Cordillera (EC) preserve deformed landforms, allowing us to quantify incision rates. Using 10Be in-situ terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide (TCN) geochronology, we dated 2 deformed fluvial terraces in the hanging wall of the Guaicaramo thrust fault. From the 10Be concentration and terrace profile relative to local base level, we calculated incision rates. We present a reconstructed slip history of the Guaicaramo thrust fault and its Quaternary slip rate. Furthermore, to quantify the regional Quaternary deformation, we look at the fluvial response to tectonic uplift. Approximately 20 streams along the eastern foothills of the Eastern Cordillera (EC) were studied using a digital elevation model (DEM). From the DEM, longitudinal profiles were created and normalized channel steepness (Ksn) values calculated from plots of drainage area vs. slope. Knickpoints in the longitudinal profiles can record transient perturbations or differential uplift. Calculated Ksn values indicate that the EC is experiencing high rates of uplift, with the highest mean Ksn values occurring in the Cocuy region. Mean channel steepness values along strike of the foothills are related to increasing uplift rates from south to north. In contrast, we suggest that high channel steepness values in the south appear to be controlled by high rates of annual precipitation.

Solar energy and conservation technologies for Caribbean Tourist Facilities (CTF)

Science.gov (United States)

The primary objectives of the Caribbean Tourist Facilities (CTF) project were to develop and publish materials and conduct workshops on solar energy and conservation technologies that would directly address the needs and interests of tourist facilities in the Caribbean basin. Past contacts with the Caribbean and US tourist industries indicated that decision-makers remained unconvinced that renewable technologies could have a significant impact on development and operation costs or that renewable energy products and services suited their needs. In order to assure that the materials and programs developed were responsive to the Caribbean tourist industry and U.S. conservation and renewable energy industries, marketing research with potential end users and the organizations and associations that serve those users was included as an underlying task in the project. The tasks outlined in the CTF Statement of Work included conference planning, gathering of field data, development of educational materials, and conduct of workshop(s). In addition to providing a chronicle of the fulfillment of those tasks, this final report includes suggestions for distributing the documents developed during the project, venues for future workshops, and other technology transfer and market influence strategies.

Lack of Association between Recurrent Pregnancy Loss and Inherited Thrombophilia in a Group of Colombian Patients

Science.gov (United States)

Cardona, Henry; Castañeda, Serguei A.; Cardona Maya, Wálter; Alvarez, Leonor; Gómez, Joaquín; Gómez, Jorge; Torres, José; Tobón, Luis; Bedoya, Gabriel; Cadavid, Ángela P.

2012-01-01

Studies have shown an association between recurrent pregnancy loss and inherited thrombophilia in Caucasian populations, but there is insufficient knowledge concerning triethnic populations such as the Colombian. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether inherited thrombophilia is associated with recurrent pregnancy loss. Methods. We conducted a case-control study of 93 patients with recurrent pregnancy loss (cases) and 206 healthy multiparous women (controls) in a Colombian subpopulation. Three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) markers of the inherited thrombophilias factor V Leiden, prothrombin G20210A, and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T were genotyped by PCR-RFLP. Activated protein C resistance and plasma levels of antithrombin, protein C, and protein S were also measured. Results. The frequency of thrombophilia-associated SNPs, activated protein C resistance, and anticoagulant protein deficiencies, was low overall, except for the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T SNP. The differences between patients and controls had no statistical significance. Conclusion. Our study confirms the low prevalence of inherited thrombophilias in non-Caucasian populations and it is unlikely that the tested thrombophilias play a role in the pathogenesis of recurrent pregnancy loss in this Colombian population. PMID:22577540

Merida Initiative: Insight Into U.S. Mexico Relations

Science.gov (United States)

2016-09-01

LEGISLATION IN THE UNITED STATES ....................................................................................................33 E. MEXICO AS...United States and Mexico go far beyond sheer geography.” She goes on to say, “Bound by economic, environmental , cultural, familial, security, and...attribute the rise in prevalence of Mexican cartels to U.S. seizures of drugs in the Caribbean, essentially closing this route down and forcing Colombian

Critical analysis of the Colombian mining legislation; Analisis critico de la legislacion minera colombiana

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vargas P, Elkin; Gonzalez S, Carmen Lucia

2003-12-15

The document analyses the Colombian mining legislation, Act 685 of 2001, based on the reasons expressed by the government and the miners for its conceit and approval. The document tries to determine the developments achieved by this new Mining Code considering international mining competitiveness and its adaptation to the constitutional rules about environment, indigenous communities, decentralization and sustainable development. The analysis formulates general and specific hypothesis about the proposed objectives of the reform, which are confronted with the arguments and critical evaluations of the results. Most hypothesis are not verified, thus demonstrating that the Colombian mining legislation is far from being the necessary instrument to promote mining activities, making it competitive according to international standards and adapted to the principles of sustainable development, healthy environment, community participation, ethnic minorities and regional autonomy.

Normative Reference Values for Handgrip Strength in Colombian Schoolchildren: The FUPRECOL Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramírez-Vélez, Robinson; Morales, Olimpo; Peña-Ibagon, Jhonatan C; Palacios-López, Adalberto; Prieto-Benavides, Daniel H; Vivas, Andrés; Correa-Bautista, Jorge E; Lobelo, Felipe; Alonso-Martínez, Alicia M; Izquierdo, Mikel

2017-01-01

Ramírez-Vélez, R, Morales, O, Peña-Ibagon, JC, Palacios-López, A, Prieto-Benavides, DH, Vivas, A, Correa-Bautista, JE, Lobelo, F, Alonso-Martínez, AM, and Izquierdo, M. Normative reference values for handgrip strength in Colombian schoolchildren: the FUPRECOL study. J Strength Cond Res 31(1): 217-226, 2017-The primary aim of this study was to generate normative handgrip (HG) strength data for 10 to 17.9 year olds. The secondary aim was to determine the relative proportion of Colombian children and adolescents that fall into established Health Benefit Zones (HBZ). This cross-sectional study enrolled 7,268 schoolchildren (boys n = 3,129 and girls n = 4,139, age 12.7 [2.4] years). Handgrip was measured using a hand dynamometer with an adjustable grip. Five HBZs (Needs Improvement, Fair, Good, Very Good, and Excellent) have been established that correspond to combined HG. Centile smoothed curves, percentile, and tables for the third, 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th, and 97th percentile were calculated using Cole's LMS method. Handgrip peaked in the sample at 22.2 (8.9) kg in boys and 18.5 (5.5) kg in girls. The increase in HG was greater for boys than for girls, but the peak HG was lower in girls than in boys. The HBZ data indicated that a higher overall percentage of boys than girls at each age group fell into the "Needs Improvement" zone, with differences particularly pronounced during adolescence. Our results provide, for the first time, sex- and age-specific HG reference standards for Colombian schoolchildren aged 9-17.9 years.

Timing and magnitude of the Caribbean mid-Holocene highstand

Science.gov (United States)

Ashe, E.; Khan, N.; Horton, B.; Brocard, G. Y.; Dutton, A.; Engelhart, S. E.; Kopp, R. E.; Hill, D. F.; Peltier, W. R.; Scatena, F. N.

2015-12-01

We present a database of published and new relative sea-level (RSL) data for the past 13 ka, which constrains the Holocene sea-level histories of the Caribbean coast of Central and South America (Florida Keys, USA to Guyana) and the Bahamas and Greater and Lesser Antilles islands. Our evaluation of mangrove peat and Acropora palmata sea-level indicators from geological investigations provides 503 sea-level index points and 242 limiting dates. We subdivide the database into 21 regions based on the availability of data, tectonic setting, and distance from the former Laurentide ice sheet. Most index points (75%) and limiting dates (90%) are <8 ka, although there is an unusual temporal distribution with the greatest amount of the data (~28%) occurring between 6-8 ka. We reassess and screen radiocarbon and U/Th ages of mangrove peat and coral data. We use the stratigraphic position (overburden thickness) of index points account for sediment compaction, and use the paleotidal model of Hill et al. (2011) to account for Holocene changes in paleotidal range. A noisy-input Gaussian process regression model calculates that the rates of RSL change were highest during the early Holocene (3-8 mm/yr) and have decreased over time (< 2 mm/yr), which is related to the reduction of ice equivalent meltwater input and collapse of the proglacial forebulge during the Holocene. The sea-level reconstructions demonstrate that RSL did not exceed the present height (0 m) during the Holocene in the majority of locations, with the exception of a small highstand (<2 m) on the northern coast of South America along the Orinoco Delta and Suriname/Guyana located furthest away from the former Laurentide Ice Sheet. The different sea-level histories are an ongoing isostatic response to deglaciation of the Laurentide Ice Sheet and suggest subsidence resulting from collapse of the proglacial forebulge reaches further south than previously considered.

The Use of Satellite Imagery in the Monitoring and Forecasting of Sargassum Seaweed in the Caribbean Phase II of the Sargassum Early Advisory System

Science.gov (United States)

Frazier, J.; Webster, R.; Linton, T.; Hill, B. N.

2013-12-01

In 2011, the Southern Caribbean was plagued by an unusually massive amount of seaweed wrack, an event so rare that locals couldn't think of a season where Sargassum had been that abundant, for sixty years. At this time, the SEAS program had been created, however the path of the seaweed from the Atlantic to the beaches of Texas had yet to be determined. This event sparked the idea that seaweed migrated through the Caribbean then North through the Yucatan Peninsula. While this idea was only partially correct, it did initiate the second phase of the SEAS Program. As it turns out, the seaweed drifts through the Northern passages of the Caribbean (Windward, Mona, and Anegada Passages) and migrates westward, rather than entering the Caribbean from the Southeastern islands (the Virgin Islands down to Granada). Monitoring these passes using ground-truthing and local reports has proven difficult, so in order to determine the presence of seaweed, one can use remote sensing. NASA's satellite Landsat 7 produces images of the passes every eight days, allowing the SEAS Team to monitor the Sargassum. These images have a sufficient resolution to see seaweed mats in the ocean. Based on several factors, such as ocean and wind currents, time of the year, and size of seaweed mats, one can ultimately forecast Sargassum as it makes its journey through the loop system. The seaweed is monitored as it migrates westward, and eventually gets pushed North in massive blooms as a result of neritic waters. These blooms can travel North in warm water gyres. The Sargassum can then break off and wash up on the beaches of Texas or get caught in the Gulf Stream where it is flushed out the Florida Straits back into the Atlantic. Remote sensing makes the first ever system of monitoring Sargassum possible and allows for advanced warning of these troublesome seaweed wracks up and down the coast.

Competing Meanings of Childhood and the Social Construction of Child Sexual Abuse in the Caribbean

Science.gov (United States)

Pasura, Dominic; Jones, Adele D.; Hafner, James A. H.; Maharaj, Priya E.; Nathaniel-DeCaires, Karene; Johnson, Emmanuel Janagan

2013-01-01

This article examines the dynamic interplay between competing meanings of childhood and the social construction of sexual abuse in the Caribbean. Drawing on qualitative data from a study undertaken in six Caribbean countries, the article suggests that Caribbean childhoods are neither wholly global nor local but hybrid creations of the region's…

Species richness and origin of the bryophyte flora of the Colombian Andes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gradstein, S.R.; Reenen, van G.B.A.; Griffin, D.

1988-01-01

Based on data from the ECOANDES project, a phytogeographical analysis has been made of the bryophyte flora along the wet, foggy western slope (1000-4500 m) and the drier eastern slope (500-4500 m) of the Colombian Central Cordillera at the ‘Parque de los Nevados’. Species richness increases with

NOAA/West coast and Alaska Tsunami warning center Atlantic Ocean response criteria

Science.gov (United States)

Whitmore, P.; Refidaff, C.; Caropolo, M.; Huerfano-Moreno, V.; Knight, W.; Sammler, W.; Sandrik, A.

2009-01-01

West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center (WCATWC) response criteria for earthquakesoccurring in the Atlantic and Caribbean basins are presented. Initial warning center decisions are based on an earthquake's location, magnitude, depth, distance from coastal locations, and precomputed threat estimates based on tsunami models computed from similar events. The new criteria will help limit the geographical extent of warnings and advisories to threatened regions, and complement the new operational tsunami product suite. Criteria are set for tsunamis generated by earthquakes, which are by far the main cause of tsunami generation (either directly through sea floor displacement or indirectly by triggering of sub-sea landslides).The new criteria require development of a threat data base which sets warning or advisory zones based on location, magnitude, and pre-computed tsunami models. The models determine coastal tsunami amplitudes based on likely tsunami source parameters for a given event. Based on the computed amplitude, warning and advisory zones are pre-set.

Lionfish abundance, size structure and spatial distribution along the Venezuelan coast (Pterois volitans, Pteroinae: Scorpaenidae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Esteban A. Agudo

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The recent invasion of lionfish (Pterois volitans in the Atlantic is considered a new threat to benthic and fish communities in the Caribbean region. This species was first reported in Venezuela in 2009 at various sites. Increasing reports in the past five years suggest lionfish has expanded its range of distribution and habitats. Nevertheless, this information is mostly anecdotal and extensive surveys aimed to determine its abundance, size structure and other ecological aspects encompassing wider spatial scales are necessary to understand the actual role of this species on sub-tidal marine communities in Venezuela. We determined its density and population size structure through visual census along the Venezuelan coast. Visual censuses were made following strip transects at a depth between 5 and 20m and in daylight time, at 19 sites in five localities. Average density ranged between 7 to 55 individuals per hectare among sites. Most individuals were adults and most were found in caves, coexisting with other lionfish or with different species, while others were actively preying. The fish Pterois volitans seems to be well-established along the Venezuelan coast in densities that in some sites appear to be higher than in their Pacific native range but lower than in some invaded localities of the Atlantic.

Studies on Colombian cryptogams XVIII. The genus Stereocaulon (Schreber) Hoffmann (Lichenès)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boekhout, T.

1982-01-01

Nineteen species of Stereocaulon are treated from the northern Andes, mainly from Colombia. Descriptions and keys are given, with notes on the north-Andean distribution and ecology. Seven species are new for the Colombian flora, viz. St. atlanticum, St. claviceps, St. corticatulum (chem. strain with

The politics of representing the African diaspora in the Caribbean

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kevin A. Yelvington

1994-07-01

Full Text Available [First paragraph] Roots of Jamaican Culture. MERVYN C. ALLEYNE. London: Pluto Press, 1988. xii + 186 pp. (Paper US$ 15.95 Guinea's Other Suns: The African Dynamic in Trinidad Culture. MAUREEN WARNER-LEWIS. Foreword by Rex Nettleford. Dover MA: The Majority Press, 1991. xxii + 207 pp. (Paper US$ 9.95 A recent trend in anthropology is defined by the interest in the role of historical and political configurations in the constitution of local cultural practices. Unfortunately, with some notable individual exceptions, this is the same anthropology which has largely ignored the Caribbean and its "Islands of History."1 Of course, this says much, much more about the way in which anthropology constructs its subject than it says about the merits of the Caribbean case and the fundamental essence of these societies, born as they were in the unforgiving and defining moment of pervasive, persuasive, and pernicious European construction of "Otherness." As Trouillot (1992:22 writes, "Whereas anthropology prefers 'pre-contact' situations - or creates 'no-contact' situations - the Caribbean is nothing but contact." If the anthropological fiction of pristine societies, uninfluenced and uncontaminated by "outside" and more powerful structures and cultures cannot be supported for the Caribbean, then many anthropologists do one or both of the two anthropologically next best things: they take us on a journey that finds us exploding the "no-contact" myth over and over (I think it is called "strawpersonism", suddenly discovering political economy, history, and colonialism, and/or they end up constructing the "pristine" anyway by emphasizing those parts of a diaspora group's pre-Caribbean culture that are thought to remain as cultural "survivals."

Biophysical Forest Type Characterization in the Colombian Amazon by Airborne Polarimetric SAR

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hoekman, D.H.; Quiñones, M.J.

2002-01-01

Fully polarimetric C-, L-, and P-band data were collected by NASA's AirSAR system in May 1993 at the Araracuara test site, a well-surveyed forest reserve in the center of the Colombian Amazon. The area is characterized by a high diversity of forest types, soil types, and flooding conditions. In this

Life-Metaphors among Colombian Medical Students: Uncovering Core Values and Educational Implications

Science.gov (United States)

Hoffman, Edward; Acosta-Orozco, Catalina; Compton, William C.

2015-01-01

The present study utilized metaphor analysis to examine the core values of Colombian medical students. The entire 9th semester medical class of 60 students was invited to respond to a structured questionnaire. It asked participants to state their preferred life-metaphor, whether they had always preferred this metaphor since childhood or…

A historiography of the Colombian education in the first years of independence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liliana Haydé Gutiérrez

2014-02-01

Full Text Available This article aims at providing a historiography of education in Colombia in the early years of the Colombian Republic, emphasizing on important issues that are still the underlying topics for discussion of education in our country: inclusion, rural education, and centralism, the relationship between the Church and the State.

Influence of the environmental heterogeneity on the tree species richness –above ground biomass relationship in the Colombian Amazon

OpenAIRE

Posada Hernández , Carlos Alberto

2013-01-01

Abstract: In this study, we aimed to identify the shape and environmental drivers of the species richness (SR) –rarefied above ground biomass (RAGB) relationship across and within tree communities in the Colombian Amazon. We used a series of 130 0.1 ha plots to answer the next questions: 1) what is the shape of the SR - RAGB relationship both across and within tree communities in the Colombian Amazon? 2) At what extent does environmental heterogeneity drives the shape of the SR - RAGB relatio...

New Hf-Nd evidence supports a heterogeneous plume source for the Caribbean Plateau

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thompson, P.M.E; Kempton, P.D; White, R.V; Kerr, A.C; Tarney, J.; Sauders, A.D

2001-01-01

Hf-Nd systematics provide us with a valuable tool for tracing mantle sources and signatures in ancient or altered rocks. Hf and Nd are amongst the most resistant of all elements to secondary alteration processes (Pearce et al., 1999) and hence can give us insights into the source compositions of altered plateau basalts that other isotopic systems will not. Here we use Hf-Nd systematics to probe the depths of the Cretaceous Caribbean Plateau, in order to characterise its isotope systematics, and hence determine the geochemical nature of the mantle plume responsible for its formation. Much of the plateau is already well characterised in terms of trace elements and isotopes such as Sr, Nd, Pb and Os (Kerr et al., 1997; White et al., 1999; Walker et al., 1999). Unfortunately, isotope system resetting due to sub- solidus alteration, amongst other factors, has ensured that these isotopes have been inconclusive in resolving many important issues, such as whether the Caribbean plateau is a product of an earlier Galapagos plume phase, and how the apparently unique Gorgona komatiites relate to the rest of the Caribbean plateau. We present new Hf-Nd isotopic data which reveal that the Caribbean plume must have been compositionally heterogeneous, comprising at least three different source components. We then compare this 'Caribbean plume' to other present-day plumes, (e.g. Galapagos) and from this speculate whether initial magmatism from the Galapagos plume could indeed have been responsible for the formation of the Caribbean Plateau (au)

Student mobility and differentiated access to Spanish citizenship: the case of Mexicans, Colombians and Brazilians in Galicia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alma Paola Trejo Peña

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Tertiary level enrollment and student mobility is increasing worldwide. As a result, universities are open to receive foreign students, and specifically the Spanish Higher Education Institutions are working to attract some of that international mobility. In recent years, Latin American students are the main applicants for study permits in Spain. Among them, Brazilians, Mexicans and Colombians are the most numerous requestors in the Spanish educational system. On the other hand, access to Spanish citizenship depends on several factors, and one of the most important ones is having legally lived in Spain for a minimum period. This paper presents a relationship between the temporary mobility for study and the achievement of Spanish citizenship by Mexicans, Colombians and Brazilians. This research was conducted using the documentary approach, since this technique allows transforming primary documents on an analytical representation of the addressed phenomenon (Oliveira, 2007. The results show that in Galicia, in the case of Brazilians and Colombians, having a migration project could lead to the Spanish nationality, while for Mexicans, other factors limit this possibility. Furthermore, the experience in the host country, previous experiences and hospitality are variables that interfere in this process.

US Military interventions in the Caribbean from 1898 to 1998 Lessons for Caribbean Leaders

Science.gov (United States)

2011-12-16

live in fear of the destructive power which can accompany the Atlantic hurricane season. With sizes ranging from 35 acres (Young Islands in the...Grenadines) to 42, 803 square miles (Cuba), any Caribbean island can be completely devastated by a single hurricane , necessitating outside aid. The...Since the completion of this work the Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez hosted a two-day, 33

Focused study of interweaving hazards across the Caribbean

Science.gov (United States)

Braun, John J.; Mattioli, Glen S.; Calais, Eric; Carlson, David; Dixon, Timothy H.; Jackson, Michael E.; Kursinski, E. Robert; Mora-Paez, Hector; Miller, M. Meghan; Pandya, Rajul; Robertson, Richard; Wang, Guoquan

2012-02-01

The Caribbean is a region of lush vegetation, beaches, active volcanoes, and significant mountain ranges, all of which create a natural aesthetic that is recognized globally. Yet these very same features, molded through geological, oceanic, and atmospheric processes, also pose natural hazards for the developing countries in the Caribbean. The rise in population density, migration to coastal areas, and substandard building practices, combined with the threat of natural hazards, put the region's human population at risk for particularly devastating disasters. These demographic and social characteristics exist against a backdrop of the threat of an evolving climate, which produces a more vigorous hurricane environment and a rising average sea level.

Studies on Colombian Cryptogams. X. The genus Everniastrum Hale and related taxa (Lichenes)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sipman, H.J.M.

1980-01-01

The Colombian representatives of the lichen family Parmeliaceae with linear lobes and marginal cilia have been revised. A key is given and morphology, chemistry and distribution are treated of 12 species in three genera: Cetrariastrum Sipm. gen. nov, with C. andense (Kärnef.) Sipm. comb. nov., C.

Thermodynamic analysis of the reduction process of Colombian lateritic nickel ore

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diaz, S. C.; Garces, A.; Restrepo, O. J.; Lara, M. A.; Camporredondo, J. E.

2015-01-01

The Colombian nickeliferous laterites are minerals used for the nickel extraction by hydrometallurgical and pyrometallurgical processes. In this work the thermodynamic behaviour of three Colombian lateritic mineral samples are described, with contents of 1.42%, 1.78% y 2.04% of nickel, when they are subjected to the calcination and reduction processes. The mineral was characterized using X Rays Diffraction and X Rays Fluorescence, giving evidence of the presence of mineralogical species such as nepouite (Ni 3 Si 2 O 5 (OH) 4 ), goethite (Fe 2 O 3 .H 2 O), silica (SiO 2 ), antigorite (Mg 3 Si 2 O 5 (OH) 4 ) and fosferite (Mg 2 SiO 4 ). The thermodynamic analysis was conducted using the software HSC Chemistry for Windows 5.1 and was focused in the quantitative determination of the chemical evolution of the mixture of these minerals with variable quantities of coal, in function of temperature. The results produced by the program showed, in the equilibrium, the feasibility of complete reduction of the nickel, and additionally, a considerable high percentage of reduction of iron oxides (up to 99%) using ratio C/O .1 at temperatures close to 1100 degree centigrade. (Author)

An Overlooked Contributor to a Unique Colombian Periodical. Enrique Pérez and the revista Hispania (1912-1916

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jane M. Rausch

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Hispania, a cultural periodical published in London between 1912 and 1916, was an important Colombian endeavor that reflected widely-shared Latin American concerns before and during the outbreak of the First World War. After a brief review of the role of literary periodicals in Colombian humanities, this essay analyzes the numerous contributions published by Enrique Pérez Lleras in Hispania. It concludes that Pérez believed Hispanic America could have avoided the threat of United States and/or European imperialism by spurning despotic rule, educating a governing elite, developing a trained civil service, and establishing strict controls over foreign investment and immigration.

Colombian women and U.S. servicemen : Encounters and experiences from Melgar, Colombia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

N. Lozano Arévalo (Natalia)

2016-01-01

textabstractMore than 50 years of armed conflict in Colombia have permeated the entire society with a culture of violence and war, which have left few citizens untouched. A crucial decision in the history of the conflict was to invite U.S. to take part in the Colombian war. What did this mean at

Effect of the non-tariff barriers in the trade of Colombian mining goods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gamba Saavedra, Gloria Patricia

2007-01-01

The objective of this study is to identify and to provide information on the non tariff barriers NTB to a group of mining products on the excellent international markets for the Colombian case, and to analyze its magnitude and incidence on the external sales of this products, to advance toward this objective is defined which measures they can be considered as non tariff restrictions, its different mensuration methodologies are analyzed and finally a qualitative and quantitative approach of the NTB is made that face the exports of Colombian mining products in their main markets, by means of a survey carried out the managers of the sector in the country. Among the main discoveries, they were evidences of the application of NTB, although they turned out to be not very significant for the sector exporter of mining products; the most frequent are the technical obstacles to the trade, but of relatively moderate incidence

Spatial and temporal variability of the Choco jet stream and its effect on the hydroclimatology of the Colombian pacific

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rueda, Oscar A; Poveda, German

2006-01-01

The Chorro del occidente Colombiano Choco is a low level jet that determines the hydroclimatology of the Colombian pacific region. In this paper, the spatial and temporal variability of the Choco were analyzed. To study this variability, the southern oscillation index (SOI) and multivariate ENSO index (MEI) from the national center for environmental prediction/national center for atmospheric research (NCEP/NCAR) were used. Sea surface temperatures (SST), specific humidity (Shum), and wind speed (WS) data were also utilized. The annual advection cycle of humidity in the core of the Choco was investigated at three different longitudes. A correlation was established between this advection cycle and the temperature gradient involving two zones of the western tropical pacific. These zones are El Nino 1+2 and the Colombian Pacific Ocean. The interannual variability of the Choco associated with both El Nino and La Nina phases of ENSO were derived from a correlation coefficient between the jet's core and both the SOI and the MEI. A wavelet analysis was made between the advection cycle and both the precipitation and river flow in the Colombian pacific region was also studied. The most important outcome of this research is a linkage relating the SST, SOI and MEI with the advection of the Choco, indicating a significant coupling of these variables and both the annual and interannual variability of the jet. These results reveal that the hydroclimatology of the Colombian pacific region is related to the amount of moisture carried by the Choco

Colombian legislation for air contamination control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hernandez S, Gildardo; Montes de Correa, Consuelo

1999-01-01

The most relevant legislative acts promulgated by the Colombian government for controlling atmospheric pollution are reviewed in chronological order. Special emphasis is paid to decree 948 of 1995 modified according to decree 2107 of 1995, e. The general dispositions about norms of air quality, emission levels, contaminant emissions, noise and offensive odors (chapter II), as well as, prohibitions and restrictions to emissions and noise from stationary and mobile sources (chapters III-V) furthermore, the resolutions issued so far by the ministry of the environment for regulating decree 948/95 in those aspects related to the prevention and control of atmospheric pollution are describes. Finally, the main philosophies for regulating air pollutants around the world are explained: the emissions norms, air quality norms, the emission taxes philosophy and the cost-benefit norms

Report on a collection of Hydroida from the Caribbean region, including an annotated checklist of Caribbean Hydroids

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vervoort, W.

1968-01-01

INTRODUCTION The present report deals with a collection of Hydroids from the Zoological Museum, Munich, German Federal Republic (Zoologische Sammlung des Bayerischen Staates, München), collected during various expeditions in the Caribbean region. I have thought it advisable to include in this report

The Integration Movement in the Caribbean at Crossroads: Towards a New Approach of Integration

OpenAIRE

Uziel Nogueira

1997-01-01

The Institute for the Integration of Latin America and the Caribbean (INTAL) has inaugurated a Working Papers Series with the publication of a study by Uziel Nogueira, the Institute's Economist. Entitled "The Integration Movement in the Caribbean at the Crossroads: Towards a New Approach to Integration", the study opens with an overview of the movement towards integration among the English-speaking countries of the Caribbean. It continues with an analysis of the integration process during thi...

Fostering Entrepreneurship in the Caribbean | IDRC - International ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Most of them, however, face daunting development challenges, including pervasive ... And, what policies would allow Caribbean entrepreneurs to play this role? ... Call for new OWSD Fellowships for Early Career Women Scientists now open.

Historiography of the Colombian Cinema 1974-2015

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alvaro Andres Villegas

2017-07-01

Full Text Available This article makes a balance about the actual state of the historical investigation in colombian cinema. With that in mind, we searched, read, reviewed and registered in a database more than 96 works of articles, book chapters and books. We divided in 9 groups with similar characteristics: 1 Panoramic histories, 2 exhibition and publics, 3 censorship, criticism and film clubs, 4 bio-filmography, 5 cinema representations about places or collective subjects, 6 formats and genres, 7 silent film, 8 "first sound cinema", 9 70s and 80s cinema. In conclusion we mention some promising investigation fields, like technological and economic history, publics history and the history between cinema and others media.

The agrarian question in the Colombian orinoquia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia Gutierrez, E.

1999-01-01

Historical, social, economic and political aspects of the agricultural sector are described in the region of the Colombian Orinoquia, with emphasis in the Meta and Casanare Departments. The factors are analyzed implied in the change of the rural economy of the region, the colonization processes and their incidence in the environment, the structural and of the situation factors committed in the rural poverty of the Orinoquense oil cord; the situation of concentration of the earth and the perspectives of production of tropical exotic fruits and their linking with the external market. The economic politicians and the agricultural sector of the region are confronted in terms of the economic opening, the costs, prices and productivity of the sector

[Population dynamics and development in the Caribbean].

Science.gov (United States)

Boland, B

1995-12-01

The impact is examined of socioeconomic factors on Caribbean population dynamics. This work begins by describing the socioeconomic context of the late 1980s and early 1990s, under the influence of the economic changes and crises of the 1980s. The small size, openness, dependency, and lack of diversification of the Caribbean economies have made them vulnerable to external pressures. The Bahamas and Belize had economic growth rates exceeding 5% annually during 1981-90, but most of the countries had low or negative growth. Unemployment, poverty, the structural adjustment measures adopted in the mid-1980s, and declines in social spending exacerbated general economic conditions. In broad terms, the population situation of the Caribbean is marked by diversity of sizes and growth rates. A few countries oriented toward services and tourism had demographic growth rates exceeding 3%, while at least 7 had almost no growth or negative growth. Population growth rates reflected different combinations of natural increase and migration. Crude death rates ranged from around 5/1000 to 11/1000, except in Haiti, and all countries of the region except Haiti had life expectancies of 70 years or higher. Despite fertility decline, the average crude birth rate was still relatively high at 26/1000, and the rate of natural increase was 1.8% annually for the region. Nearly half of the regional population was under 15 or over 65 years old. The body of this work provides greater detail on mortality patterns, variations by sex, infant mortality, causes of death, and implications for policy. The discussion of fertility includes general patterns and trends, age specific fertility rates, contraceptive prevalence, levels of adolescent fertility and age factors in adolescent sexual behavior, characteristics of adolescent unions, contraceptive usage, health and social consequences of adolescent childbearing, and the search for solutions. The final section describes the magnitude and causes of

Status of the petroleum pollution in the Wider Caribbean Sea

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Botello, Alfonso V; Villanueva F, Susana [Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico City (Mexico). Inst. de Ciencias del Mar y Limnologia

1996-07-01

In 1976, the IOC-UNESCO and UNEP convened a meeting in Port of Spain to analyze the marine pollution problems in the region and noted that petroleum pollution was of region-wide concern and recommended to initiate a research and monitoring program to determine the severity of the problem and monitor its effects. Actually, the Wider Caribbean is potentially one of the largest oil producing areas in the world. Major production sites include Louisiana and Texas; USA; the Bay of Campeche, Mexico; Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela; and the Gulf of Paria, Trinidad; all which are classified as production accident high-risk zones. Main sources of petroleum pollution in the Wider Caribbean are: production, exploitation, transportation, urban and municipal discharges, refining and chemical wastes, normal loading operations and accidental spills. About 5 million of barrels are transported daily in the Caribbean, thus generating an intense tanker traffic. It has been estimated that oil discharges from tank washings within the Wider Caribbean could be as high as 7 millions barrels/year. The results of the CARIPOL Regional Programme conducted between 1980-1987 pointed out that a significant levels of petroleum pollution exists throughout the Wider Caribbean and include serious tar contamination of windward exposed beaches, high levels of floating tar within the major currents system and very high levels of dissolved/dispersed hydrocarbons in surface waters. Major effects of this petroleum pollution include: high tar level on many beaches that either prevent recreational use or require very expensive clean-up operations, distress and death to marine life and responses in the enzyme systems of marine organisms that have been correlated with declines in reproductive success. Finally the presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in tissues of important economic species have been reported with its potential carcinogenic effects. (author)

Status of the petroleum pollution in the Wider Caribbean Sea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Botello, Alfonso V.; Villanueva F, Susana

1996-01-01

In 1976, the IOC-UNESCO and UNEP convened a meeting in Port of Spain to analyze the marine pollution problems in the region and noted that petroleum pollution was of region-wide concern and recommended to initiate a research and monitoring program to determine the severity of the problem and monitor its effects. Actually, the Wider Caribbean is potentially one of the largest oil producing areas in the world. Major production sites include Louisiana and Texas; USA; the Bay of Campeche, Mexico; Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela; and the Gulf of Paria, Trinidad; all which are classified as production accident high-risk zones. Main sources of petroleum pollution in the Wider Caribbean are: production, exploitation, transportation, urban and municipal discharges, refining and chemical wastes, normal loading operations and accidental spills. About 5 million of barrels are transported daily in the Caribbean, thus generating an intense tanker traffic. It has been estimated that oil discharges from tank washings within the Wider Caribbean could be as high as 7 millions barrels/year. The results of the CARIPOL Regional Programme conducted between 1980-1987 pointed out that a significant levels of petroleum pollution exists throughout the Wider Caribbean and include serious tar contamination of windward exposed beaches, high levels of floating tar within the major currents system and very high levels of dissolved/dispersed hydrocarbons in surface waters. Major effects of this petroleum pollution include: high tar level on many beaches that either prevent recreational use or require very expensive clean-up operations, distress and death to marine life and responses in the enzyme systems of marine organisms that have been correlated with declines in reproductive success. Finally the presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in tissues of important economic species have been reported with its potential carcinogenic effects. (author)

The Anatomy of a Successful Caribbean Substance Abuse Training Programme

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SD Reid

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Objectives: This paper describes the components of the Caribbean Institute on Alcoholism and Other Drug Problems (CARIAD, a long-standing substance abuse training programme. It seeks to explain how certain strategies and pedagogic techniques may be contributing to its success. Methods: Authors deconstruct the core elements of CARIAD to demonstrate how the programme effectively meets the characteristics of a community of practice. The processes used to develop the learning community and the specific pedagogic strategies and techniques that foster collaborative knowledge construction and sharing are described. Results: Caribbean Institute on Alcoholism and Other Drug Problems brings together a multi-disciplinary, multi-national group of individuals with interest in substance abuse. The programme provides a range of formal and informal learning activities which focus on sharing best practices and creating new sociocultural relevant knowledge to advance the domain of professional practice in substance abuse. The components of CARIAD promote interactivity, rapid bonding and a sense of identity. Caribbean Institute on Alcoholism and Other Drug Problems provides a unique platform for cultural sharing that gives participants an opportunity to reveal insights into local and regional expressions of substance abuse challenges. Participants, however, recognize the absence of structured continuity and the diminution of what could be accomplished by graduates over time. Conclusion: The success of CARIAD as a regional learning platform may be related to its success as a Caribbean community of practice for substance abuse. Caribbean Institute on Alcoholism and Other Drug Problems would do well to sustain the community of practice, generating and maintaining ongoing participation and collaboration among graduates. This can potentially serve to create new strategies for advancing the region in the area of substance abuse.

First record for the river turtle Kinosternon leucostomum (DUMERIL & BIBRON 1851, from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta foothills

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Juan Mendoza Roldan

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The river turtle (Kinosternon leucostomum, was first reported for the department of Guajira in 2011, found in the foothills of the Serranía de Perijá (GALVIS-PEÑUELA et al., 2011. Our observations constitute the first record for the Sierra Nevada de Santamarta Massif and the second distribution record within the department of Guajira, Colombian Caribbean.

Tumaco the other Petroleum face

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carta Petrolera

1997-01-01

The Tumaco City (Colombia), it is one of the exit points of the Colombian and Ecuadorian petroleum. To Tumaco port arrives 80.000 daily barrels coming from the south of Colombia and Ecuador on the average. Tumaco and Covenas (shipment Port for the Caribbean Sea) they conform the points of shipment of the international trade of hydrocarbons in the country

Mixed Methods Research with Internally Displaced Colombian Gay and Bisexual Men and Transwomen

Science.gov (United States)

Zea, Maria Cecilia; Aguilar-Pardo, Marcela; Betancourt, Fabian; Reisen, Carol A.; Gonzales, Felisa

2014-01-01

We discuss the use of mixed methods research to further understanding of displaced Colombian gay and bisexual men and transwomen, a marginalized population at risk. Within the framework of communicative action, which calls for social change through egalitarian dialog, we describe how our multinational, interdisciplinary research team explored the…

Genetic Polymorphisms in Cytokine Genes in Colombian Patients with Ocular Toxoplasmosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Naranjo-Galvis, C A; de-la-Torre, A; Mantilla-Muriel, L E; Beltrán-Angarita, L; Elcoroaristizabal-Martín, X; McLeod, R; Alliey-Rodriguez, N; Begeman, I J; López de Mesa, C; Gómez-Marín, J E; Sepúlveda-Arias, J C

2018-04-01

Toxoplasmosis is caused by infection with the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii , which has the capacity to infect all warm-blooded animals worldwide. Toxoplasmosis is a major cause of visual defects in the Colombian population; however, the association between genetic polymorphisms in cytokine genes and susceptibility to ocular toxoplasmosis has not been studied in this population. This work evaluates the associations between polymorphisms in genes coding for the cytokines tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) (rs1799964, rs1800629, rs1799724, rs1800630, and rs361525), interleukin 1β (IL-1β) (rs16944, rs1143634, and rs1143627), IL-1α (rs1800587), gamma interferon (IFN-γ) (rs2430561), and IL-10 (rs1800896 and rs1800871) and the presence of ocular toxoplasmosis (OT) in a sample of a Colombian population (61 patients with OT and 116 healthy controls). Genotyping was performed with the "dideoxynucleotide (ddNTP) primer extension" technique. Functional-effect predictions of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were done by using FuncPred. A polymorphism in the IL-10 gene promoter (-1082G/A) was significantly more prevalent in OT patients than in controls ( P = 1.93e-08; odds ratio [OR] = 5.27e+03; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.18 to 8.739; Bonferroni correction [BONF] = 3.48e-07). In contrast, haplotype "AG" of the IL-10 gene promoter polymorphisms (rs1800896 and rs1800871) was present at a lower frequency in OT patients ( P = 7e-04; OR = 0.10; 95% CI = 0.03 to 0.35). The +874A/T polymorphism of IFN-γ was associated with OT ( P = 3.37e-05; OR = 4.2; 95% CI = 2.478 to 7.12; BONF = 6.07e-04). Haplotype "GAG" of the IL-1β gene promoter polymorphisms (rs1143634, rs1143627, and rs16944) appeared to be significantly associated with OT ( P = 0.0494). The IL-10, IFN-γ, and IL-1β polymorphisms influence the development of OT in the Colombian population. Copyright © 2018 American Society for Microbiology.

Review and Analysis of the Colombian Foreign Language Bilingualism Policies and Plans

Science.gov (United States)

Gómez Sará, Mary Mily

2017-01-01

This article reviews the background of the foreign language bilingualism in Colombia, as well as the Colombian bilingualism plans and the policy launched between 2004 and 2016. Then, these plans and policy are analyzed taking into account the most common criticisms from the academic community. In this sense, aspects such as the lack of continuity,…

CARICOF - The Caribbean Regional Climate Outlook Forum

Science.gov (United States)

Van Meerbeeck, Cedric

2013-04-01

Regional Climate Outlook Forums (RCOFs) are viewed as a critical building block in the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS) of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The GFCS seeks to extend RCOFs to all vulnerable regions of the world such as the Caribbean, of which the entire population is exposed to water- and heat-related natural hazards. An RCOF is initially intended to identify gaps in information and technical capability; facilitate research cooperation and data exchange within and between regions, and improve coordination within the climate forecasting community. A focus is given on variations in climate conditions on a seasonal timescale. In this view, the relevance of a Caribbean RCOF (CARICOF) is the following: while the seasonality of the climate in the Caribbean has been well documented, major gaps in knowledge exist in terms of the drivers in the shifts of amplitude and phase of seasons (as evidenced from the worst region-wide drought period in recent history during 2009-2010). To address those gaps, CARICOF has brought together National Weather Services (NWSs) from 18 territories under the coordination of the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH), to produce region-wide, consensus, seasonal climate outlooks since March 2012. These outlooks include tercile rainfall forecasts, sea and air surface temperature forecasts as well as the likely evolution of the drivers of seasonal climate variability in the region, being amongst others the El Niño Southern Oscillation or tropical Atlantic and Caribbean Sea temperatures. Forecasts for both the national-scale forecasts made by the NWSs and CIMH's regional-scale forecast amalgamate output from several forecasting tools. These currently include: (1) statistical models such as Canonical Correlation Analysis run with the Climate Predictability Tool, providing tercile rainfall forecasts at weather station scale; (2) a global outlooks published by the WMO appointed Global Producing

Annotated bibliography of coal in the Caribbean region. [Lignite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Orndorff, R.C.

1985-01-01

The purpose of preparing this annotated bibliography was to compile information on coal localities for the Caribbean region used for preparation of a coal map of the region. Also, it serves as a brief reference list of publications for future coal studies in the Caribbean region. It is in no way an exhaustive study or complete listing of coal literature for the Caribbean. All the material was gathered from published literature with the exception of information from Cuba which was supplied from a study by Gordon Wood of the US Geological Survey, Branch of Coal Resources. Following the classification system of the US Geological Survey (Wood and others, 1983), the term coal resources has been used in this report for reference to general estimates of coal quantities even though authors of the material being annotated may have used the term coal reserves in a similar denotation. The literature ranges from 1857 to 1981. The countries listed include Colombia, Mexico, Venezuela, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and the countries of Central America.

New digital control system for the operation of the Colombian research reactor IAN-R1; Nuevo sistema de control digital para la operacion del reactor de investigacion Colombiano IAN-R1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Celis del A, L.; Rivero, T.; Bucio, F.; Ramirez, R.; Segovia, A.; Palacios, J., E-mail: lina.celis@inin.gob.mx [ININ, Carretera Mexico-Toluca s/n, 52750 Ocoyoacac, Estado de Mexico (Mexico)

2015-09-15

En 2011, Mexico won the Colombian international tender for the renewal of instrumentation and control of the IAN-R1 Reactor, to Argentina and the United States. This paper presents the design criteria and the development made for the new digital control system installed in the Colombian nuclear reactor IAN-R1, which is based on a redundant and diverse architecture, which provides increased availability, reliability and safety in the reactor operation. This control system and associated instrumentation met all national export requirements, with the safety requirements established by the IAEA as well as the requirements demanded by the Colombian Regulatory Body in nuclear matter. On August 20, 2012, the Colombian IAN-R1 reactor reached its first criticality controlled with the new system developed at Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares (ININ). On September 14, 2012, the new control system of the Colombian IAN-R1 reactor was officially handed over to the Colombian authorities, this being the first time that Mexico exported nuclear technology through the ININ. Currently the reactor is operating successfully with the new control system, and has an operating license for 5 years. (Author)

New strategic directions for Caribbean CSM project.

Science.gov (United States)

1986-01-01

Recent changes in the strategy of the Caribbean Contraceptive Social Marketing Project emphasize the condom, under the brand name, Panther. Since 1984, CCSMP began marketing their Perle rand of oral contraceptive, since dropped, in Barbados, St. Vincent and St. Lucia. Now wider commercial connections are envisioned, with support by CCSMP to promote generic brands. The Panther condom campaign will include an array of mass media, point-of-purchase and sporting event advertising. Pharmacies report that Panther is selling as well as the leading commercial brand. CCSMP is looking to introduce an ultra-thin condom and a vaginal foaming tablet. Market research, involving physicians and users as well as retail audits, indicates that although population in numbers alone is not a serious problem in the Caribbean, early pregnancy is a concern in the area.

[Experimental infection of the gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) by Colombian isolates of Giardia duodenalis].

Science.gov (United States)

Arévalo, Adriana; Duque, Sofía; Nicholls, Rubén Santiago

2005-09-01

Natural and experimental Giardia infections have been reported from bovines, equines, goats, canines, felines and rodents such as mice, rats and gerbils. The latter have provided successful animal models for Giardia duodenalis and Giardia muris experimental infections. The gerbil model was used to establish the pattern of infection of Colombian Giardia human isolates. Giardia cysts were obtained from stool specimens of symptomatic giardiasis patients by means of sucrose-percoll gradients. Animal inoculation was performed by gastric intubation and injection with 5 x 10(3) Giardia cysts. The course of infection was established by counting cysts every day and trophozoites weekly throughout a period of 30 days. The pattern of cyst excretion was found to be intermittent. Cysts were released during the second and third weeks of infection but not during the first or fourth weeks. The mean minimal number of cysts released per 2-hr collection period was 79 and the mean maximum number was 17,943. Colonization of the small intestine by trophozoites was observed with a mean number ranging from 15,000 to 6,577,778 trophozoites/ml. Gerbils inoculated with G. duodenalis isolates obtained from geographical areas outside Colombia resolved the infection between 86 and 114 days after infection, whereas gerbils infected with Colombian G. duodenalis isolates resolved the infection at 30 days. The gerbil proved to be a good animal model for experimental infection with Colombian isolates of G. duodenalis. Experimental Giardia infection of gerbils permit a sufficient yield of cysts and trophozoites to be used as antigens for the immunization of other animals and to obtain Giardia antibodies that could be used for Giardia antigen detection assays in stool specimens.

Parrotfish size: a simple yet useful alternative indicator of fishing effects on Caribbean reefs?

Science.gov (United States)

Vallès, Henri; Oxenford, Hazel A

2014-01-01

There is great need to identify simple yet reliable indicators of fishing effects within the multi-species, multi-gear, data-poor fisheries of the Caribbean. Here, we investigate links between fishing pressure and three simple fish metrics, i.e. average fish weight (an estimate of average individual fish size), fish density and fish biomass, derived from (1) the parrotfish family, a ubiquitous herbivore family across the Caribbean, and (2) three fish groups of "commercial" carnivores including snappers and groupers, which are widely-used as indicators of fishing effects. We hypothesize that, because most Caribbean reefs are being heavily fished, fish metrics derived from the less vulnerable parrotfish group would exhibit stronger relationships with fishing pressure on today's Caribbean reefs than those derived from the highly vulnerable commercial fish groups. We used data from 348 Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment (AGRRA) reef-surveys across the Caribbean to assess relationships between two independent indices of fishing pressure (one derived from human population density data, the other from open to fishing versus protected status) and the three fish metrics derived from the four aforementioned fish groups. We found that, although two fish metrics, average parrotfish weight and combined biomass of selected commercial species, were consistently negatively linked to the indices of fishing pressure across the Caribbean, the parrotfish metric consistently outranked the latter in the strength of the relationship, thus supporting our hypothesis. Overall, our study highlights that (assemblage-level) average parrotfish size might be a useful alternative indicator of fishing effects over the typical conditions of most Caribbean shallow reefs: moderate-to-heavy levels of fishing and low abundance of highly valued commercial species.

Conservation and the Colombian Amazonian

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Defler, Thomas R

2001-01-01

Colombia is a special country in terms of its biological wealth, for it has been classified it as one of the three countries of the world with more biodiversity after Brazil and Indonesia; in the number of species of organisms that they are inside the national limits and it surpasses to gigantic countries as Canada, the United States and Russia. Colombia, for its characteristic biotic, is in the entire world the first one in number of species of birds, of frogs and of orchids and probably second in the world (after Brazil) in the number of species of plants superiors (angiosperms) and species of palms; also, worldwide it is classified to the country among the first ones in the number of species of mammals, reptiles, fish of fresh water and insects. This article, it seeks to discuss the problem of the conservation in the Colombian Amazonian, evaluating the necessities for the future and pointing out some of the current problems that impede a healthy conservation

[Colombian Health spending 1993-2003: its composition and trends].

Science.gov (United States)

Barón-Leguizamón, Gilberto

2007-01-01

Analysing the magnitude, composition, evolution and trends in Colombian national spending on health, forming a proposal and making an important contribution towards knowledge re the reality of social health security. The results obtained respond to an ongoing effort to systematise and standardise the adopted methodology and update calculations and estimates for the eleven-year period during which Law 100/1993 was being reformed. Analysing the above led to identifying changes in the flow of resources and establishing objective comparisons according to current/available international standards. The project began in the Colombian Planning Department (lasting 5 years) and was then passed to the Ministry of Social Protection's Health Reform Support Programme where new institutional scope has been applied during the last four years. Perhaps the work's most important contribution consists of producing annual estimates of total public and private spending on health as a time-series, for a relatively significant period. The results confirm fulfilment of the reform's suppositions in terms of the significant amount of resources channelled to the sector, the important substitution of financing private spending for spending on health insurance, greater dynamism and the importance of public funds in financing total spending and the managing of an important segment of such resources by some of the new agents created by the reform. This contrasts with the little importance paid to spending on promotion and prevention and on public health and basic attention programmes.

Dusty air masses transport between Amazon Basin and Caribbean Islands

Science.gov (United States)

Euphrasie-Clotilde, Lovely; Molinie, Jack; Prospero, Joseph; Feuillard, Tony; Brute, Francenor; Jeannot, Alexis

2015-04-01

Depend on the month, African desert dust affect different parts of the North Atlantic Ocean. From December to April, Saharan dust outbreaks are often reported over the amazon basin and from May to November over the Caribbean islands and the southern regions of USA. This annual oscillation of Saharan dust presence, related to the ITCZ position, is perturbed some time, during March. Indeed, over Guadeloupe, the air quality network observed between 2007 and 2012 several dust events during March. In this paper, using HISPLIT back trajectories, we analyzed air masses trajectories for March dust events observed in Guadeloupe, from 2007 to 2012.We observed that the high pressure positions over the Atlantic Ocean allow the transport of dusty air masses from southern region of West Africa to the Caribbean Sea with a path crossing close to coastal region of French Guyana. Complementary investigations including the relationship between PM10 concentrations recorded in two sites Pointe-a-Pitre in the Caribbean, and Cayenne in French Guyana, have been done. Moreover we focus on the mean delay observed between the times arrival. All the results show a link between pathway of dusty air masses present over amazon basin and over the Caribbean region during several event of March. The next step will be the comparison of mineral dust composition for this particular month.

Tangled roots: Kalenda and other neo-African dances in the circum-Caribbean

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julian Gerstin

2004-01-01

Full Text Available Investigates descriptions of Afro-Caribbean dances in early chronicles and historical material. Author focuses on choreography, as well as on musical instruments and their use. He pays special attention to descriptions of the Martinican kalenda dance. He discusses descriptions from the 18th c. of black Caribbean dance in French and other colonies, by priests and others, of the kalenda as a couple dance within a ring, and descriptions of other widespread early dances in the Caribbean, such as chica. Author notes that in these early descriptions the authors focus obsessively on eroticism, thus simplifying and exaggerating the dances as sexual, and ignoring their variety. Further, he analyses early chronicles on other widespread dances in the circum-Caribbean, such as stick-fighting dances, bamboula, djouba, and belair, comparing with present-day Caribbean dances, and on "challenge dancing" involving a dance soloist "challenged" by a lead drummer, found, for instance, in kalenda and rumba. In addition, the author focuses on the dances' musical accompaniment by drums, and the drum types and methods, specifically transverse drumming and drumming with sticks on the side of the drum, found today in kalenda, and other Caribbean styles. He points at the inaccuracy of some chronicles, mixing up dance names, and recurring superficiality and stereotypes. He nonetheless concludes from them that slaves from the Congo/Angola region probably played a crucial role in forming these early dance styles, and that their spread was connected with French colonialism and slavery and migrations from (once French colonies. He describes probable Congolese/Angolan influences, such as pelvic isolation, challenge dances, couple dancing within a circle, and transverse drumming, but indicates that these are over time combined with other African and other influences.

HIV/AIDS and tourism in the Caribbean: an ecological systems perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Padilla, Mark B; Guilamo-Ramos, Vincent; Bouris, Alida; Reyes, Armando Matiz

2010-01-01

The Caribbean has the highest HIV rates outside of sub-Saharan Africa. In recent decades, tourism has become the most important Caribbean industry. Studies suggest that tourism areas are epicenters of demographic and social changes linked to HIV risk, such as transactional sex, elevated alcohol and substance use, and internal migration. Despite this, no formative HIV-prevention studies have examined tourism areas as ecologies that heighten HIV vulnerability. HIV/AIDS research needs to place emphasis on the ecological context of sexual vulnerability in tourism areas and develop multilevel interventions that are sensitive to this context. From our review and integration of a broad literature across the social and health sciences, we argue for an ecological approach to sexual health in Caribbean tourism areas, point to gaps in knowledge, and provide direction for future research.

Ascidians from Caribbean shallow water localities

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Goodbody, Ivan

1984-01-01

Between 1930 and 1973 PIETER WAGENAAR HUMMELINCK of the Zoölogisch Laboratorium of the State University of Utrecht made nine collecting trips to the Caribbean. While most collecting was undertaken in the territories of the Netherlands Antilles, visits were also made to several other West Indian

Cenozoic Methane-Seep Faunas of the Caribbean Region.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Steffen Kiel

Full Text Available We report new examples of Cenozoic cold-seep communities from Colombia, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Trinidad, and Venezuela, and attempt to improve the stratigraphic dating of Cenozoic Caribbean seep communities using strontium isotope stratigraphy. Two seep faunas are distinguished in Barbados: the late Eocene mudstone-hosted 'Joes River fauna' consists mainly of large lucinid bivalves and tall abyssochrysoid gastropods, and the early Miocene carbonate-hosted 'Bath Cliffs fauna' containing the vesicomyid Pleurophopsis, the mytilid Bathymodiolus and small gastropods. Two new Oligocene seep communities from the Sinú River basin in Colombia consist of lucinid bivalves including Elongatolucina, thyasirid and solemyid bivalves, and Pleurophopsis. A new early Miocene seep community from Cuba includes Pleurophopsis and the large lucinid Meganodontia. Strontium isotope stratigraphy suggests an Eocene age for the Cuban Elmira asphalt mine seep community, making it the oldest in the Caribbean region. A new basal Pliocene seep fauna from the Dominican Republic is characterized by the large lucinid Anodontia (Pegophysema. In Trinidad we distinguish two types of seep faunas: the mudstone-hosted Godineau River fauna consisting mainly of lucinid bivalves, and the limestone-hosted Freeman's Bay fauna consisting chiefly of Pleurophopsis, Bathymodiolus, and small gastropods; they are all dated as late Miocene. Four new seep communities of Oligocene to Miocene age are reported from Venezuela. They consist mainly of large globular lucinid bivalves including Meganodontia, and moderately sized vesicomyid bivalves. After the late Miocene many large and typical 'Cenozoic' lucinid genera disappeared from the Caribbean seeps and are today known only from the central Indo-Pacific Ocean. We speculate that the increasingly oligotrophic conditions in the Caribbean Sea after the closure of the Isthmus of Panama in the Pliocene may have been unfavorable for such large

Towards a systemic assessment of environmental impact (SAEI regarding alternative hydrosedimentological management practice in the Canal del Dique, Colombia

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Leonel Vega Mora

2013-09-01

Full Text Available The Canal del Dique, located on the Colombian Caribbean Coast, can be seen as an "artificial" branch of the River Magdalena. Since its inception in 1650, it has undergone a series of interventions aimed at optimising river navigation between Cartagena and the interior of the country, little consideration having been paid to institutional, economic, social and environmental impacts.This paper presents a systemic assessment of environmental impact (SAEI methodology, based on systemic parameterisation of the environment, proposed by Vega [2011], for the strategic environmental assessment of policy, plans, programmes or large-scale projects, considering a case study of the Canal del Dique environmental rehabilitation as proposed by the Colombian government.Information arising from the framework of an inter-administrative agreement between the Universidad Nacional de Colombia and the Regional Autonomous Corporation for the Rio Grande de la Magdalena (CORMAGDALENA was used for studying the environmental restoration of and navigation in the Canal del Dique [UN-LEH, 2008]. The authors developed and summarised SAEI regarding six alternatives for hydrosedimentological management in the canal to obtain results concerning environmental impairment or improvement regarding each factor considered, and the degree of aggressiveness or betterment involved in each alternative.Alternative 4, an enhanced version of current condition (ECC would have produced the greatest environmental benefit (i.e. limited dredging plus optimising channel-wetland interconnection requiring the narrowing of three straight reaches along the canal and the construction of a sluice-gate system in the Strait of Paracuica (near the town of El Recreo.

“It’s all about the Money”: Crime in the Caribbean and Its Impact on Canada

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Cameron Ross

2014-07-01

Full Text Available For most Canadians, the Caribbean is a place to take an idyllic break from winter. Sandy beaches and warm temperatures lure Canadians to the islands. Interaction with the local population is mostly limited to those who work in hotels and bars. What actually happens in the local communities is generally lost on the average Canadian. Appreciating the large Caribbean diaspora in Toronto and Montreal, the connections are dynamic between those sun-baked Caribbean communities and Canadian society. While those linkages are generally positive, there are disturbing trends in crime in the Caribbean. Herculean efforts are being made by the World Bank, the United Nations, and the regional Caribbean Development Bank to build regional capacity in governance and criminal justice systems. There is, however, a lack of political will by some Caribbean leaders to implement recommendations that would greatly improve citizen security and national institutions. Scholarly and professional studies have made recommendations for the security sector that are achievable, but the political will in many countries has been lagging. The Caribbean drug trade has long held the spotlight, but money laundering is increasingly a concern, especially with evidence of linkages between terrorist groups resident in Central America and Venezuela, which have close proximity to the Caribbean Windward Islands. Post-9/11 financial tools, utilized under the U.S. Patriot Act, have been effective in dealing with rogue governments, corrupt officials, and transnational criminal gangs. However, the use of the Internet for financial transactions and the emergence of digital currencies have made regulatory control challenging. This is significant considering the Canadian tourism, banking, and resource development in the region that have caused steady flows of Canadians, money and expertise to the Caribbean. This paper reviews Caribbean crime and its trends and impacts on Canada, money

[Molecular and clinical characterization of Colombian patients suffering from type III glycogen storage disease].

Science.gov (United States)

Mantilla, Carolina; Toro, Mónica; Sepúlveda, María Elsy; Insuasty, Margarita; Di Filippo, Diana; López, Juan Álvaro; Baquero, Carolina; Navas, María Cristina; Arias, Andrés Augusto

2018-05-01

Type III glycogen storage disease (GSD III) is an autosomal recessive disorder in which a mutation in the AGL gene causes deficiency of the glycogen debranching enzyme. The disease is characterized by fasting hypoglycemia, hepatomegaly and progressive myopathy. Molecular analyses of AGL have indicated heterogeneity depending on ethnic groups. The full spectrum of AGL mutations in Colombia remains unclear. To describe the clinical and molecular characteristics of ten Colombian patients diagnosed with GSD III. We recruited ten Colombian children with a clinical and biochemical diagnosis of GSD III to undergo genetic testing. The full coding exons and the relevant exon-intron boundaries of the AGL underwent Sanger sequencing to identify mutation. All patients had the classic phenotype of the GSD III. Genetic analysis revealed a mutation p.Arg910X in two patients. One patient had the mutation p.Glu1072AspfsX36, and one case showed a compound heterozygosity with p.Arg910X and p.Glu1072AspfsX36 mutations. We also detected the deletion of AGL gene 3, 4, 5, and 6 exons in three patients. The in silico studies predicted that these defects are pathogenic. No mutations were detected in the amplified regions in three patients. We found mutations and deletions that explain the clinical phenotype of GSD III patients. This is the first report with a description of the clinical phenotype and the spectrum of AGL mutations in Colombian patients. This is important to provide appropriate prognosis and genetic counseling to the patient and their relatives.

48 CFR 25.504-2 - WTO GPA/Caribbean Basin Trade Initiative/FTAs.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false WTO GPA/Caribbean Basin... 25.504-2 WTO GPA/Caribbean Basin Trade Initiative/FTAs. Example 1. Offer A 304,000 U.S.-made end... the acquisition is covered by the WTO GPA and there is an offer of a U.S.-made or an eligible product...

Biogeography of azooxanthellate corals in the Caribbean and surrounding areas

Science.gov (United States)

Dawson, J.

2002-04-01

Biogeographic patterns for azooxanthellate corals are not as well known as those of zooxanthellate (primarily reef-building) corals. I analyzed occurrences of 129 species of azooxanthellate corals in 19 geopolitical regions in the Caribbean and surrounding areas. I performed an unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic averages (UPGMA) cluster analysis using Bray-Curtis' similarity measure on the complete data set and shallow- and deep-water subsets of the data. The results indicate two provinces, each with a widespread (tropical and subtropical distributions) component to its fauna. One province has a tropical and primarily insular component to it, while the other has a subtropical and primarily continental component. By contrast, zooxanthellate corals have a uniform faunal composition throughout the Caribbean. Moreover, zooxanthellate corals have half as many species in the Caribbean as the azooxanthellate corals even though their global diversities are equal. These differences in diversity and geographic distribution patterns should be considered when developing conservation strategies.

Widespread local chronic stressors in Caribbean coastal habitats.

Science.gov (United States)

Chollett, Iliana; Collin, Rachel; Bastidas, Carolina; Cróquer, Aldo; Gayle, Peter M H; Jordán-Dahlgren, Eric; Koltes, Karen; Oxenford, Hazel; Rodriguez-Ramirez, Alberto; Weil, Ernesto; Alemu, Jahson; Bone, David; Buchan, Kenneth C; Creary Ford, Marcia; Escalante-Mancera, Edgar; Garzón-Ferreira, Jaime; Guzmán, Hector M; Kjerfve, Björn; Klein, Eduardo; McCoy, Croy; Potts, Arthur C; Ruíz-Rentería, Francisco; Smith, Struan R; Tschirky, John; Cortés, Jorge

2017-01-01

Coastal ecosystems and the livelihoods they support are threatened by stressors acting at global and local scales. Here we used the data produced by the Caribbean Coastal Marine Productivity program (CARICOMP), the longest, largest monitoring program in the wider Caribbean, to evidence local-scale (decreases in water quality) and global-scale (increases in temperature) stressors across the basin. Trend analyses showed that visibility decreased at 42% of the stations, indicating that local-scale chronic stressors are widespread. On the other hand, only 18% of the stations showed increases in water temperature that would be expected from global warming, partially reflecting the limits in detecting trends due to inherent natural variability of temperature data. Decreases in visibility were associated with increased human density. However, this link can be decoupled by environmental factors, with conditions that increase the flush of water, dampening the effects of human influence. Besides documenting environmental stressors throughout the basin, our results can be used to inform future monitoring programs, if the desire is to identify stations that provide early warning signals of anthropogenic impacts. All CARICOMP environmental data are now available, providing an invaluable baseline that can be used to strengthen research, conservation, and management of coastal ecosystems in the Caribbean basin.

Species richness and distribution of understorey bryophytes in different forest types in Colombian Amazonia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Benavides, J.C.; Duque, A.J.; Duivenvoorden, J.F.; Cleef, A.M.

2006-01-01

The first bryophyte survey results from Colombian Amazonia are presented. Bryophyte species, differentiated into mosses and liverworts, and further into four life-form classes, were sampled in 0.1-ha plots. These plots were distributed over four landscape units in the middle Caquetá area:

Genetic admixture estimates by Alu elements in Afro-Colombian and Mestizo populations from Antioquia, Colombia.

Science.gov (United States)

Gómez-Pérez, Luis; Alfonso-Sánchez, Miguel A; Pérez-Miranda, Ana M; García-Obregón, Susana; Builes, Juan J; Bravo, Maria L; De Pancorbo, Marian M; Peña, José A

2010-08-01

This work was intended to gain insights into the admixture processes occurring in Latin American populations by examining the genetic profiles of two ethnic groups from Antioquia (Colombia). To analyse the genetic variability, eight Alu insertions were typed in 64 Afro-Colombians and a reference group of 34 Hispanics (Mestizos). Admixture proportions were estimated using the Weighted Least Squares and the Gene Identity methods. The usefulness of the Alu elements as Ancestry Informative Markers (AIMs) was evaluated through differences in weighted allelic frequencies (delta values) and by hierarchical analysis of the molecular variance (AMOVA). The Afro-Colombian gene pool was largely determined by the African component (88.5-88.8%), but the most prominent feature was the null contribution of European genes. Mestizos were characterized by a major European component (60.0-63.8%) and a comparatively low proportion of Amerindian (19.2-20.7%) and African (17.0-19.3%) genes. Five of the Alu loci examined (ACE, APO, FXIIIB, PV92 and TPA25) showed an adequate resolving power to differentiate between continental groups, as indicated by delta values and AMOVA results. The peculiarity of the Afro-Colombian gene pool seems to be associated with intense genetic drift episodes that occurred in isolated communities founded by small groups of runaway slaves. ACE, APO, FXIIIB, PV92 and TPA25 could be efficiently utilized in studies dealing with demographic history and biogeographical ancestry in human populations.

Study of five novel non-synonymous polymorphisms in human brain-expressed genes in a Colombian sample.

Science.gov (United States)

Ojeda, Diego A; Forero, Diego A

2014-10-01

Non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (nsSNPs) in brain-expressed genes represent interesting candidates for genetic research in neuropsychiatric disorders. To study novel nsSNPs in brain-expressed genes in a sample of Colombian subjects. We applied an approach based on in silico mining of available genomic data to identify and select novel nsSNPs in brain-expressed genes. We developed novel genotyping assays, based in allele-specific PCR methods, for these nsSNPs and genotyped them in 171 Colombian subjects. Five common nsSNPs (rs6855837; p.Leu395Ile, rs2305160; p.Thr394Ala, rs10503929; p.Met289Thr, rs2270641; p.Thr4Pro and rs3822659; p.Ser735Ala) were studied, located in the CLOCK, NPAS2, NRG1, SLC18A1 and WWC1 genes. We reported allele and genotype frequencies in a sample of South American healthy subjects. There is previous experimental evidence, arising from genome-wide expression and association studies, for the involvement of these genes in several neuropsychiatric disorders and endophenotypes, such as schizophrenia, mood disorders or memory performance. Frequencies for these nsSNPSs in the Colombian samples varied in comparison to different HapMap populations. Future study of these nsSNPs in brain-expressed genes, a synaptogenomics approach, will be important for a better understanding of neuropsychiatric diseases and endophenotypes in different populations.

Rules of engagement: predictors of Black Caribbean immigrants' engagement with African American culture.

Science.gov (United States)

Joseph, Nancy; Watson, Natalie N; Wang, Zhenni; Case, Andrew D; Hunter, Carla D

2013-10-01

The cultural context in the United States is racialized and influences Black Caribbean immigrants' acculturation processes, but what role it plays in Black Caribbean immigrants' acculturation into specific facets of American society (e.g., African American culture) has been understudied in the field of psychology. The present study extends research on Black Caribbean immigrants' acculturative process by assessing how this group's experience of the racial context (racial public regard, ethnic public regard, and cultural race-related stress) influences its engagement in African American culture (i.e., adoption of values and behavioral involvement). Data were collected from 93 Black participants of Caribbean descent, ranging in age from 13 to 45 and analyzed using a stepwise hierarchical regression. The findings highlighted that when Black Caribbean-descended participants perceived that the public held a favorable view of their racial group they were more likely to engage in African American culture. In contrast, when participants perceived that the public held a favorable view of their ethnic group (e.g., Haitian) they were less likely to engage in African American culture. Furthermore, among participants experiencing low levels of cultural race-related stress, the associations between racial public regard and engagement with African American culture were amplified. However, for participants experiencing high cultural race-related stress, their engagement in African American culture did not change as a function of racial public regard. These findings may suggest that, for Black Caribbean immigrants, the experience of the racial context influences strategies that serve to preserve or bolster their overall social status and psychological well-being in the United States. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

Land contention as an obstacle to peace : the effect of multinational corporations and the palm oil industry on the Colombian conflict

OpenAIRE

Jounes, Nadia Jafa

2014-01-01

In 2012 the Colombian government and the FARC guerrilla commenced peace talks for the first time in many years. This thesis looks at the Colombian land struggle from its earliest stages to understand the roots of the issue. Then this thesis links these issues with contemporary land contention and the invasion by multinational corporations and the African oil palm industry. Also, in the light of the current peace process, this thesis takes a look at how such foreign investment i...

Fragile X Syndrome in a Colombian Family

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saldarriaga Gil, Wilmar

2018-01-01

Full Text Available A study was performed on a family from Cali, Colombia in which nine patients were evaluated, three of which presented with intellectual disability with no previous etiological diagnosis. The proband was diagnosed with Fragile X syndrome by DNA molecular testing and, cascade testing, performed on all available family members, identifying two additional individuals with the full mutation and four carriers of a premutation allele. With this report we seek to contribute to Colombian epidemiology of the syndrome and emphasize the importance of diagnosis to provide a comprehensive and specific treatment to those affected. Further we seek to identify premutation carriers in their families or women with a full mutation without the classic phenotype for genetic counseling and education about potential associated pathologies.

“Profiles of Depressive Symptoms among African Americans and Caribbean Blacks”

OpenAIRE

Lincoln, Karen; Chatters, Linda M; Taylor, Robert J; Jackson, James S

2007-01-01

Latent profile analysis was used to summarize profiles of depressive symptoms among a nationally representative sample of U.S.-born and Caribbean-born Blacks. Analyses are based on the responses of 4,915 African Americans and Caribbean Blacks from the National Survey of American Life. A high symptoms and a low symptoms class were identified. Age, gender, negative social interaction within the individual's social network (e.g., conflict demands, criticism) and racial discrimination were associ...

Benefits and Costs of LORAN-C Expansion into the Eastern Caribbean.

Science.gov (United States)

1981-01-01

exported by Caribbean islands are sugar, citrus, rice, bananas, avocados , green coffee, and papaya. However, despite the fact that the Caribbean...xii LIST OF TABLES TABLE PAGE 3-1 Cruise Ship Arrivals in the Bahamas, San Juan, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands 3-3 3-2 Imports- Exports ...manufacturing activity as well. There are several watch and textile plants, and one aluminum plant. In recent years U.S. firms have been exporting

Climate Change mitigation opportunities in the Energy sector for the Caribbean region

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Doral, Wenceslao Carrera; Chinchilla, Oscar Coto; Delgado, Ivan Relova

, investment costs, available indigenous skills and management capabilities”. Seven of the countries in the area are currently members of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)5, with an additional three currently in the process of becoming members6. In this context, the electricity sector...... generation based on thermal fossil fuel based sources is in the order of 93.2% with renewable energy sources amounting to a mere 6.8% of total installed capacity (mainly from hydro resources in selected countries).......The “Climate change mitigation opportunities in the energy sector for the Caribbean region” has been prepared as part of the implementation of the Caribbean Regional Subcomponent of the MEAs Program for Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP MEAs)1. The study has being executed...

El Nino, La Nina and the Colombian hydrology prediction and forecast

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poveda J, G.; Mesa S, O.J.

1995-01-01

The climatic phenomenon known as El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) Phenomenon has two phases: El Nino (Warm Phase) and La Nina (Cold phase). Both phases (Warm and cold) insult the Earth Planet hydrology and climatology and particularly the South America tropical zone, something which includes Colombia. This oscillation (Warm and cold) occurs in monthly time scale to multi - annual (until 6 years) time scale. As a rule, El Nino produces stronger and extended dry periods, while La Nina increases rains frequency and produces maximum wealth in water currents. A quantitative analysis of both phases (warm and cold) influence in Colombian rivers wealth measured in 50 different stations is presented. Also the frequency histograms, the average and the typical deviation of wealth monthly average for El Nino years and La Nina years, as well as for the evaluated total period are presented. With the objective of confirming the strong influence that exercise the oceanic- atmospherical phenomena that occur in South Pacific Ocean on Colombian hydrology, correlation analysis with Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) and temperatures variation on Indian and Pacific Ocean is presented. The topic ENSO phenomenon Predictions and Forecasts with relation to planning of hydraulics resources managing projects at Colombia is discussed

Comparative study of Colombian Researchers according to data from Google Scholar, ResearchGate and the National System for Measurement Science (Colciencias)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aguillo, I.; Uribe-Tirado, A.; Lopez Lopez, W.

2016-07-01

This paper intends to contextualize the results obtained from the ranking of researchers working at Colombian institutions according to their Google Scholar Citations (GSC) public profiles (1390 with an index equals or larger than 5) with the data from the social network ResearchGate (RG) and the local information provided by Colciencias, the Colombian government agency that publishes a classification of researchers. The results show significant discrepancies between GSC and RG results with the four categories of the classification provided by Colciencias, suggesting that Colciencias should be reconsider its evaluation criteria including new sources and indicators. As the two sources (GSC, RG) and the indicators (H-index, RG-Index) behave very differently regarding disciplines, Colciencias should also take care of the disciplinary assignations, including developing relative indicators by discipline. The potential and importance of Internet platforms for visibility and impact (Science 2.0) should be recognized by the Colombian academic and research organizations. (Author)

Coastal Resource Management in the Wider Caribbean: Resilience ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Community Mobilisation and Education in Contaminated Coastal Ecosystems ...... The global environmental change and Caribbean food. .... The word oikoumene means the historical production of a distinctive synthesis, with outcomes that ...

Highlight: Canadian and Caribbean parliamentarians discuss open ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

2016-04-14

Apr 14, 2016 ... “This is what IDRC is all about: Not only do we invest in solutions, but we make sure ... Improving food security in Latin America and the Caribbean ... There is ample evidence that addressing gender inequalities and empoweri.

Obesity and Prognostic Variables in Colombian Breast Cancer Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Cuello-López, Javier; Fidalgo-Zapata, Ana; Vásquez-Trespalacios, Elsa

2017-01-01

Obesity is an established risk factor for cancer and cancer-related deaths, including that of the breast. While the prevalence of female obesity has accelerated over the past decade in many developing countries, such as Colombia, the prevalence of overweight and obesity specifically in breast cancer populations has not been fully described. A cross-sectional study including 849 women diagnosed with breast cancer between 2009 and 2014. Based on body mass index, prevalence of overweight (BMI ≥ 25 Colombian breast cancer patients had a prevalence of overweight of 34.28% and obesity of 28.15%. Mean BMI was comparable between premenopausal and postmenopausal women (27.2 versus 27.7, resp.). Among premenopausal women, higher BMI was significantly positively associated with hormone receptor negative tumors, as well as with greater lymphovascular invasion. Colombian breast cancer patients exhibit a significant prevalence of overweight and obesity. Associations of high BMI and poor prognosis variables in the premenopausal population suggest risk of aggressive disease in this population. Future studies to further validate our observations are warranted in order to implement multidisciplinary clinical guidelines.

Activity and obesity of Colombian immigrants in Canada who use a food bank.

Science.gov (United States)

Ng, Victor; Rush, Timothy J; He, Meizi; Irwin, Jennifer D

2007-10-01

The purpose of this study was to provide some preliminary description of the Latin-Canadian community by reporting the socioeconomic status, physical activity, and weight status (i.e., healthy weight, overweight, or obese status) of Colombians newly immigrated to London, Ontario Canada. Face-to-face interviews were conducted on a convenience sample of 77 adult Colombian immigrant food bank users (46.8% men; mean age 39.9 yr., SD=11.8). Physical activity was gauged using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire and self-report Body Mass Index, and sociodemographic data were collected. Of respondents, 47% had a university education, and 97% received social support. 61% met recommended levels of physical activity. Men were more active, being involved in about 130 min. more of exercise per week, and more men were overweight than women (63.9% versus 39.0%, respectively). Of respondents, 73% reported being less active than before coming to Canada. This pilot study indicates that Latin-Canadian immigrants are a vulnerable group in need of acculturational support. Further study is warranted.

Antibodies against spotted fever group Rickettsia sp., in horses of the colombian Orinoquia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diego A. Riveros-Pinilla

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Objective. It was determined the presence of antibodies against Rickettsia sp. of the spotted fever group, in horses of 8 municipalities of the Colombian Orinoquia. Matherials and methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 246 sera from apparently healthy horses and processed by the indirect immunofluorescence test (IFI. Results. General seropositivity was (2.85%; 7/246, while by municipalities the results were, Arauca (9.1%; 2/22, Saravena (5.6%; 1/18, San José del Guaviare (4.9%; 2/41, San Martín (3.8%; 1/26, Yopal (1.9%; 1/52. It was not identified the presence of antibodies in Puerto López (0/52, Puerto Gaitán (0/15 and Villavicencio (0/20. Four of the positive samples presented titles of 1:64, while the remaining 3 1:128. Conclusions. It shows the circulation of Rickettsia sp. of the Spotted Fever Group in horses in the region of the Colombian Orinoquia, suggesting the need for further studies to understand the ecoepidemiology of municipalities with presence of seropositive.

Canada-Latin America and the Caribbean Research Exchange ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Canada-Latin America and the Caribbean Research Exchange Grants Program ... and LAC researchers opportunities for joint research on development issues of ... academics (graduate students and professors) to support their professional ...

Psychometric properties of the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale in Colombian undergraduates

OpenAIRE

Ruiz, Francisco José; Suárez-Falcón, Juan Carlos; Riaño-Hernández, Diana

2016-01-01

The Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale is one of the most popular instruments to measure mindfulness, and this construct is conceived as unidimensional, emphasizing attention/awareness as its essential aspect. This study aimed to analyze the factor structure and psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the MAAS in a Colombian sample of 762 undergraduates. Data were very similar to those obtained in other validation studies of the MAAS. A confirmatory factor analysis found that the...

Marine biodiversity in the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of South America: knowledge and gaps.

Science.gov (United States)

Miloslavich, Patricia; Klein, Eduardo; Díaz, Juan M; Hernández, Cristián E; Bigatti, Gregorio; Campos, Lucia; Artigas, Felipe; Castillo, Julio; Penchaszadeh, Pablo E; Neill, Paula E; Carranza, Alvar; Retana, María V; Díaz de Astarloa, Juan M; Lewis, Mirtha; Yorio, Pablo; Piriz, María L; Rodríguez, Diego; Yoneshigue-Valentin, Yocie; Gamboa, Luiz; Martín, Alberto

2011-01-31

The marine areas of South America (SA) include almost 30,000 km of coastline and encompass three different oceanic domains--the Caribbean, the Pacific, and the Atlantic--ranging in latitude from 12∘N to 55∘S. The 10 countries that border these coasts have different research capabilities and taxonomic traditions that affect taxonomic knowledge. This paper analyzes the status of knowledge of marine biodiversity in five subregions along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of South America (SA): the Tropical East Pacific, the Humboldt Current,the Patagonian Shelf, the Brazilian Shelves, and the Tropical West Atlantic, and it provides a review of ecosystem threats and regional marine conservation strategies. South American marine biodiversity is least well known in the tropical subregions (with the exception of Costa Rica and Panama). Differences in total biodiversity were observed between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans at the same latitude. In the north of the continent, the Tropical East Pacific is richer in species than the Tropical West Atlantic, however, when standardized by coastal length, there is very little difference among them. In the south, the Humboldt Current system is much richer than the Patagonian Shelf. An analysis of endemism shows that 75% of the species are reported within only one of the SA regions, while about 22% of the species of SA are not reported elsewhere in the world. National and regional initiatives focusing on new exploration, especially to unknown areas and ecosystems, as well as collaboration among countries are fundamental to achieving the goal of completing inventories of species diversity and distribution.These inventories will allow accurate interpretation of the biogeography of its two oceanic coasts and latitudinal trends,and will also provide relevant information for science based policies.

VOLCANIC TSUNAMI GENERATING SOURCE MECHANISMS IN THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN REGION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

George Pararas-Carayannis

2004-01-01

Full Text Available Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, volcanic island flank failures and underwater slides have generated numerous destructive tsunamis in the Caribbean region. Convergent, compressional and collisional tectonic activity caused primarily from the eastward movement of the Caribbean Plate in relation to the North American, Atlantic and South American Plates, is responsible for zones of subduction in the region, the formation of island arcs and the evolution of particular volcanic centers on the overlying plate. The inter-plate tectonic interaction and deformation along these marginal boundaries result in moderate seismic and volcanic events that can generate tsunamis by a number of different mechanisms. The active geo-dynamic processes have created the Lesser Antilles, an arc of small islands with volcanoes characterized by both effusive and explosive activity. Eruption mechanisms of these Caribbean volcanoes are complex and often anomalous. Collapses of lava domes often precede major eruptions, which may vary in intensity from Strombolian to Plinian. Locally catastrophic, short-period tsunami-like waves can be generated directly by lateral, direct or channelized volcanic blast episodes, or in combination with collateral air pressure perturbations, nuéss ardentes, pyroclastic flows, lahars, or cascading debris avalanches. Submarine volcanic caldera collapses can also generate locally destructive tsunami waves. Volcanoes in the Eastern Caribbean Region have unstable flanks. Destructive local tsunamis may be generated from aerial and submarine volcanic edifice mass edifice flank failures, which may be triggered by volcanic episodes, lava dome collapses, or simply by gravitational instabilities. The present report evaluates volcanic mechanisms, resulting flank failure processes and their potential for tsunami generation. More specifically, the report evaluates recent volcanic eruption mechanisms of the Soufriere Hills volcano on Montserrat, of Mt. Pel

Shifting baselines and the extinction of the Caribbean monk seal.

Science.gov (United States)

Baisre, Julio A

2013-10-01

The recent extinction of the Caribbean monk seal Monachus tropicalis has been considered an example of a human-caused extinction in the marine environment, and this species was considered a driver of the changes that have occurred in the structure of Caribbean coral reef ecosystems since colonial times. I searched archaeological records, historical data, and geographic names (used as a proxy of the presence of seals) and evaluated the use and quality of these data to conclude that since prehistoric times the Caribbean monk seal was always rare and vulnerable to human predation. This finding supports the hypothesis that in AD 1500, the Caribbean monk seal persisted as a small fragmented population in which individuals were confined to small keys, banks, or isolated islands in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. This hypothesis is contrary to the assumption that the species was widespread and abundant historically. The theory that the main driver of monk seal extinction was harvesting for its oil for use in the sugar cane industry of Jamaica during the 18th century is based primarily on anecdotal information and is overemphasized in the literature. An analysis of reported human encounters with this species indicates monk seal harvest was an occasional activity, rather than an ongoing enterprise. Nevertheless, given the rarity of this species and its restricted distribution, even small levels of hunting or specimen collecting must have contributed to its extinction, which was confirmed in the mid-20th century. Some sources had been overlooked or only partially reviewed, others misinterpreted, and a considerable amount of anecdotal information had been uncritically used. Critical examination of archaeological and historical records is required to infer accurate estimations of the historical abundance of a species. In reconstructing the past to address the shifting baseline syndrome, it is important to avoid selecting evidence to confirm modern prejudices. © 2013

Gravity modeling of the Muertos Trough and tectonic implications (north-eastern Caribbean)

Science.gov (United States)

Granja, Bruna J.L.; Muñoz-Martín, A.; ten Brink, Uri S.; Carbó-Gorosabel, Andrés; Llanes, Estrada P.; Martín-Dávila, J.; Cordoba-Barba, D.; Catalan, Morollon M.

2010-01-01

The Muertos Trough in the northeast Caribbean has been interpreted as a subduction zone from seismicity, leading to infer a possible reversal subduction polarity. However, the distribution of the seismicity is very diffuse and makes definition of the plate geometry difficult. In addition, the compressive deformational features observed in the upper crust and sandbox kinematic modeling do not necessarily suggest a subduction process. We tested the hypothesized subduction of the Caribbean plate's interior beneath the eastern Greater Antilles island arc using gravity modeling. Gravity models simulating a subduction process yield a regional mass deficit beneath the island arc independently of the geometry and depth of the subducted slab used in the models. This mass deficit results from sinking of the less dense Caribbean slab beneath the lithospheric mantle replacing denser mantle materials and suggests that there is not a subducted Caribbean plateau beneath the island arc. The geologically more realistic gravity model which would explain the N-S shortening observed in the upper crust requires an overthrusted Caribbean slab extending at least 60 km northward from the deformation front, a progressive increase in the thrusting angle from 8?? to 30?? reaching a maximum depth of 22 km beneath the insular slope. This new tectonic model for the Muertos Margin, defined as a retroarc thrusting, will help to assess the seismic and tsunami hazard in the region. The use of gravity modeling has provided targets for future wide-angle seismic surveys in the Muertos Margin. ?? 2010 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

Deathscape politics in Colombian metropolises : Conservation, grave recycling and the position of the bereaved

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Klaufus, C.

2016-01-01

Colombian metropolises face a rapid transformation of public and private death spaces because of land scarcity, a demographic transition and a changing market for dead-disposal services. Based on case studies conducted in Bogotá and Medellín, within a Latin American context, this paper analyses the

Plasmodium vivax sporozoite challenge in malaria-naïve and semi-immune Colombian volunteers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Arévalo-Herrera, Myriam; Forero-Peña, David A.; Rubiano, Kelly

2014-01-01

induced in naïve and semi-immune volunteers by infected mosquito bites was compared. Methods: Seven malaria-naïve and nine semi-immune Colombian adults (n = 16) were subjected to the bites of 2-4 P. vivax sporozoite-infected Anopheles mosquitoes. Parasitemia levels, malaria clinical manifestations...

[The chikungunya epidemic in the Caribbean: implications for travellers and physicians].

Science.gov (United States)

Cleton, Natalie B; Reusken, Chantal B E M; van Gorp, Eric C M

2014-01-01

In 2013, the first autochthonous cases of the chikungunya virus (CHIKV) were reported on the Caribbean island of Saint Martin. The chikungunya virus has since become endemic in the Caribbean due to autochthonous transmission. In the presence of fever and joint symptoms in any traveller returning from the Caribbean, CHIKV should be considered. Although symptoms resemble those of dengue fever, the course of chikungunya is milder. Chikungunya much more commonly causes chronic joint pain. Laboratory tests for the chikungunya virus may give false positive results due to cross reactions with closely related viruses, so taking a full disease and travel history from the patient is necessary in order to interpret these test results correctly. There is no specific treatment for the chikungunya virus. A correct diagnosis can prevent unnecessary additional tests and unjustified treatment. The chikungunya virus can be prevented by the use of insect-repelling substances, nets and air-conditioning.

Which Fishers Are Satisfied in the Caribbean? A Comparative Analysis of Job Satisfaction among Caribbean Lobster Fishers

Science.gov (United States)

Monnereau, Iris; Pollnac, Richard

2012-01-01

Lobster fishing (targeting the spiny lobster "Panulirus argus") is an important economic activity throughout the Wider Caribbean Region both as a source of income and employment for the local population as well as foreign exchange for national governments. Due to the high unit prices of the product, international lobster trade provides a…

The diffuse seismicity of the Sierra Nevada of Santa Marta, the Perijá Range, and south of the La Guajira peninsula, Colombia and Venezuela: Result of the convergence between Caribbean plate and the South American margin during the Late Neogene?

Science.gov (United States)

Chicangana, G.; Pedraza, P.; Mora-paez, H.; Ordonez Aristizabal, C. O.; Vargas-Jimenez, C. A.; Kammer, A.

2012-12-01

A diffuse low deep microseismicity located overall between the Guajira peninsula and the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (SNSM) was registered with the recent installation (2008 to Present) of three seismological stations in northeastern Colombia by the Colombian Seismological Network (RSNC), but mainly with the Uribia station in (the) central region of La Guajira peninsula, The microseismicity is characterized by a great population of events with 1.2 Oca fault because with the GPS displacement analysis, neotectonics evidence found in faults traces associated to the Oca fault and the historical earthquake that affected the Colombian city of Santa Marta in 1834, lead us to conclude this. This is a big cortical fault that sets the limit between La Guajira peninsula and the SNSM. Its cortical characteristics were verified from geological data together with gravimetric and seismic exploration. The SNSM limits toward the southeast with the Cesar - Ranchería basin, and this basin in turn limits with the Perijá Range that is localized in the Colombia - Venezuela border. The SNSM, Cesar - Ranchería basin and Perijá Range limit toward the southwest with the Bucaramanga - Santa Marta fault (BSMF), the Oca fault toward the north, and Perijá - El Tigre fault toward the southeast defining a pyramidal orogenic complex. Using remote sensing images data with geological and regional geophysical information, we proposed that this orogenic complex was originated as a result of the Panama arc with the northwestern South America accretion. The final adjustment of the Caribbean plate (CP) between North America and South America during the Late Neogene produced the big cortical faults systems activation like Oca - Moron - El Pilar in Colombia and Venezuela toward the south of the Caribbean Plate (CP), and Motegua - Walton - Enriquillo - Plantain Garden toward the north of the CP. This situation was originated of a new subduction development of the Nazca - Cocos plates toward the south

Multiple distant origins for green sea turtles aggregating off Gorgona Island in the Colombian eastern Pacific.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diego F Amorocho

Full Text Available Mitochondrial DNA analyses have been useful for resolving maternal lineages and migratory behavior to foraging grounds (FG in sea turtles. However, little is known about source rookeries and haplotype composition of foraging green turtle aggregations in the southeastern Pacific. We used mitochondrial DNA control region sequences to identify the haplotype composition of 55 green turtles, Chelonia mydas, captured in foraging grounds of Gorgona National Park in the Colombian Pacific. Amplified fragments of the control region (457 bp revealed the presence of seven haplotypes, with haplotype (h and nucleotide (π diversities of h = 0.300±0.080 and π = 0.009±0.005 respectively. The most common haplotype was CMP4 observed in 83% of individuals, followed by CMP22 (5%. The genetic composition of the Gorgona foraging population primarily comprised haplotypes that have been found at eastern Pacific rookeries including Mexico and the Galapagos, as well as haplotypes of unknown stock origin that likely originated from more distant western Pacific rookeries. Mixed stock analysis suggests that the Gorgona FG population is comprised mostly of animals from the Galapagos rookery (80%. Lagrangian drifter data showed that movement of turtles along the eastern Pacific coast and eastward from distant western and central Pacific sites was possible through passive drift. Our results highlight the importance of this protected area for conservation management of green turtles recruited from distant sites along the eastern Pacific Ocean.

Multiple distant origins for green sea turtles aggregating off Gorgona Island in the Colombian eastern Pacific.

Science.gov (United States)

Amorocho, Diego F; Abreu-Grobois, F Alberto; Dutton, Peter H; Reina, Richard D

2012-01-01

Mitochondrial DNA analyses have been useful for resolving maternal lineages and migratory behavior to foraging grounds (FG) in sea turtles. However, little is known about source rookeries and haplotype composition of foraging green turtle aggregations in the southeastern Pacific. We used mitochondrial DNA control region sequences to identify the haplotype composition of 55 green turtles, Chelonia mydas, captured in foraging grounds of Gorgona National Park in the Colombian Pacific. Amplified fragments of the control region (457 bp) revealed the presence of seven haplotypes, with haplotype (h) and nucleotide (π) diversities of h = 0.300±0.080 and π = 0.009±0.005 respectively. The most common haplotype was CMP4 observed in 83% of individuals, followed by CMP22 (5%). The genetic composition of the Gorgona foraging population primarily comprised haplotypes that have been found at eastern Pacific rookeries including Mexico and the Galapagos, as well as haplotypes of unknown stock origin that likely originated from more distant western Pacific rookeries. Mixed stock analysis suggests that the Gorgona FG population is comprised mostly of animals from the Galapagos rookery (80%). Lagrangian drifter data showed that movement of turtles along the eastern Pacific coast and eastward from distant western and central Pacific sites was possible through passive drift. Our results highlight the importance of this protected area for conservation management of green turtles recruited from distant sites along the eastern Pacific Ocean.

The Power of Colombian Mathematics Teachers' Conceptions of Social/Institutional Factors of Teaching

Science.gov (United States)

Agudelo-Valderrama, Cecilia

2008-01-01

In this paper I shall discuss data from a study on Colombian mathematics teachers' conceptions of their own teaching practices of beginning algebra, which led to the development of a theoretical model of teachers' thought structures designed as a thinking tool at the initial stage of the study. With a focus on the perspectives of teachers, the…

Chlorococcales (Algee: Chlorophyceae found in aquatic environments of the Colombian Amazon basin Chlorococcales (Algee: Chlorophyceae found in aquatic environments of the Colombian Amazon basin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Núñez Avellaneda Marcela

1998-06-01

Full Text Available Ten taxa of algae belonging to the order Chlorococcales are recorded for the first time from the Colombian Amazon basin. Two of these, Nephrocytium limneticum and Sorastrum americanum var. americanum, are recorded for the first time in Colombia.Se registran por primera vez para la Amazonia colombiana 10 taxones de Chlorococcales del fitoplancton y ticoplancton encontrados en algunos lagos del río Amazonas y del río Cotuhé, afluente del río Putumayo. Nephrocytium limneticum y Sorastrum americanum varo americanum son primeros registros para Colombia.

Caribbean | IDRC - International Development Research Centre

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

... we've supported the efforts of researchers in the English-speaking Caribbean. ... Languages ... Home · What we do · Regions and countries · Latin America and the ... We have funded research with a focus on trade and the economy, which ... IDRC-supported research broke new ground with one of the first analyses of ...

Exploring emotional intelligence in a Caribbean medical school.

Science.gov (United States)

Sa, B; Baboolal, N; Williams, S; Ramsewak, S

2014-03-01

To explore the emotional intelligence (EI) in medical students in a Caribbean medical school and investigate its association with gender, age, year of study and ethnicity. A cross-sectional design using convenient sampling of 304 years two to five undergraduate medical students at the School of Medicine, the University of the West Indies (UWI), St Augustine campus, was conducted. The Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT-V2.0) was administered to test four branches of EI: perceiving emotions, facilitating thought, understanding emotions and managing emotions. Data were analysed using SPSS version 19. T-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and r (product moment correlation) were calculated to establish the effects of selected variables (gender, age, year of study and ethnicity) on total and sub-scales EI scores and tested against 0.05 and 0.01 significance levels. The total mean score for EI fell within the average according to MSCEIT standards. Gender analysis showed significantly higher scores for males and for younger age groups (maturity and emotional stability. It would be valuable to widen this study by including other UWI campuses and offshore medical schools in the Caribbean. This preliminary study examined a sample of medical students from a well-established Caribbean medical school. Since EI is considered to be important in the assessment and training of medical undergraduates, consideration should be given to introducing interventions aimed at increasing EI.

Hydroelectric resources. Inventory of the hydroelectric resources of the Atlantic Coast; Recursos hidroelectricos. Inventario de los recursos hidroelectricos de la Costa Atlantica

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arrieta, R M; Insignares R, G

1987-07-01

Basically this report gives a clear vision of the possibilities of energy development in the Colombian Atlantic Coast, projects that contemplate a wide range as soon as it refers that is to say to generation ranges, they have been identified at level macro in the Sierra Nevada region and the Peasant with a profitable hydroelectric potential of 631 MW; in the Sinu region, 3 projects were identified with a profitable potential of 1186 MW and in the Magdalena region, was also identified 3 projects whose profitable potential is of 475 MW. At level micro, the carried out studies defined in the same previous regions a series of projects that they necessarily reach the megawatt. The report contains a description of each one of the identified projects and its current situation. It also presents a review of the makers of turbines that exist at the moment in the country.

Foundations for a Colombian Biotechnology policy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Óscar Castellanos

2001-07-01

Full Text Available Globalisation has created challenges for industry related to the constant need for improving national and international productivity and competitivity. Biological knowledge today has growing industrial application as it proposes innovative production methods. This type of biotechnology is becoming more relevant in Colombia's economic and social development all the time. The Colombian Ministry of Development, Colciencias and the National University of Colombia have therefore been jointly developing an integral set of guidelines. These are framed within Colombia's biotechnology policy to create concrete goals, objectives, strategies and direct action from the State, academic institutions and the business world. They encompass six fundamental approaches: markets and management; normativity and legislation; research and development (R&D; economic resources; human resources; and integration training. They al so explicitly raise the question of who shall be responsible for follow-up and the way that the policy's execution and achievements will be evaluated.

Contraband, free ports, and British merchants in the Caribbean world, 1739-1772

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nadine Hunt

2013-04-01

Full Text Available This article examines the evolution of contraband to legitimate trade in the eighteenth century Caribbean world during the War of Jenkins’ Ear and Seven Years’ War. It focuses on the informal networks of the British South Sea Company and the trade of informal actors. The article explores how British legislators shifted Jamaican and Dominican colonial economies away from contraband trade by opening free ports in 1766. The British Parliament passed the Free Port Act of Jamaica and Dominica following Danish and Dutch colonial efforts to crack down on contraband trade in the Caribbean world. This transition from contraband to legitimate trade enabled British merchants to engage in free trade by importing and exporting an assortment of commodities and enslaved people to and from Jamaica to other colonies in the Caribbean world.

Assistance Focus: Latin America/Caribbean

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2017-03-29

The Clean Energy Solutions Center, an initiative of the Clean Energy Ministerial, helps countries throughout the world create policies and programs that advance the deployment of clean energy technologies. Through the Solutions Center's no-cost 'Ask an Expert' service, a team of international experts has delivered assistance to countries in all regions of the world. High-impact examples from the Latin American/Caribbean region are featured here.

Exhaust emissions evaluation of Colombian commercial diesel fuels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Torres, Jaime; Bello, Arcesio; Sarmiento, Jose; Rostkowski, Jacek; Brady, Jeremy

2003-01-01

Ecopetrol, based on the results obtained in the study, The effect of diesel properties on the emissions of particulate matter (Bello et al 2000), reformulated the diesel fuel distributed in Bogota, becoming it lighter and with lower sulfur content. In order to evaluate the environmental benefits that the reformulation of diesel fuel generate in Bogota, Instituto Colombiano del Petroleo (ICP), with the assistance of emissions research and measurement division (ERMD) from environment Canada, arranged a research project to determine the changes in CO, THC, NO x , CO 2 and particulate matter emissions. The research program was developed in two steps. First one, developed in Bogota, involved a fleet test with 15 public service buses that normally operate in Bogota's savannah, using a portable emissions sampling technology developed for ERMD (DOES2) and following a representative transient driving cycle. Second step, carried out in ERMD's Heavy-Duty engine emissions laboratory in Ottawa, tested a 1995 caterpillar 3406E 324/5 KW (435 HP) diesel truck engine on the same samples of Colombian diesel fuels used in the fleet tests performed in Bogota, baselining the tests with a Canadian commercial low sulfur diesel fuel. The two commercial Colombian diesel fuels used had the following properties: High Sulfur Diesel (HSD), with 3000 ppm (0,3 wt %) of sulfur and a final boiling point (FBP) of 633 K and the new reformulated diesel fuel, with 1000 ppm (0,1 wt %) of sulfur and FBP of 613 K, which is currently been distributed in Bogota. Fleet test show small reduction on CO, THC and TPM, and small increments on CO 2 and NO x but with not statistically significant results, while engine testing shows a strong reduction of 40/8% in TPM when you use the new reformulated diesel fuel (0,1 wt % of sulfur) instead of high sulfur diesel

Exploring the Roles of Parents and Students in EFL Literacy Learning: A Colombian Case

Science.gov (United States)

Hurtado Torres, Sergio Aldemar; Castañeda-Peña, Harold Andrés

2016-01-01

There is little scholarly information about parent involvement in their children's English as a Foreign Language (EFL henceforth) literacy learning in the Colombian context. This exploratory-qualitative study looks into the possible roles of parents and children in EFL literacy learning at home, with special emphasis on parental roles and…

Carbon replacement and stability changes in short-term silvo-pastoralo experiments in Colombian Amazonia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mosquera Vidal, O.; Buurman, P.; Ramirez, B.L.; Amezquita, M.C.

2012-01-01

There is little information on the effects of land use change on soil Carbon stocks in Colombian Amazonia. Such information would be needed to assess the impact of this area on the global C cycle and the sustainability of agricultural systems that are replacing native forest. The aim of this study

The effect of diet and opponent size on aggressive interactions involving caribbean crazy ants (Nylanderia fulva.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katherine C Horn

Full Text Available Biotic interactions are often important in the establishment and spread of invasive species. In particular, competition between introduced and native species can strongly influence the distribution and spread of exotic species and in some cases competition among introduced species can be important. The Caribbean crazy ant, Nylanderia fulva, was recently introduced to the Gulf Coast of Texas, and appears to be spreading inland. It has been hypothesized that competition with the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, may be an important factor in the spread of crazy ants. We investigated the potential of interspecific competition among these two introduced ants by measuring interspecific aggression between Caribbean crazy ant workers and workers of Solenopsis invicta. Specifically, we examined the effect of body size and diet on individual-level aggressive interactions among crazy ant workers and fire ants. We found that differences in diet did not alter interactions between crazy ant workers from different nests, but carbohydrate level did play an important role in antagonistic interactions with fire ants: crazy ants on low sugar diets were more aggressive and less likely to be killed in aggressive encounters with fire ants. We found that large fire ants engaged in fewer fights with crazy ants than small fire ants, but fire ant size affected neither fire ant nor crazy ant mortality. Overall, crazy ants experienced higher mortality than fire ants after aggressive encounters. Our findings suggest that fire ant workers might outcompete crazy ant workers on an individual level, providing some biotic resistance to crazy ant range expansion. However, this resistance may be overcome by crazy ants that have a restricted sugar intake, which may occur when crazy ants are excluded from resources by fire ants.

Primary care in Caribbean Small Island Developing States

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J.D. Kranenburg

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS made good process on improving the health of their populations; but concerns exist when it comes to meeting changing health needs. Due to remoteness and limited resources it is difficult to respond to high rates of non-communicable diseases (NCDs. Furthermore, little is known about how primary care (PC is organised and how this responds to current health issues. This study focused on gaining insights in the organisation of PC of Caribbean SIDS based on currently available literature. This literature review was an explorative multiple case study, where structure of PC and health status of 16 Caribbean SIDS were reviewed using available scientific and grey literature between the years 1997 and 2014. Thirty documents were used to analyse 20 indicators for the dimensions “Structure of Primary Care” and “Health Status”. Results were mapped in order to identify if there is a possible relation between structures of PC to the health of the populations. When reviewing the structure of PC, the majority of information was available for “Economic conditions of PC” (78% and the least information was available for “Governance of PC” (40%. With regards to health status, all islands show improvements on “Life expectancy at birth” since 2007. In contrast, on average, the mortality due to NCDs did not improve. Saint Lucia performs best on “Structure of PC”. The British Virgin Islands have the best health status. When both dimensions were analysed, Saint Lucia performs best. There is still little known on the responsiveness of PC of Caribbean SIDS to NCDs. There is a need for elaborate research on: (1 If and how the functioning of these health systems relate to the health status; (2 What islands can learn from an analysis over time and what they can learn from cross-island analysis; and (3 Filling the gaps of knowledge which currently exist within this field of research.

Security, insecurity, and the U.S. presence in the Caribbean

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

William O. Walker

2001-07-01

Full Text Available [First paragraph] Bay of Pigs Declassified: The Secret CIA Report on the Invasion of Cuba. PETER KORNBLUH (ed.. New York: The New Press, 1998. viii + 339 pp. (Paper US$17.95 Psywar on Cuba: The Declassified History of U.S. Anti-Castro Propaganda. JON ELLISTON (ed.. Melbourne: Ocean Press, 1999. 320 pp. (Paper US$ 21.95 Intelligence and the Cuban Missile Crisis. JAMES G. BLIGHT & DAVID A. WELCH (eds.. London: Frank Cass, 1998. x + 234 pp. (Cloth US$ 47.50 Live by the Sword: The Secret WarAgainst Castro and the Death of JFK. Gus Russo. Baltimore MD: Bancroft Press, 1998. xvi + 619 pp. (Cloth US$ 26.95 From Pirates to Drug Lords: The Post-Cold War Caribbean Security Environment. MICHAEL C. DESCH, JORGE I. DOMI'NGUEZ & ANDRÉS SERBIN (eds.. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1998. viii + 161 pp. (Paper US$ 19.95 Cuba, the Caribbean, and the United States have been frequently and intimately linked for more than a century. Because of the status of the United States as a global power, viewing their common histories from the vantage point of the United States is understandable. Such a perspective consigns the Caribbean, and to a lesser extent Cuba, to the role of passive actors in the making of much of their own histories. Several recent publications, though written for very different purposes, permit us to ask whether Cuba and the Caribbean have not been more active participants in their recent histories than U.S. predominance in the region would seem to allow.

Leading Causes of Cancer Mortality - Caribbean Region, 2003-2013.

Science.gov (United States)

Razzaghi, Hilda; Quesnel-Crooks, Sarah; Sherman, Recinda; Joseph, Rachael; Kohler, Betsy; Andall-Brereton, Glennis; Ivey, Marsha A; Edwards, Brenda K; Mery, Les; Gawryszewski, Vilma; Saraiya, Mona

2016-12-16

Cancer is one of the leading causes of deaths worldwide (1); in 2012, an estimated 65% of all cancer deaths occurred in the less developed regions of the world (2). In the Caribbean region, cancer is the second leading cause of mortality, with an estimated 87,430 cancer-related deaths reported in 2012 (3). The Pan American Health Organization defines the Caribbean region as a group of 27 countries that vary in size, geography, resources, and surveillance systems.* CDC calculated site- and sex-specific proportions of cancer deaths and age-standardized mortality rates (ASMR) for 21 English- and Dutch-speaking Caribbean countries, the United States, and two U.S. territories (Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands [USVI]), using the most recent 5 years of mortality data available from each jurisdiction during 2003-2013. The selection of years varied by availability of the data from the countries and territories in 2015. ASMR for all cancers combined ranged from 46.1 to 139.3 per 100,000. Among males, prostate cancers were the leading cause of cancer deaths, followed by lung cancers; the percentage of cancer deaths attributable to prostate cancer ranged from 18.4% in Suriname to 47.4% in Dominica, and the percentage of cancer deaths attributable to lung cancer ranged from 5.6% in Barbados to 24.4% in Bermuda. Among females, breast cancer was the most common cause of cancer deaths, ranging from 14.0% of cancer deaths in Belize to 29.7% in the Cayman Islands, followed by cervical cancer. Several of the leading causes of cancer deaths in the Caribbean can be reduced through primary and secondary preventions, including prevention of exposure to risk factors, screening, early detection, and timely and effective treatment.

Colombian equity return and narrow money supply: an asymmetric cointegration analysis

OpenAIRE

Chu V. Nguyen

2012-01-01

The asymmetric, cointegrating relationship between the return on equity market and the narrowly defined money supply is documented. In fact, equity return and the monthly percentage change in the Colombian money supply M1 spread adjusts to the threshold value slower when a contractionary countercyclical policy action or an economic shock causes the money supply M1 to fall relative to the share price index, widening their spread, than when an expansionary countercyclical monetary policy action...

Air-cooling viability to increase the power in the thermal power stations of gas: Colombian case

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amell, Andres; Bedoya, H. A

2000-01-01

Thermal power decreases as air temperature increases, which reduce both efficiency and projects yielding. Technologically it is possible to eliminate the environment temperature incidence on reduction of power and efficiency, cooling the input air to the turbine, obtaining important power and efficiency improvements. In this work, the technical and economical viability, when applying air cooling technologies (evaporative cooling, steam compression, and production and ice storage (TES) were studied, having in mind meteorological conditions and Colombian electric marketing features, in which, nearly 2800 MW of natural gas thermal power have been installed in the last decade. as a result of applying these cooling technologies the study determined: the mean potential of recoverable power at the second peak of the national demand curve, shows several schemes in which they are technically and economically viable in the Colombian context

Functional Patterns in International Organizations for University Cooperation in Latin America and the Caribbean

Science.gov (United States)

Lopez, Daniel A.; Lopez, Daniel C.; Andrade, Lorenzo I.; Lopez, Boris A.

2011-01-01

This study analyzes the coverage, organizational patterns, problems and trends of international organizations for university cooperation in Latin America and the Caribbean. More than 30 international organizations for cooperation currently operating in Latin America and the Caribbean were identified. Two groups of institutions with more than 60%…

Adaptive institutions? Peasant institutions and natural models facing climatic and economic changes in the Colombian Andes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Feola, Giuseppe

2017-01-01

In the Colombian Andes, peasants have co-evolved with their environment for centuries, but it is uncertain whether traditional informal institutions and natural models are adapting to current and possibly unprecedented economic and climatic disturbances. This study investigated institutional

Quantifying 10 years of improved earthquake-monitoring performance in the Caribbean region

Science.gov (United States)

McNamara, Daniel E.; Hillebrandt-Andrade, Christa; Saurel, Jean-Marie; Huerfano-Moreno, V.; Lynch, Lloyd

2015-01-01

Over 75 tsunamis have been documented in the Caribbean and adjacent regions during the past 500 years. Since 1500, at least 4484 people are reported to have perished in these killer waves. Hundreds of thousands are currently threatened along the Caribbean coastlines. Were a great tsunamigenic earthquake to occur in the Caribbean region today, the effects would potentially be catastrophic due to an increasingly vulnerable region that has seen significant population increases in the past 40–50 years and currently hosts an estimated 500,000 daily beach visitors from North America and Europe, a majority of whom are not likely aware of tsunami and earthquake hazards. Following the magnitude 9.1 Sumatra–Andaman Islands earthquake of 26 December 2004, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Intergovernmental Coordination Group (ICG) for the Tsunami and other Coastal Hazards Early Warning System for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions (CARIBE‐EWS) was established and developed minimum performance standards for the detection and analysis of earthquakes. In this study, we model earthquake‐magnitude detection threshold and P‐wave detection time and demonstrate that the requirements established by the UNESCO ICG CARIBE‐EWS are met with 100% of the network operating. We demonstrate that earthquake‐monitoring performance in the Caribbean Sea region has improved significantly in the past decade as the number of real‐time seismic stations available to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration tsunami warning centers have increased. We also identify weaknesses in the current international network and provide guidance for selecting the optimal distribution of seismic stations contributed from existing real‐time broadband national networks in the region.

Contribution of the genetic improvement to the development of the cultivation of Colombian coffee

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moreno Ruiz, German

1994-01-01

After several years of study trying to obtain a variety of resistant coffee to the Rust, the variety Colombia was obtained, which is considered as the contribution more important that has made the genetic improvement to the cultivation of Colombian coffee and consequently to optimize the cultivations and to improve the environment

Research and in situ conservation of owl monkeys enhances environmental law enforcement at the Colombian-Peruvian border.

Science.gov (United States)

Maldonado, Angela M; Peck, Mika R

2014-07-01

This study reports on impacts of illegal trade in owl monkeys (Aotus nancymaae, A. vociferans) for the biomedical research market in the Colombian-Peruvian Amazonian border. Through freedom of information requests and interviews with hunters we found that 912 owl monkeys, including A. nancymaae captured in Peru, were trapped over a 3-month period in 2012 to supply a malaria research facility based in Leticia, Colombia, which had trapping permits for the use of only 800 A. vociferans annually yet experimentation took place using A. nancymaae. High levels of extraction in Peru have had population-level impacts with significantly lower densities of Aotus spp. (3-24 individuals/km(2)) compared to Colombian sites with low hunting pressure (26-44 individuals/km(2)). Post-experimental release of this species in Colombian territory has created a new distribution whose status and impacts on resident populations of A. vociferans remain unknown. The trapping method has also had environmental impact, with loss of over 65,000 trees (including sleeping sites), annually. As Aotus species are registered under the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Appendix II, international trade requires official permission and evidence that extraction does not impact wild populations. However, no official records exist and CITES legislation has failed, due principally to a lack of appropriate monitoring by national authorities responsible for compliance. Of further concern is that we had previously documented and reported the illegal trade to the appropriate governmental authorities yet still no action was taken-as demonstrated by the continuing trade in 2013. Enforcement eventually occurred when a non-governmental organization initiated legal action against organizations responsible. A successful second instance ruling by the Colombian State's Council in 2013 revoked trapping permits. Using the trade in owl monkeys as a case study we consider

Cervical cancer detection by electrical impedance in a Colombian setting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A Miranda, David; P Corzo, Sandra; Correa, C A González

2013-01-01

Electrical properties of normal and neoplastic cervical tissues in a heterogeneous group of 56 Colombian women were studied by electrical impedance spectroscopy and a model based on the Generalized Effective-Medium Theory of Induced Polarization (GEMTIP). Differences between the electrical bioimpedance spectra were correlated with cellular and tissue parameters. The analysis performed by the proposed model suggest that the number of different types of cellular layers that form the biological tissue, the intracellular and extracellular conductivity could be used to explain the differences between electrical bioimpedance spectra in normal and neoplastic tissues.

Geolocator Data Reveal the Migration Route and Wintering Location of a Caribbean Martin (Progne dominicensis)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Perlut, N.G.; Klak, T.C.; Rakhimberdiev, E.

2017-01-01

Caribbean Martins (Progne dominicensis)are common breeders on most Caribbean islands, where theyregularly roost and nest in urban areas from Februarythrough August. However, from September through January,the basic ecology of this species—its migration andwintering locations—are largely unknown. In

A Review of Eight High-Priority, Economically Important Viral Pathogens of Poultry within the Caribbean Region

Science.gov (United States)

Gongora, Victor; Hartley, Dane; Oura, Christopher

2018-01-01

Viral pathogens cause devastating economic losses in poultry industries worldwide. The Caribbean region, which boasts some of the highest rates of poultry consumption in the world, is no exception. This review summarizes evidence for the circulation and spread of eight high-priority, economically important poultry viruses across the Caribbean region. Avian influenza virus (AIV), infectious bronchitis virus (IBV), Newcastle disease virus (NDV), infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV), avian metapneumovirus (aMPV), infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV), fowl adenovirus group 1 (FADV Gp1), and egg drop syndrome virus (EDSV) were selected for review. This review of serological, molecular, and phylogenetic studies across Caribbean countries reveals evidence for sporadic outbreaks of respiratory disease caused by notifiable viral pathogens (AIV, IBV, NDV, and ILTV), as well as outbreaks of diseases caused by immunosuppressive viral pathogens (IBDV and FADV Gp1). This review highlights the need to strengthen current levels of surveillance and reporting for poultry diseases in domestic and wild bird populations across the Caribbean, as well as the need to strengthen the diagnostic capacity and capability of Caribbean national veterinary diagnostic laboratories. PMID:29373488

A Review of Eight High-Priority, Economically Important Viral Pathogens of Poultry within the Caribbean Region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arianne Brown Jordan

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Viral pathogens cause devastating economic losses in poultry industries worldwide. The Caribbean region, which boasts some of the highest rates of poultry consumption in the world, is no exception. This review summarizes evidence for the circulation and spread of eight high-priority, economically important poultry viruses across the Caribbean region. Avian influenza virus (AIV, infectious bronchitis virus (IBV, Newcastle disease virus (NDV, infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV, avian metapneumovirus (aMPV, infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV, fowl adenovirus group 1 (FADV Gp1, and egg drop syndrome virus (EDSV were selected for review. This review of serological, molecular, and phylogenetic studies across Caribbean countries reveals evidence for sporadic outbreaks of respiratory disease caused by notifiable viral pathogens (AIV, IBV, NDV, and ILTV, as well as outbreaks of diseases caused by immunosuppressive viral pathogens (IBDV and FADV Gp1. This review highlights the need to strengthen current levels of surveillance and reporting for poultry diseases in domestic and wild bird populations across the Caribbean, as well as the need to strengthen the diagnostic capacity and capability of Caribbean national veterinary diagnostic laboratories.

Caribbean Seasonal and/or Area Closures GIS data

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This data represents the geographic area described in Title 50 CFR Part 622, Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic, Subpart S - Reef Fish...

Four novel Talaromyces species isolated from leaf litter from Colombian Amazon rain forests

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yilmaz, Neriman; López-Quintero, Carlos A.; Vasco-Palacios, Aída Marcela

2016-01-01

Various Talaromyces strains were isolated during a survey of fungi involved in leaf litter decomposition in tropical lowland forests in the Caquetá and Amacayacu areas of the Colombian Amazon. Four new Talaromyces species are described using a polyphasic approach, which includes phenotypic......). In addition to the new species, T. aculeatus and T. macrosporus were isolated during this study on leaf litter decomposition....

Library and Archival Resources for Social Science Research in the Spanish, French, Dutch Caribbean.

Science.gov (United States)

Mathews, Thomas G.

The working paper describes how a social scientist might go about locating resources for any particular study. Researchers are directed to non-Caribbean based material in European Archives as well as collections in the United States. Caribbean resources are analyzed by county. The countries include Cuba, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico,…

Counterinsurgency Lessons from Colombia: An Assessment of the Colombian Army Transformation from 1998 to 2010

Science.gov (United States)

2014-12-01

had initiated the process of 209 Marks, “Colombian Military Support for ‘Democratic Security,’” 204. 210 Carlos Ospina, La Estrategia en Colombia...Francisco Leal Buitrago. Bogotá, Colombia: Editorial Norma, 2006. Ospina Ovalle, Carlos Alberto. La Estrategia en Colombia: Variaciones del Centro de

Distance decay of tree species similarity in protected areas on terra firme forests in Colombian Amazonia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Duque, Á.; Phillips, J.F.; von Hildebrand, P.; Posada, C.A.; Prieto, A.; Rudas, A.; Suescún, M.; Stevenson, P.

2009-01-01

In this study, we investigated the pattern of floristic similarity as a function of geographical distances and environmental variability in well-drained uplands (terra firme) in Colombian Amazonia. The study site comprised three National Natural Parks, Tinigua, Chiribiquete, and Amacayacu, located

The political transnationalism of Colombian migrants in New York and New Jersey (1990- 2010: Its understanding from the optics of identity wounds and the search for recognition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Constanza Amézquita Quintana

2015-06-01

Full Text Available This article aims to understand the dynamics of the political transnationalism of Colombian migrants in New York City and the northern area of New Jersey during the 1990-2010 period from the processes of contempt and moral suffering (social stigmatization, the implications of these processes in the migrants’ identity/autonomy (as generators of identity wounds and their search for social recognition. The paper begins with a characterization of the Colombian migration to that setting. Then it shows the experiences of moral contempt faced by Colombian migrants in the contexts of origin and arrival. In the context of origin such experiences were linked to social and political polarization, violence, inequality and strong barriers to upward mobility, while in the context of arrival these experiences were related to the stigma of drug trafficking, the dynamics of cultural racism, discrimination because of low English proficiency, and the absence of a legal immigration status. Finally, the article discusses the participation and mobilization (mainly at informal and collective levels of Colombian migrants in relation to the search for social recognition.

Genomic timetree and historical biogeography of Caribbean island ameiva lizards (Pholidoscelis: Teiidae)

OpenAIRE

Tucker, Derek B.; Hedges, Stephen Blair; Colli, Guarino R.; Pyron, Robert Alexander; Sites, Jack W.

2017-01-01

Abstract The phylogenetic relationships and biogeographic history of Caribbean island ameivas (Pholidoscelis) are not well?known because of incomplete sampling, conflicting datasets, and poor support for many clades. Here, we use phylogenomic and mitochondrial DNA datasets to reconstruct a well?supported phylogeny and assess historical colonization patterns in the group. We obtained sequence data from 316 nuclear loci and one mitochondrial marker for 16 of 19 extant species of the Caribbean e...

Mössbauer study of Fe mineralogy with respect to rank, type and Colombian carboniferous zone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caballero, F. Reyes; Martínez Ovalle, S. A.; Díaz Lagos, M.; Gómez, O. P.; Blandón, A.

2017-01-01

The transmission mode of Fe-57 Mössbauer spectroscopy was used to identify iron bearing minerals and establish relationships between and among these minerals and the ranks and types of various carboniferous zones in Colombia. Maceral and mineral compositions vary significantly among Colombian carboniferous zones. These variations determine some of the final characteristics and potential uses of coal, and therefore significantly contribute to defining coal quality. A comparison of spectroscopy results shows that the thermal maturity of the Colombian coals ranges from lignite to semianthracite. Similarities and differences exist with respect to conventional parameters. The coals of Córdoba and Cauca have higher sulfur contents > 2 % ash contents. Iron bearing minerals identified included pyrite, which was, found everywhere, and illite, ankerite, siderite, iron sulfates were found in particular areas. Coals from Valle del Cauca, Córdoba, Caldas and Santander are characterized by oxidation of pyrite and its transformation into ferrous or ferric sulfate.

A contemporary Colombian skeletal reference collection: A resource for the development of population specific standards.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanabria-Medina, Cesar; González-Colmenares, Gretel; Restrepo, Hadaluz Osorio; Rodríguez, Juan Manuel Guerrero

2016-09-01

Several authors who have discussed human variability and its impact on the forensic identification of bodies pose the need for regional studies documenting the global variation of the attributes analyzed osteological characteristics that aid in establishing biological profile (sex, ancestry, biological age and height). This is primarily accomplished by studying documented human skeletal collections in order to investigate secular trends in skeletal development and aging, among others in the Colombian population. The purpose of this paper is to disclose the details of the new "Contemporary Colombian Skeletal Reference Collection" that currently comprises 600 identified skeletons of both sexes, who died between 2005 and 2008; and which contain information about their cause of death. This collection has infinite potential for research, open to the national and international community, and still has pending opportunities to address a variety of topics such as studies on osteopathology, bone trauma and taphonomic studies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mössbauer study of Fe mineralogy with respect to rank, type and Colombian carboniferous zone

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Caballero, F. Reyes, E-mail: carefa4@hotmail.com; Martínez Ovalle, S. A., E-mail: s.agustin.martinez@uptc.edu.co [Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia, Grupo de Física Nuclear Aplicada y Simulación (Colombia); Díaz Lagos, M., E-mail: mercedes.diaz@uptc.edu.co [Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia, Escuela de Ingeniería Geológica (Colombia); Gómez, O. P., E-mail: olgapatricia.gomez@uptc.edu.co [Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia, Escuela de Ingeniería de Minas (Colombia); Blandón, A., E-mail: asblando@unal.edu.co [Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Departamento de Materiales y Minerales, Facultad de Minas (Colombia)

2017-11-15

The transmission mode of Fe-57 Mössbauer spectroscopy was used to identify iron bearing minerals and establish relationships between and among these minerals and the ranks and types of various carboniferous zones in Colombia. Maceral and mineral compositions vary significantly among Colombian carboniferous zones. These variations determine some of the final characteristics and potential uses of coal, and therefore significantly contribute to defining coal quality. A comparison of spectroscopy results shows that the thermal maturity of the Colombian coals ranges from lignite to semianthracite. Similarities and differences exist with respect to conventional parameters. The coals of Córdoba and Cauca have higher sulfur contents > 2 % ash contents. Iron bearing minerals identified included pyrite, which was, found everywhere, and illite, ankerite, siderite, iron sulfates were found in particular areas. Coals from Valle del Cauca, Córdoba, Caldas and Santander are characterized by oxidation of pyrite and its transformation into ferrous or ferric sulfate.

Ecosystem-Based Adaptation to Climate Change in Caribbean Small Island Developing States: Integrating Local and External Knowledge

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tiina Kurvits

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS are vulnerable to climate change impacts including sea level rise, invasive species, ocean acidification, changes in rainfall patterns, increased temperatures, and changing hazard regimes including hurricanes, floods and drought. Given high dependencies in Caribbean SIDS on natural resources for livelihoods, a focus on ecosystems and their interaction with people is essential for climate change adaptation. Increasingly, ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA approaches are being highlighted as an approach to address climate change impacts. Specifically, EbA encourages the use of local and external knowledge about ecosystems to identify climate change adaptation approaches. This paper critically reviews EbA in Caribbean SIDS, focusing on the need to integrate local and external knowledge. An analysis of current EbA in the Caribbean is undertaken alongside a review of methodologies used to integrate local and external expertise for EbA. Finally key gaps, lessons learnt and suggested ways forward for EbA in Caribbean SIDS and potentially further afield are identified.

Drivers and inhibitors of renewable energy: A qualitative and quantitative study of the Caribbean

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ince, David; Vredenburg, Harrie; Liu, Xiaoyu

2016-01-01

We explore the factors that affect the development of renewable energy in the Caribbean. The Caribbean region can serve as a laboratory in studying the institutional issues relating to energy development due to the differences in political jurisdictions over a short distance. Based on 12 case studies and 75 in-depth interviews with a variety of stakeholders, we identified five factors that appear to be critical for the development of renewable energy in the Caribbean: entrepreneurship attitudes, the role of local champions, the electric utility influence, informal institutions and the influence of international agencies. We built a multiple regression model to test these relationships through a survey of 34 political jurisdictions in the Caribbean. The statistical analysis we conducted suggests that informal institutions have a significant impact on the extent of renewable energy development, while the incumbent electricity utilities’ influence may impede the development of renewable energy. Based on these findings, we provide recommendations on how best to make use of these factors identified, in order to develop effective energy policies throughout the Caribbean. - Highlights: • Informal institutions impact the effectiveness of renewable energy policies • Electric utilities’ positioning can impede the development of renewable energy. • Entrepreneurship attitude may impact renewable energy development. • Role of champions and impact of international agencies may be additional factors

The first report of a microdiverse anammox bacteria community in waters of Colombian Pacific, a transition area between prominent oxygen minimum zones of the eastern tropical Pacific.

Science.gov (United States)

Castro-González, M; Molina, V; Rodríguez-Rubio, E; Ulloa, O

2014-12-01

Anaerobic ammonium oxidizers contribute to the removal of fixed nitrogen in oxygen-deficient marine ecosystems such as oxygen minimum zones (OMZ). Here we surveyed for the first time the occurrence and diversity of anammox bacteria in the Colombian Pacific, a transition area between the prominent South and North Pacific OMZs. Anammox bacteria were detected in the coastal and oceanic areas of the Colombian Pacific in low oxygen (Chile and Arabian Sea) within Candidatus ‘Scalindua spp’. Moreover, some anammox bacteria OTUs shared a low similarity with environmental phylotypes (86–94%). Our results indicated that a microdiverse anammox community inhabits the Colombian Pacific, generating new questions about the ecological and biogeochemical differences influencing its community structure.

Association of metabolic syndrome and chronic periodontitis in Colombians.

Science.gov (United States)

Jaramillo, Adriana; Contreras, Adolfo; Lafaurie, Gloria Inés; Duque, Andrés; Ardila, Carlos Martín; Duarte, Silvia; Osorio, Lyda

2017-06-01

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a common chronic condition that increases the cardiovascular disease risk and is also linked to periodontitis. The study aim was to determine if a relationship exists between MetS and chronic periodontitis in adult Colombians. Participants were 220 healthy-gingivitis subjects and 431 periodontitis patients coming from the three largest Colombian cities. Periodontal status and MetS were determined in subjects. Univariate analysis and odds ratio were calculated within the 95 % confidence intervals and chi 2 test compared the groups. Variables were compared among the clinical periodontal groups and MetS by Wilcoxon and multivariate analysis, and logistic regression was performed for MetS and periodontitis. MetS had higher prevalence in periodontitis group (6.3 %) versus controls (3.2 %). In multivariate analysis, periodontitis was associated with MetS (adjusted OR = 2.72, 95 % CI 1.09-6.79), glucose intolerance with another component of MetS (adjusted OR = 1.78, 1.16 to 2.72), glucose resistance (adjusted OR = 11.46, 95 % CI 1.41-92.88), smoking (OR = 1.72, 95 % CI 1.09-2.71), and city of origin (2.69, 95 % CI 1.79-4.04). The study confirmed the positive association between MetS and periodontitis, being glucose sensitivity the strongly associated component. MetS must be taken into account by the dentist when evaluating risk factors for periodontitis, being useful for dentists to evaluate glycemia, lipidic profile, central obesity, and high blood pressure in patients. Interdisciplinary treatment must be recommended when a patient with MetS and periodontitis is being treated.