Hyaenas and early humans in the latest Early Pleistocene of South-Western Europe

Throughout the Pleistocene, early humans and carnivores frequented caves and large rock-shelters, usually generating bone accumulations. The well-preserved late Early Pleistocene sedimentary sequence at Cueva Negra del Estrecho del Río Quípar (CNERQ) has provided substantial evidence concerning the behavioural and adaptive skills of early humans in Western Europe, such as butchery practices, lithic technology or tending fire, whilst also bearing witness to the bone-altering activities of carnivores. Recent fieldwork has allowed the re-examination of the spatial and taphonomical nature of the macrofaunal assemblage from the upper layers of Complex 2. These layers are somewhat different from most of the underlying sequence, in showing quite a high representation of cranial and post-cranial bones of large mammals, including several Megaloceroscarthaginiensis antlers. The presence of Crocuta sp. at Cueva Negra represents one of the earliest instances of this genus in Western Eurasia. Identification of several juvenile Crocuta sp. remains alongside coprolites and bones with carnivore damage, indicates sporadical hyaenid denning activity. Furthermore, the presence of bones with percussion and cut-marks near to several hammerstones suggests a clear albeit limited anthropogenic input. We interpret the available taphonomical and spatial evidence from these layers as reflecting a multi-patterned palimpsest, likely representing the non-simultaneous and short-lived co-existence of hyaenas, humans, and other small carnivores in the Cueva Negra palaeolandscape during the final phase of sedimentation preserved at the site.

How Communities of Marine Stramenopiles Varied with Environmental and Biological Variables in the Subtropical Northwestern Pacific Ocean

MArine STramenopiles (MASTs) have been recognized as parts of heterotrophic protists and contribute substantially to protist abundances in the ocean. However, little is known about their spatiotemporal variations with respect to environmental and biological factors. The objectives of this study are to use canonical correspondence analysis to investigate how MASTs communities are shaped by environmental variables, and co-occurrence networks to examine their potential interactions with prokaryotic communities. Our dataset came from the southern East China Sea (sECS) in the subtropical northwestern Pacific, and involved 14 cruises along a coastal-oceanic transect, each of which sampled surface water from 4 to 7 stations. MASTs communities were revealed by metabarcoding of 18S rDNA V4 region. Most notably, MAST-9 had a high representation in warm waters in terms of read number and diversity. Subclades of MAST-9C and -9D showed slightly different niches, with MAST-9D dominating in more coastal waters where concentrations of nitrite and Synechococcus were higher. MAST-1C was a common component of colder water during spring. Overall, canonical correspondence analysis showed that MASTs communities were significantly influenced by temperature, nitrite and Synechococcus concentrations. The co-occurrence networks showed that certain other minor prokaryotic taxa can influence MAST communities. This study provides insight into how MASTs communities varied with environmental and biological variables.

Sequencing of Coastal Lagoon Samples from the Piñones Lagoon, Puerto Rico, Reveals Important Role of Bacterial Sulfur Metabolism in the Lagoon Ecosystem

This initial microbial analysis of the Piñones lagoon shows a high representation of sulfur-oxidizing Sulfurimonas and sulfur-reducing Sulfurospirillum bacteria. These species are likely responsible for maintaining sulfur homeostasis and prevent the buildup of toxic sulfur components, but may contribute to nitrogen buildup, in the mangrove ecosystem.

Gender parity in the foreign services of African countries

The paper considers the gender situation in foreign ministries of African states. The authors investigate the history of gender changes in diplomacy in post-colonial Africa and the reasons for the high representation of women in foreign ministries and embassies of certain states, as well as policies for the recruitment of diplomatic personnel. The present paper pays special attention to the activities of foreign ministers and examines biographies and political careers of individual African women diplomats. The authors note the typical challenges the latter face in their work. Furthermore, the article broadens the understanding of the contribution of African women diplomats to the development of political, economic and cultural relations with Russia.

Profil Kemampuan Representasi Matematis Siswa SMP ditinjau dari Self Efficacy

<p><span lang="EN-US">ABSTRAK</span></p><p><span lang="EN-US">Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui profil kemampuan representasi matematis siswa SMP ditinjau dari <em>self efficacy</em>. Jenis penelitian ini merupakan penelitian kualitatif deskriptif. Subjek yang di ambil adalah 3 siswa kelas IX di SMP Negeri 2 Kaliwungu semester gasal tahun ajaran 2020/2021 yang masing-masing mempunyai <em>self efficacy</em> tinggi, <em>self efficacy</em> sedang, dan <em>self efficacy</em> rendah. Pengumpulan data yang dilakukan yaitu dengan skala <em>self efficacy</em>, tes tertulis, wawancara dan dokumentasi. Teknik analisis data dilakukan dengan 3 tahapan yaitu reduksi data, penyajian data, penarikan kesimpulan/verifikasi. Keabsahan data menggunakan triangulasi metode yaitu membandingkan hasil tes kemampuan representasi dengan hasil wawancara. Analisis dikembangkan berdasarkan indikator kemampuan representasi matematis dengan memperhatikan <em>self efficacy</em> yang dimiliki. Berdasarkan hasil analisis, diketahui bahwa subjek dengan <em>self efficacy</em> tinggi juga memiliki kemampuan representasi tinggi. Subjek dengan <em>self efficacy</em> sedang juga memiliki kemampuan representasi sedang. Subjek dengan <em>self efficacy</em> rendah juga memiliki kemampuan representasi rendah.</span></p><p><span lang="EN-US">ABSTRACT</span></p><p><span lang="EN-US"><em><span lang="EN-US">This study aims to determine the profile of the mathematical representation ability of junior high school students in terms of self-efficacy. The type of this research is descriptive qualitative. The subjects were 3 grade IX students at SMP Negeri 2 Kaliwungu in the odd semester of the 2020/2021 school year, each of whom had high self-efficacy, moderate self-efficacy, and low self-efficacy. Data collection was carried out using a self-efficacy scale, written tests, interviews, and documentation. The data analysis technique was executed in 3 stages, namely data reduction, data presentation, drawing conclusions / verification. The validity of the data used triangulation method, by comparing the results of the representation ability test with the results of the interview. The analysis is developed based on the indicator of mathematical representation ability by paying attention to the owned self-efficacy. Based on the results of the analysis, it is known that subject with high self-efficacy also has high representation abilities. Subject with moderate self-efficacy also has moderate representation abilities. Subject with low self-efficacy also has low representation skills</span></em><span lang="EN-US">.</span></span></p>

Who Is Marketised in Colour-Blind Sweden? Racial and Ethnic Representation in Swedish Commercials 2008–2017

From a social equality representation perspective, advertising should ideally mirror the multicultural composition at the national market, because mass-mediated identity representations may act as cultural resources for those with marginalised identities. To investigate the observance to such an ideal in a context where the ethnic and racial composition of the population saw a rapid change, this article examines 676 Swedish TV commercials in over the period 2008–2017, and analyses the representation of non-White persons of colour (POC). Through this quantitative and qualitative examination, we find that POC are indeed visible in the commercials, but predominantly in the background or playing minor roles. With the, at times, unproportionally high representation of racial and ethnic diversity in Swedish advertising, we find significant tokenism, or in other words, the structurally ineffectual approach common in market-based multiculturalism.

Livestock and the Early Medieval Diet in Northern Gaul

Animals played an important role in Merovingian rural society, but it is only recently that archaeo-osteology has made it possible to think about diet and animal husbandry in a more nuanced way. The number of animals relative to population varied significantly over time and by region, but cattle were prominent. Their high representation among livestock owed much to their multifunctionality during their lifetimes, and after death. The place of pigs was somewhat less secure, with a decline during the Merovingian period and new prominence in the Carolingian era. Ovicaprids likewise occupied a relatively marginal place in the Gallo-Roman and Merovingian periods but gained an increasingly influential space in early medieval diets during the Carolingian era. Once Gallo-Roman techniques of mass butchery disappeared, and there was a break in the chain of the artisanal handling of beef caused by the ruralization of society (which made the movement of animals and their products over distances more difficult), human diets changed in northern Gaul and were further supplemented through wild game and birds provisioned through hunting.

What does it mean to be a feminist MP? A comparative analysis of the Swedish and Danish parliaments

The issue of whether political interests are gendered, and if so, how, has been a recurrent theme in research. While there have been several attempts recently to address gendered political interests theoretically, the central concept of feminism has not been explored in any depth in this context. This article uses unique data pertaining to self-identification as a “feminist” MP, and explores how it relates to gender, party and certain policy issues previously connected to women in Sweden and Denmark. The two neighboring countries both have a high representation of women, but while the Swedish government called itself “feminist,” this was unthinkable in the Danish case. Our main finding is that in both countries male feminist MPs deviate from their female counterparts by not supporting “acting for women” which indicates a separate and gendered understanding of what being a male feminist implies. However, no strong association addressing intrinsic feminists male concerns such as parental leave, was found. Another possibility could be that male feminists refrain from taking agency from females, what the “acting for” option could imply. We conclude that the concept of “acting for women” needs to be abducted from its central stance in feminism as a category of representation to mirror the multifaceted contemporary landscape.