Earliest evidence of elephant butchery at Olduvai Gorge (Tanzania) reveals the evolutionary impact of early human megafaunal exploitation
Manuel Dominguez-Rodrigo, Enrique Baquedano, Abel Moclan
et al.
The role of megafaunal exploitation in early human evolution remains debated. Occasional use of large carcasses by early hominins has been considered by some as opportunistic, possibly a fallback dietary strategy, and for others a more important survival strategy. At Olduvai Gorge, evidence for megafaunal butchery is scarce in the Oldowan of Bed I but becomes more frequent and widespread after 1.8 Ma in Bed II, coinciding with the emergence of Acheulean technologies, but not functionally related to the main Acheulian tool types. Here, we present the earliest direct evidence of proboscidean butchery, including a newly documented elephant butchery site (EAK). This shift in behavior is accompanied by larger, more complex occupation sites, signaling a profound ecological and technological transformation. Rather than opportunistic scavenging, these findings suggest a strategic adaptation to megafaunal resources, with implications for early human subsistence and social organization. The ability to systematically exploit large prey represents a unique evolutionary trajectory, with no direct modern analogue, since modern foragers do so only episodically.
Nota de apresentação
Maria de Lurdes Rosa, Rita Sampaio da Nóvoa, Abel Rodrigues
History of Portugal, History (General)
Conceptualising Heritage Routes for Tourism: The Miracle of the Roses
Isilda Leitão, Carlos Fernandes
In this article, a preliminary exploratory study is undertaken to cover a lesser researched topic in the tourism literature concerning the conceptualisation of heritage-based routes. A route of less-known heritage that crosses a territory with varied cultures is proposed. It is intended that the route contributes to the practice of creating itineraries for tourists. The route extends from Central Europe to the Iberian Peninsula and is related to historical and mythical legacies of Elisabeth of Hungary (1207-1231); Landgrave of Thuringia and; Isabel (Elisabeth), Princess of Aragon (1270?-1336) and Queen of Portugal. In this research, we opt for a qualitative approach, using both primary and secondary sources of data collection. Documentary sources, namely cultural-historical-mythical, field observation undertaken over several years and visual material collected. Results led to defining a common theme, as they share the miracle that earned them immortality – the miracle of the roses. Secondly, heritage elements were obtained and information on their history was collected to highlight specificities of the territories and identify the cultural path and points along the route.
Philosophy. Psychology. Religion, Philosophy of religion. Psychology of religion. Religion in relation to other subjects
Candida auris in Intensive Care Setting: The First Case Reported in Portugal
João F. Henriques, V. Mixão, J. Cabrita
et al.
Candida auris is an opportunistic human pathogen that has rapidly spread to multiple countries and continents and has been associated with a high number of nosocomial outbreaks. Herein, we report the first case of C. auris in Portugal, which was associated with a patient transferred from Angola to an ICU in Portugal for liver transplantation after a SARS-CoV-2 infection. C. auris was isolated during the course of bronchoalveolar lavage, and it was subjected to antifungal susceptibility testing and whole-genome sequence analysis. This isolate presents low susceptibility to azoles and belongs to the genetic clade III with a phylogenetic placement close to African isolates. Although clade III has already been reported in Europe, taking into account the patient’s clinical history, we cannot discard the possibility that the patient’s colonization/infection occurred in Angola, prior to admission in the Portuguese hospital. Considering that C. auris is a fungal pathogen referenced by WHO as a critical priority, this case reinforces the need for continuous surveillance in a hospital setting.
Heterogeneity on the abyssal plains: A case study in the Bering Sea
Julia D. Sigwart, Angelika Brandt, Angelika Brandt
et al.
The abyssal plains are vast areas without large scale relief that occupy much of the ocean floor. Although long considered relatively featureless, they are now known to display substantial biological heterogeneity across different spatial scales. Ecological research in these regions benefits increasingly from non-destructive visual sampling of epifaunal organisms with imaging technology. We analysed images from ultra-high-definition towed camera transects at depths of around 3500 m across three stations (100–130 km apart) in the Bering Sea, to ask whether the density and distribution of visible epifauna indicated any substantial heterogeneity. We identified 71 different megafaunal taxa, of which 24 occurred at only one station. Measurements of the two most abundant faunal elements, the holothurian Elpidia minutissima and two xenophyophores morphotypes (the more common identifiable as Syringammina limosa), indicated significant differences in local densities and patchy aggregations that were strikingly dissimilar among stations. One station was dominated by xenophyophores, one was relatively depauperate in both target taxa as well as other identified megafauna, and the third station was dominated by Elpidia. This is an unexpected level of variation within comparable transects in a well-mixed oceanic basin, reinforcing the emerging view that abyssal habitats encompass biological heterogeneity at similar spatial scales to terrestrial continental realms.
Science, General. Including nature conservation, geographical distribution
The first Portuguese Open Dialogue pilot project intervention
Sofia Tavares, Sofia Tavares, Joana Ribeiro
et al.
IntroductionIn 2020, the Directorate General of Health (DGS), a central service of the Ministry of Health in Portugal, approved and co-financed the first Open Dialogue program in the country. The present report aims to demonstrate the preliminary results of the first year of the project, implemented in the northern interior region of Alentejo.MethodsSeven people at the Center of Concern (PCC) and 21 family members/social networks received care through Open Dialogue; four external social workers and psychologists were also involved in the project as members of the support network. A total of 160 network meetings were undertaken, reaching as many as 27 per month in the busiest periods. Based on a previous Italian Research Protocol, developed by Pocobello et al. (non-published manuscript), quantitative and qualitative data were collected in and after the clinical meetings involving PCC and their family/social network, through a multi-method approach: clinical history interview (e.g., generic research on sociodemographic data, duration of untreated symptoms, reasons for requesting help, possible hospitalizations, and/or treatments/therapies) and the following scales applied every five sessions (e.g., CORE-OM, BSI, GAF, and LSNS-6).ResultsThe preliminary results indicate an improvement in global functioning and the enlargement of social network size/support, a decrease in symptoms, and a negative correlation between the number of sessions and the LSNS6. Medication use remained largely unchanged at the end of the project.DiscussionIn general, even with a small sample, the results are considered satisfactory and seem to be aligned with the vast majority of Open Dialogue studies, which for several decades have consistently pointed toward better recovery rates than treatment as usual as well as increased client satisfaction. We expect that the results presented can boost further research and help strengthen the OD approach.
Effects of Natural Habitat and Season on Cursorial Spider Assemblages in Mediterranean Vineyards
Zeana Ganem, Marco Ferrante, Yael Lubin
et al.
Natural habitats adjacent to vineyards are presumed to have a positive effect on the diversity of natural enemies within the vineyards. However, these habitats differ in vegetation structure and seasonal phenology and in turn could affect the species composition of natural enemies. Here, we compared the species richness and diversity and the composition of spider assemblages in several locations within three commercial vineyards and the nearby natural habitats in a Mediterranean landscape in northern Israel. We sampled spiders by means of pitfall traps in early and in late summer. Both the time in the season and the habitat (natural versus vineyard) affected spider species richness and diversity. More species were found in early summer (47) than in late summer (33), and more occurred in the natural habitat (34 species) than in the vineyards (27–31 species). Fifteen species were found exclusively in the natural habitat, and only 11 species were shared by the vineyards and natural habitat, four of which were the most abundant and geographically widely distributed species in the samples. In late summer, spider diversity in the natural habitat was higher than within the vineyards: the spider assemblages in the vineyards became dominated by a few species late in the crop season, while those of the natural habitat remained stable. Overall, the natural habitat differed in assemblage composition from all within-vineyard locations, while the three locations within the vineyard did not differ significantly in assemblage composition. Season (early vs. late summer), however, significantly affected the spider assemblage composition. This study documents the large diversity of spiders in a local Mediterranean vineyard agroecosystem. Over 60% of the known spider families in the region occurred in our samples, highlighting the importance of this agroecosystem for spider diversity and the potential for conservation biocontrol, where natural habitats may be a source of natural enemies for nearby vineyards.
Relations between the Parsis of India and the East India Company (1601-1858)
Jaleh Tajaldini
1- Abstract
The arrival of Britain in India under the cover of the East India Company at the beginning of the 17th century led to the country’s gaining access to the legendary financial resources in the subcontinent. However, with the British presence in India, the Zoroastrian community of this country, known as the Parsis, also underwent a significant economic transformation. Evidence of the increase in the wealth of the Parsis after the establishment of the British East India Company in the subcontinent is that in the 19th and 20th centuries, with the capital possessed, they set up numerous and large factories in India. Were there any special relations in the economic and professional field between the Parsis of India and the company? This is the question that the present study seeks to answer. In this study, using related historical sources, including works about the Parsis of India as well as compilations about the beginning and implementation of the British East India Company, the reasons for the positive perception of the company leaders of the Parsis are examined using a descriptive-analytical approach. Then, by reviewing the professional life of the Parsis, in two important ports of Surat and Bombay, which were the main points of contact with the company’s employees, examples of the Parsis services to the British East India Company and the privileges donated to the Persis leaders by the British are recounted and analyzed. The results show that the Parsis cooperation with the British government representatives in India was not limited to economic fields and that the British also had the assistance of the Zoroastrian community in the political arena.
2- Introduction
The followers of Zoroastrianism have been known in India from past times as “Farsi” or “Parsi”. In fact, since the annexation of the western parts of India to the Achaemenid Empire, Iranians travelled to these areas. Also, Iranian Zoroastrians, especially their clerics, travelled to India before Islam to propagate this religion for business. But the issue of their migration to India after Islam is mainly based on a poetic story called "Qeṣṣe-ye Sanjān" composed in 1008 AH (1600 AD). The narrator of the story events has been a trusted Zoroastrian priest to Bahman Keyqubad, the story’s composer. Based on this source, after the Arab invasion of Khurasan during the conquest of Iran, the Zoroastrians of a village called Sanjan in north-eastern Iran took refuge in the nearby mountains and spent a hundred years there. Then, they travelled to the island of Hormuz and lived there for fifteen years. "Dib" on the southern shores of the Indus was their next destination, where they remained for nineteen years. Then, they moved to Gujarat and settled in an area that was reminiscent of the former land of Sanjan, where they also spent five hundred years. Therefore, this group of immigrants left India in the middle of the second century AH. The question is, how did the narrator get these exact time intervals?
The editor of Qesse in the introduction of the book indicates the existence of sufficient references to prove the truth of this story. One of the documents he presents is the narration of Baladhuri in "Futuh al-Buldan" in which the people of Kerman fled from the Arab army. But this narration is not applicable to the story of Sanjan. The narration of Baladhuri indicates the escape of a number of people of Kerman in the first half of the first century AH from the Arab army and their departure to Hormuz and the conflict with the Arabs on this island. Baladhuri's words in this regard end with this report: many people of Kerman fled by sea. The existence of many ambiguities in the story caused its rejection by some contemporary Zoroastrian scholars.
However, the story says the adventure of the Parsis refugees in which they asked the Hindu ruler of the region to stay in Gujarat, and he agreed to live there under certain conditions. Among his conditions was: In the language, domination, and clothing of women, the Hindu customs should be considered, and also the means of war should be avoided. Accordingly, the Parsis accorded themselves perfectly to the culture and customs of the environment; this point was probably one of the reasons for the British approach toward them. Karaka writes in this regard: “It is a characteristic of the Persis that they have behaved appropriately to other peoples, even though their beliefs and customs are different, and they have adjusted themselves to the conditions, although the conditions were not according to their desire”. Jonathan Duncan, the British ruler of Mumbai at the beginning of the 19th century, criticized Muslims in a conversation with Abdul Latif Shushtari, comparing them to the Parsis, who easily adapted themselves to the custom and culture of the superior people: “What is the reason that wherever the monarchy of the Muslim exists or a sect of Muslims resides, their work is on the harshness ... unlike other religions which are smooth and gentle?"
On the events of 986 AH / 1587 AD, Badayuni, the historian of the court of Jalaluddin Akbar has reported the presence of Zoroastrians from the city of Navsari in the Gujarat region in the court of this ruler and writes that this powerful ruler ordered that the fire always be kept lit in a certain place. The report shows that in the late 16th century, the city of Navsari near Surat was the main settlement of Zoroastrians in India and since the agricultural conditions of the region met their job and economic needs, they had not migrated to Surat. Although the Parsis lived in this port before the arrival of the Europeans, the increase in their number was closely related to the arrival of European companies in this city.
The endeavour of European countries to penetrate east by sea led the Portuguese Vasco da Gama to become the first European sailor to set foot on Indian soil. Nehru reminds us that this first step was taken after the end of the Muslim rule over Andalusia in 1492 AD. Perhaps from the view of the new Iberian rulers, this move was revenge to conquer the East and spread Christianity in the face of the spread of Islam in Spain. Wasn't that the Portuguese paid special attention to the spread of Christianity in the East, and their violence of the Muslim merchants whom they called the Moors (Spanish Muslims) was unexampled? It is said that the intensity of the Portuguese violence was due to the superiority of the Muslims in trade, while part of it must be attributed to their dissatisfaction with the long Muslim rule in southwestern Europe.
From the Europeans’ point of view, the port of Surat, in the south of Gujarat and on the bank of the navigable Tapi or Tapti River, about 30 km far from the Arabian Sea, was suitable for their ships to travel to India. The knowledge of European capitalists of the geographical location of Surat, which was connected with the Far East countries on the one hand and with the Iranian and Arab ports, on the other hand, encouraged them to build several factories in this port from the second decade of the 17th century. Also, the relative proximity of Surat to Deccan and Gujarat, the centers of cotton cultivation and production in India made the Europeans eager to build factories there. Then, the Portuguese, the Dutch, the French, and the British came to this port and each established a trading company in their own name. The location of Surat made this port the most commercially productive one in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries and was distinguished among Indian ports. This supremacy continued until the rise of Mumbai in the commercial arena, and then Surat was ignored.
Although the British East India Company arrival in Surat after Portugal managed to repel the enemy with military force, the French financial bankruptcy in Surat automatically led to their removal from the port. The company, which ostensibly bore the name of the company and was in fact the British government with shareholders (mainly military personnel), after a while, took over the country's political destiny in addition to monopolizing India's trade.
In this study, the reasons and methods of the East India Company's use of the Parsi society of India, as one of the tools to increase their influence in this land, as well as the type of cooperation of the Parsis with the British and its results for them are discussed. So far, no specific research has been done on this topic; however, numerous works related to the history of the Parsis, as well as writings related to the emergence and decline of the East India Company, contain scattered materials on the subject of this study. The manuscript of “Waqaye-i Hind” by Abdul Latif Shushtari at the beginning of the 19th century, which deals with the events in India, especially the island of Mumbai, has useful and relevant information in this regard. Shushtari, who was on behalf of the company, overseeing the affairs of Iranian businessmen in Mumbai, met daily with the island's Parsi leaders and recorded valuable notes of their relations with the company's leaders. The History of the Parsis, a work from the second half of the 19th century, also contains useful information on the subject of this article, due to the proximity of the author's era to the period of intimate relations between the Persians and the British. An article with the title Pyarsis and the British also contains notes on the relations between the Parsis and the East India Company which Hinnells published in 1978 in the journal of Kama Institute.
3- Materials and Methods
have been the main sources of the author for writing this descriptive-analytical article.
4- Discussion of Results and Conclusions
The British East India Company made its way to India later than Portugal, the Netherlands, and France in the early 17th century, but soon overtook European rivals and pursued its capitalist goals singly. In the meantime, the British needed the help of the natives of India to achieve their goals. People with abilities in business, sea voyages, knowledge of local products and facilities, knowledge of local leaders and celebrities, skills in intermediary in transactions and linguistics were among the characteristics of Parsis. On the other hand, the Zoroastrian community of India was eager to cooperate with the East India Company in order to be more successful in business, obtain various goods, and receive support during business trips. Although Parsis did not gain a high position in the company and even export goods directly to Europe, and the company's leaders viewed them as instrumental and a means of profit, in order to continue their cooperation, they were constantly provided with business opportunities and more income. The British acquisition of advanced technology in the textile industry, their progress in land and sea transportation, and entry into Asian markets, relying on the military in the 19th century, also had a positive impact on Parsis business. Their cooperation with the British for more than three centuries provided them with more wealth than they had imagined. The wealth they accumulated in the 18th century and the first half of the 19th century through various means, especially trade, was invested in the industry from the second half of this century. In the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, they held half of the managerial and regulatory positions of Mumbai factories. They owned India's first steel plant. Some of them violated some of the moral limitations of Zoroastrianism and followed the British way of life to earn more money. At this time, Britain was their homeland. But the Parsis’ dependence on British capitalists also caused them some harm. In the late 19th century, the center of India's foreign trade was moved from the west of India, the center of Parsis’ gathering and life, to the east by the heads of companies; thus Parsis’ role in trade diminished. Opium exports from India to China also declined. New industries entered the world of Indian industry in 1900, and Parsis paid less attention to these industries due to the continued focus on cotton and fabric production. Together, these factors halted the economic growth of Parsis in the second half of the 20th century compared to the previous century. The Parsis’ close and intimate relations with the British also caused them cultural damages such as the loss of religious identity which has been considered and protested by some followers of this religion.
History (General) and history of Europe, History of Asia
Editorial
Helena Neves
The role of virtual interactive simulators in medical education: Exploring their integration as an assessment methodology in clinical years
Jaime Miguel Abreu, Bruno Guimarães, Miguel Castelo-Branco
Introduction: Assessment takes a fundamental role in medical education. In Portugal, the main assessment method used is multiple-choice questions (MCQ). The virtual interactive patients (VIP) as an assessment method can be indicated for the development of clinical reasoning for medical students of the clinical years. This study compared the use of MCQ and VIP as assessment methodologies in medical students. Methods: A randomized crossover study carried out, which 35 Portuguese medical students from clinical years evaluated by MCQ and VIP in four medical specialties. In each specialty, students randomized into two groups. One group started being evaluated by MCQ and finished with VIP, the other vice-versa. After the evaluation, students asked to complete a satisfaction questionnaire. Results: The final score was higher with the VIP than MCQ method (MCQ: 67.40 ± 8.96 vs. VIP: 73.34 ± 10.8; p < 0.01) with significant differences higher in Clinical History and Physical Examination. The satisfaction quiz showed although both methodologies are adequate and satisfactory, but VIP method allows to improve knowledge. Conclusion: VIP is more accurate for clinical reasoning, accepted by medical students and should be integrated into the pre-graduate medical curriculum with other methodologies already used. The COVID-19 pandemic allowed a digital transformation of medical education and VIP will have a crucial role as a knowledge and evaluation method. Resumen: Introducción: La evaluación tiene un papel fundamental en la educación médica. En Portugal, el principal método de evaluación utilizado son las preguntas de opción múltiple (MCQ). El paciente virtual interactivo (VIP) como método de evaluación puede estar indicado para el desarrollo del razonamiento clínico para estudiantes de medicina en años clínicos. Este estudio comparó el uso de MCQ y VIP como metodologías de evaluación en estudiantes de medicina. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio cruzado, aleatorizado, en el que 35 estudiantes de medicina portugueses de años clínicos fueron evaluados por MCQ y VIP en cuatro especialidades médicas. En cada especialidad, los estudiantes se asignaron al azar en dos grupos. Un grupo comenzó a ser evaluado por MCQ y terminó con VIP, el otro viceversa. Después de la evaluación, los estudiantes pidieron completar un cuestionario de satisfacción. Resultados: La puntuación final fue mayor con el método VIP que con MCQ (MCQ: 67,40 ± 8,96 vs. VIP: 73,34 ± 10,8; p < 0,01) con diferencias significativas mayores en historia clínica y exploración física. El cuestionario de satisfacción mostró que ambas metodologías son adecuadas y satisfactorias, pero el método VIP mejora el conocimiento. Conclusión: VIP es más preciso para el razonamiento clínico, aceptado por los estudiantes de Medicina y debe integrarse en el plan de estudios de Medicina de pregrado con otras metodologías ya utilizadas. La pandemia por la COVID-19 permitió una transformación digital de la educación médica y VIP tendrá un papel crucial como método de conocimiento y evaluación.
Education (General), Medicine (General)
Explorar a cidade: passo a passo pelos bairros de Lisboa
Ana Margarida Teixeira Brites, Ana Maria Menezes Loureiro, Filipa Schreck Cancela de Abreu Ribeiro Ferreira
et al.
Rosários dos Pretos, Saint Benedict of Quissama: Black Confraternities and Devotions in the Atlantic World (Portugal and Angola, 1700s)
Lucilene REGINALDO
<p>In the eighteenth century, confraternities such as that of Our Lady of the Rosary and those dedicated to the black saints Benedict, Iphigenia and Elesban – to mention only the most popular devotions – were common in different areas of the Atlantic World. They were especially popular among people of color, both enslaved and free. In this paper I argue that the popularity of these sodalities should not be understood solely as the result of Catholic expansion. Rather, Africans and their descendents assumed an active role in this process, as important agents in propagating and popularizing the devotions and black confraternities. In order to understand this process I examine the history of black confraternities and devotions in two parts of the Portuguese Atlantic world: the kingdom of Portugal and the territories it conquered in Angola.</p>
Peronismo, diseño institucional y centralización política. Un análisis a partir de dos espacios subnacionales argentinos: Corrientes y Chaco (1946-1955)
María Silvia Leoni, María del Mar Solís Carnicer
Este artículo tiene por objeto abordar la impronta que adquirió la relación entre el Estado nacional y los espacios subnacionales durante los gobiernos peronistas, entre 1946 y 1955. Se centra en la construcción del diseño institucional, tomando como unidad de análisis dos espacios periféricos del nordeste argentino: Corrientes y Chaco. Durante el peronismo, estos dos espacios, con desarrollos político-institucionales diferentes, experimentaron importantes transformaciones a partir de la implementación de una política de centralización del poder. La adopción de una perspectiva comparativa permite identificar las semejanzas y diferencias entre mecanismos, estrategias y resultados de esta política en el interior de la Argentina.
Abstract
This article aims to address the imprint which acquired the relationship between the national state and sub-national spaces during the Peronist Governments, between 1946 and 1955. It focuses on the construction of institutional design, taking as the unit of analysis two peripheral areas of the Argentine’s Northeast: Corrientes and Chaco. These scenarios –with different political and institutional developments–, experienced during the peronism important transformations from the implementation of a policy of centralization of power. The adoption of a comparative perspective allows to identify similarities and differences between mechanisms, strategies and results of this policy in the interior of the Argentina.
History of Portugal, History of Spain
Family structure and use of prenatal care
Elisabete Alves, Susana Silva, Simone Martins
et al.
This cross-sectional study intended to assess the use of prenatal care according to the family structure in a population with free universal access to prenatal care. In 2005-2006, the Portuguese birth cohort was assembled by the recruitment of puerperae at public maternity wards in Porto, Portugal. In the current analysis, 7,211 were included. Data on socio-demographic characteristics, obstetric history, and prenatal care were self-reported. Single mothers were considered as those whose household composition did not include a partner at delivery. Approximately 6% of the puerperae were single mothers. These women were more likely to have an unplanned pregnancy (OR = 6.30; 95%CI: 4.94-8.04), an inadequate prenatal care (OR = 2.30; 95%CI: 1.32-4.02), and to miss the ultrasound and the intake of folic acid supplements during the first trimester of pregnancy (OR = 1.71; 95%CI: 1.30-2.27; and OR = 1.67; 95%CI: 1.32-2.13, respectively). The adequacy and use of prenatal care was less frequent in single mothers. Educational interventions should reinforce the use and early initiation of prenatal care.
Medicine, Public aspects of medicine
The Binational Civic and Political Engagement of Mexican Migrant Hometown Associations and Federations in the United States
Xóchitl Bada
This article focuses on the history and current situation of Mexican hometown associations (HTAs) in the United States with a special emphasis on Chicago-based Mexican hometown associations and federations. It presents empirical evidence of new forms of binational engagement among Mexican migrant communities in the United States leading to the creation of a Mexican migrant civil society.
History of Portugal, History of Spain
América Latina después de las transiciones: calidad de la democracia, nuevo desarrollo y equidad proactiva
Rodrigo Arocena
El artículo parte de la década de los ochenta, necesaria para una transición progresiva de ciertos regímenes dictatoriales a las nuevas democracias, para analizar la solidez de la democracia en América Latina, los nuevos procesos de crecimiento económico y la justicia social que late (o no) bajo los mismos.
History of Portugal, History of Spain
Narrar lo inenarrable. Literatura, nación y muerte en El fistol del diablo de Manuel Payno
Elías Palti
La “nueva conquista de México” ocurrida en 1847 señalaría la culminación de un proceso de descomposición política y social. México parecía presentar ante el mundo un fenómeno absolutamente inusual: el de una nación a la que le había bastado el lapso de una generación para realizar su ciclo biológico completo. La empresa de hacer de México una nación se había simplemente revelado como inviable. En el contexto se producirá un nuevo vuelco a la literatura de ficción, prácticamente abandonada desde tiempos de Fernández de Lizardi. Tal vez, lo que la razón no había podido penetrar, podría volverse visible a la mirada de lo que Juan Díaz Covarrubias llamaba la “ciencia del alma”. El fistol del diablo de Payno nos muestra hasta qué punto había algo definitivamente inenarrable en la historia reciente mexicana y que escapaba al alcance no sólo de los géneros de discurso, como la historia, ceñidos a las demasiado estrictas reglas de la lógica y los conceptos, sino incluso de aquella que había hecho del conjunto de los universos posibles su dominio, haciendo imposible su relato.
History of Portugal, History of Spain
Bolivia: descentralización, crisis social y democracia
Moira Zuazo
Este trabajo analiza los cambios producidos en la situación sociopolítica de Bolivia a partir de las elecciones de junio de 2002, en las que dos partidos (Movimiento al Socialismo, de Evo Morales, y Movimiento Indígena Pachacutí, de Felipe Quispe) de corte indigenista alcanzaron 41 representantes en el Congreso Nacional.
History of Portugal, History of Spain
Literaturas ibéricas: historia y crítica
Antonio Cortijo Ocaña, Margarita Barrado de Álvaro, José Elías Gutiérrez Meza
et al.
History of Portugal, History of Spain
Brasil y el hemisferio occidental: América del Sur y los Estados Unidos como puntos de referencia de la política exterior brasileña
Peter Birle
Este artículo analiza los modelos que sigue la política exterior brasileña en su contexto actual de desarrollo económico y crecimiento internacional, que son, fundamentalmente, los países de América del Sur y los Estados Unidos de América.
History of Portugal, History of Spain