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The formative village of K'axob is located on a low rise in the lowland swamp and riverine setting of northern Belize. In 1992, I initiated a type-variety analysis of Formative period ceramics from the northern Belize site of K'axob. Following the lead of Andrews V (1990), I closely scrutinize the criteria used for the classification of Formative ceramics from northern Belize, especially for the establishment of new types and varieties. The following study, therefore, embodies an attempt to review ceramic analysis in northern Belize. Along with the review, I discuss the debate surrounding the chronological place of Formative remains from northern Belize, including the implications of the Cuello shortened chronology to ceramic classification, and examine the possibility of tracing the origins of Swasey ceramics from Cuello. I describe the ceramics of K'axob, consequently, detailing the chronological sequence of Pulltrouser Swamp, and place the K'axob ceramics within the general cultural background of the Maya Lowlands. Through such rigorous study, the K'axob ceramic evidence yielded information on the life of a small Formative village in northern Belize, as well as the contacts with sites in the Guatemala Highlands, Honduras, and El Salvador, during Formative times. ERRATUM Where referred to in the text, the pottery type 'Society Hall: Society Hall variety' should be read as 'Society Hall Red: Society Hall variety'; and 'Sierra Red: Sierra Red variety' should be read as "Sierra Red: Sierra variety".

The Nazca-South America convergent margin is marked by the presence of the Andean mountain belt, which stretches along the 8000-km long western margin of the South American plate. The subduction zone is characterized by significant along-strike changes in both upper plate structure and slab geometry that make it an ideal region to study the relationship between the subducting slab, the surrounding mantle, and the overriding plate. This dissertation summarizes the results of three finite frequency teleseismic tomography studies of the central Nazca-South America subduction zone which improve our understanding of how along-strike variations in the Andean mountain belt and the subducting Nazca plate interact with each other and with the surrounding mantle. This is accomplished by first focusing on two smaller adjacent regions of the central Andes to explore upper mantle variations and then by using a combined dataset, which covers a larger region, to image the deeply subducted Nazca slab to investigate the fate of the slab. The first study focuses on the central Andean upper mantle under the Altiplano-Puna Plateau where normally dipping subduction of the Nazca plate is occurring (18° to 28°S). The shallow mantle under the Eastern Cordillera is generally fast, consistent with either underthrusting of the Brazilian cratonic lithosphere from the east or a localized "curtain" of delaminating material. Additional evidence for delamination is seen in the form of high amplitude low velocities under the Puna Plateau, consistent with proposed asthenospheric influx following lithospheric removal. In the second study, we explore the transition between normal and flat subduction along the north edge of the Altiplano Plateau (8° to 21°S). We find that the Peruvian flat slab extends further inland along the projection of the Nazca Ridge than was previously proposed and that when re-steepening of the slab occurs, the slab dips very steeply (~70°) down through the mantle transition zone (MTZ). We also tentatively propose a ridge parallel tear along the north edge of the Nazca Ridge. Both of these observations imply that the presence of the Nazca Ridge is at least locally influencing the geometry of the flat slab. The final study investigates along-strike variations in the deeply subducted Nazca slab along much of the central Nazca-South America subduction zone (6° to 32°S). Our results confirm that the Nazca slab continues subducting into the lower mantle rather than remaining stagnant in the MTZ. Thickening of the slab in the MTZ north of 16°S is interpreted as folding or buckling of the slab in response to the decreased slab sinking velocities in the lower mantle.

Thesis (doctoral)--Rijksuniversiteit te Utrecht. / Pocket inside back cover contains 20 plates.

Viral metagenomics of feces collected from 58 Peruvian children with unexplained diarrhea revealed several small circular ssDNA genomes. Two genomes related to sequences previously reported in feces from chimpanzees and other mammals and recently named smacoviruses were characterized and then detected by PCR in 1.7 % (1/58) and 19 % (11/58) of diarrheal samples, respectively. Another three genomes from a distinct small circular ssDNA viral group provisionally called pecoviruses encoded Cap and Rep proteins with <35 % identity to those in related genomes reported in human, seal, porcine and dromedary feces. Pecovirus DNA was detected in 15.5 % (9/58), 5.9 % (3/51) and 3 % (3/100) of fecal samples from unexplained diarrhea in Peru, Nicaragua and Chile, respectively. Feces containing these ssDNA genomes also contained known human enteric viral pathogens. The cellular origins of these circular ssDNA viruses, whether human cells, ingested plants, animals or fungal foods, or residents of the gut microbiome, are currently unknown.

Thesis advisor: Corinne I. Wong / Investigating controls on past variability of South American hydroclimate is critical to assessing its response to future warming scenarios. δ¹⁸O records from South America offer insight into past variability of the South American Monsoon System (SAMS). The controls on precipitation δ¹⁸O values, however, can be decoupled from precipitation amount and thereby limit investigations of variability in local moisture conditions. Here we use a principle components analysis to assess the coherence of speleothem and lake core Holocene δ¹⁸O records in tropical South America to evaluate the extent to which δ¹⁸O variability reflects changes in SAMS intensity at different sites across the region. The main mode of variability across Holocene δ¹⁸O records (PC1) closely tracks austral summertime insolation, consistent with existing work. PC1 is strongly expressed at sites towards the periphery of the continent, while variability at interior sites bear little similarity that implicates controls, in addition to monsoon intensity, on these δ¹⁸O records. Further, we develop speleothem ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr records spanning the Holocene from Tamboril Cave (Brazilian Highlands), Paraíso Cave (eastern Amazon Basin), Jaraguá Cave (Mato Grosso Plateau), and Botuverá Cave (Atlantic coastal plain) to investigate coupling between reconstructed monsoon variability and local moisture conditions. Speleothem ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr variability is interpreted as a proxy of local moisture conditions, reflecting the degree of water-rock interaction with the cave host rock as driven by variations in water residence time. Speleothem ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr records from all the sites, except Botuverá cave, do not co-vary with PC1, suggesting that local moisture conditions do not necessary follow variations in monsoon intensity at these interior sites. These speleothem ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr records, however, generally suggest dry mid-Holocene conditions, consistent with interpretations of other paleo-moisture records in the region. These results highlight that dynamics, in addition to SAMS variability, might influence δ¹⁸O variability as well as local moisture conditions at interior sites, and highlight the need for δ¹⁸O-independent reconstructions of moisture conditions. / Thesis (MS) — Boston College, 2018. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Earth and Environmental Sciences.

Thesis advisor: Sylvia Sellers-García / Between 1812-1829, the Spanish American colonies waged a war of independence against the Spanish crown. In Northern South America, this movement was spearheaded by the Enlightenment-educated Simón Bolívar, who understood that expelling the Spaniards necessitated winning widespread support from Spanish America's many distinct interest groups. Bolívar capitalized on his leadership and love for public speaking to wage a war of words against the Spanish that framed the actual revolution in such a way as to give it meaning. This campaign featured a number of varied rhetorical devices; each device intended in a unique way to appeal to its unique audience. By appealing to South America's many interest groups, Bolívar united South Americans under the common banner of independence and provided justification for the acts of violence that revolution necessitated. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2015. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Departmental Honors. / Discipline: History.

This thesis explores the Theatre of the Oppressed's practices at the point of interaction with peasants of Brazil's Landless Movement. It uses the interactive docufragmentary entitled Rehearsing Reality to explore the social and political role of art, and to ask whether particular applications of theatre and film can be used to understand and possibly transform points of view and raise consciousness about contemporary issues in the world. The Theatre of the Oppressed created by Augusto Boal comprises a series of interactive games, exercises and other theatrical methods developed with the purpose of using these drama techniques as a subjective medium contributing both to question and search alternatives for personal and social problems. Amongst its theatrical methods is Forum Theatre, the main practice adopted by Brazil's Landless Movement. This technique breaks with the conventions of the traditional language of theatre. Its main aim is to transform passive audiences into active participants of a theatrical scene. This thesis argues that Forum Theatre is an open medium that offers people the chance to participate democratically in the theatrical space in order to suggest and rehearse new ideas to be applied into their lives. In order to explore how these theatrical experiences work in practice this thesis includes a central element entitled Rehearsing Reality, which is specifically designed to adapt some of the main features from Forum Theatre to film language. Its aim is to activate viewers to interact with the film process. This thesis also explores the historical developments of the Theatre of the Oppressed with major emphasis on Forum Theatre and its practices amongst members of Brazil's Landless Movement living in camps and settlements in the hinterland of Sergipe State, North-East of Brazil. The structure of the thesis is divided into five parts: Chapter One analyses the relevant literature on the subject; Chapter Two provides a reflective account of the filming period; Chapter Three offers an overview of Boal' s life and the development of the Theatre of the Oppressed methods; Chapter Four briefly looks at the history and development of the Brazilian Landless Movement and provides a practical analysis of the experiences of Theatre of the Oppressed amongst the Landless Movement and Chapter Five analyses the creative process of making the docufragmentary Rehearsing Reality. The Conclusion suggests that the social and political aspect of art can significantly contribute to the process of comprehension and transformation of the world.

Orientador: Sueli Aparecida Calvi / Resumo: A doença de Chagas (DC), causada pelo protozoário Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi), é uma doença negligenciada e considerada um grave problema de saúde pública. A sua evolução no individuo infectado ocorre em duas fases distintas: a fase aguda que dura de 2 a 4 meses, caracterizada pela alta parasitemia, mas ausência de sinais e sintomas específicos, o que dificulta sua detecção, e a fase crônica na qual a maioria dos indivíduos é diagnosticada. Nessa fase, uma boa parte dos indivíduos apresenta a forma indeterminada ou assintomática da doença. No entanto, cerca de 30 a 40% dos indivíduos infectados desenvolvem a DC sintomática, que pode se apresentar na forma de doença cardíaca ou doença digestiva. Um dos desafios mais importantes no estudo da DC é a determinação dos mecanismos relacionados à resposta imune do hospedeiro que levam a essas diferentes apresentações clinicas. A resposta imune celular via liberação das citocinas pró-inflamatórias como IFN-y, TNF-α e IL-17 é considerada determinante na resistência do hospedeiro. No entanto, um fino controle da liberação dessas citocinas deve ocorrer para que a resposta não se intensifique ou não se perpetue e resulte em lesão tecidual, o que ocorre através da ativação de citocinas anti-inflamatórias como a IL-10 e o TGF-y. Esse controle de resposta seria responsável pelo não aparecimento de sintomas nos indivíduos com doença de Chagas assintomática. Os receptores de reconhecimento padrão (PRRs), particularmente os Toll-Like Receptors... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Chagas disease (CD), caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi), is a neglected disease and considered a serious problem of public health. Its evolution in a infected host occurs in two distinct stages: the acute stage which lasts 2 to 4 months and is characterized by high parasitemia, but no detection of specific signs and symptoms, which difficult its detection, and the chronic stage in which most individuals are diagnosed. At this second stage, most individuals present the indeterminate or asymptomatic chronic disease. However, about 30 to 40% of them become symptomatic and present the cardiac or digestive disease. One of the most important challenges in the CD study is to determine the mechanisms related to the host immune response that lead to these different clinical manifestations. The cellular immune response characterized by the release of pró-inflammatory cytokines such as IFN-y, TNF-α and IL-17 is considered crucial in host resistance. However, it is suggested that a fine control of this response must occur in order to avoid a perpetuated inflammatory process which results in tissue injury. This control was found to be responsible by the absence of clinical symptoms in individuals with the indeterminate chronic form and depends on activation of anti-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-10 and TGF-β. The pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), particularly the Toll-Like Receptors (TLRs) are extremely important in defining the cytokine profile that will be relea... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre