Search

Simple Summary: This study was conducted to estimate the rate of Salmonella spp. isolation from cage papers, located in the bottom of canaries' cages and those of other exotic pet birds, in the 2015 Argentinean canary breeder championship. Furthermore, we determined the antimicrobial resistance profile of the isolates for antibiotics and commercial disinfectants. One pool of 258 cage paper pools was positive for Salmonella spp. (0.4%). Two strains of Salmonella serotype Glostrup were isolated, which were only resistant to sulfonamides and erythromycin and sensitive to alkali-based product PL301 AS. Although the rate of Salmonella spp. isolation from cage papers in an Argentinean canary breeder championship is low, this is the first study conducted in Argentina on Salmonella spp. isolation from these materials of pet birds. However, Salmonella ser. Glostrup isolated strains could be a source of human Salmonella outbreaks, and they show high resistance to disinfecting products. Birds, including canaries and other birds, have become increasingly popular as pets. Bird fairs, where breeders gather and show their production in a championship setting, present a setting for possible Salmonella spp. contamination and transmission. Therefore, this study estimated the rate of Salmonella spp. isolation from cage papers, located in the bottom of cages of exotic pet birds, including canaries. Collected Salmonella isolates were used to determine the antimicrobial resistance profile to 52 antibiotics and 17 commercial disinfectants, based on pure or a mixture of acids, alcohols, aldehydes, alkalis, halogens, peroxygen, and quaternary ammonium compounds. The samples consisted of 774 cage papers taken in the 2015 Argentinean canary breeder championship, pooling three cage papers into one sterile sampling bag. Only one pool of the cage papers was positive for Salmonella spp. (0.4%), which belonged to the sample from three frill canary cages. Two strains of Salmonella serotype Glostrup were isolated, which were only resistant to sulfonamides and erythromycin and sensitive to alkali-based product PL301 AS. Although the rate of Salmonella spp. isolation from cage papers in an Argentinean canary breeder championship is low, it should not be discounted because Salmonella ser. Glostrup can be a source of human Salmonella outbreaks and they show high resistance to disinfecting products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this work was to evaluate thermal paper (TP) tickets used in Argentina as a potential source of bisphenol A (BPA) that could impact humans and the environment. BPA in TP was measured by HPLC ranging from 11.1 to 30.5 mg BPAg−1. In order to estimate the impact on humans, dermal BPA estimated daily intake was calculated as being 79.3 ± 19.5 μgd−1 for workers and 1.6 ± 0.4 μgd−1 for the general population. To evaluate TP's impact on the environment, BPA migration from TP to water and soil was studied. In the case of water, 99.6% of the BPA tickets content migrated in 30 h, while 78.0% moved into the soil in 96 h. BPA degradation kinetics in soil and water were also carried out; while in soil 61.9% of BPA degraded in 120 h, no degradation was observed up to 120 h in tap or river water. Additionally, ecotoxicological effects of BPA on the earthworm Eisenia andrei, a representative terrestrial indicator, were studied performing bioassays on lethality, avoidance, and reproductive and enzymatic activity. BPA showed to be very toxic to E. andrei (LC50 value in contact paper test of 17 μgcm−2, 95% confidence interval 6–46 μgcm−2, 24 h exposure) and also caused an increase of total cocoons for earthworms exposed to 10 and 50 mg BPA kg−1 soil. Evasion response was observed at a concentration of 50 mg BPA kg−1 soil, while no effect was observed on cholinesterases, carboxylesterases, and glutathione S-transferases activities (1, 10, and 50 mg BPA kg−1 soil). Finally, a simple BPA degradation technology using water peroxide and radish (Raphanus sativus) tissue as catalyst was explored as a simple and domestic potential treatment to avoid BPA migration to the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This discussion focuses on one aspect of Farber's work: the birth of the tango (this issue). The tango was created as a fusion of African and European immigrant culture in Argentina between the second half of the nineteenth century and the first twenty years of the twentieth century. The tango was one of the tools used by immigrants to socialize the pain of the loss of common roots, the lack of identity, and the sense of loneliness. The author reflects on the overlaps between tango and relational psychoanalysis, and muses on the impact of the loss of hugs and embraces in this worldwide pandemic caused by Covid and the collective trauma that it entails. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surveillance of meningococcal disease (MD) is crucial after the implementation of vaccination strategies to monitor their impact on disease burden. Adolescent vaccination could provide direct and indirect protection. Argentina, Brazil, and Chile have introduced meningococcal conjugate vaccines (MCV) into their National Immunization Programs (NIP), while Uruguay has not. Here, we analyze the epidemiology of MD and vaccination experience from these four South American countries to identify needs and plans to improve the current vaccination programs. Methodology: Descriptive study of MD incidence rates, serogroup distribution, case fatality rates (CFR), and MCV uptakes during the period 2010–2021 in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay. Data were extracted from national surveillance programs, reference laboratories, NIPs, and Pubmed. Results: MD overall incidence from 2010 to 2021 have a decreasing trend in Argentina (0.37 [IQR = 0.20–0.61]), Brazil (0.59 [IQR = 0.54–1.22]), and Chile (0.45 [IQR = 0.40–0.77]), while a significant increase in Uruguay (0.47 [IQR = 0.33–0.69]) was found from 2016 to 2019. During the COVID-19 pandemic, all countries sharply reduced their MD incidence. The highest incidence rates were observed among infants, followed by children 1–4 years of age. No second peak was evident in adolescents. A reduction in serogroup C, W, and Y cases has occurred in Argentina, Brazil, and Chile after introduction of MCV, serogroup B becoming predominant in all four countries. Median CFR was 9.0%, 21%, 19.9%, and 17.9% in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay, respectively. Median uptake of MCV for Argentina and Brazil were 66.6% and 91.0% for priming in infants; 54.7% and 84.5% for booster in toddlers; and 47.5% and 53% for adolescents; while for Chile, 95.6% for toddlers. Conclusions: Experience after the implementation of MCV programs in South America was successful, reducing the burden of MD due to the vaccine serogroups. High vaccine uptake and the inclusion of adolescents will be crucial in the post-pandemic period to maintain the protection of the population. The increase in the proportion of serogroup B cases emphasizes the importance of continuous surveillance to guide future vaccination strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Definition of passive envelope indexes and caracterization of libraries in La Plata. • Environmental monitoring: achievement of preventive conservation indexes. • Correlation between passive envelope indexes and preventive conservation indexes. • Determination of the most influential passive envelope indexes for the achievement of preventive conservation indexes. Abstract The common approach for libraries to preserve their paper-based collections from irreversible deterioration is by controlling quantitative parameters, such as temperature and relative humidity. Variations of these parameters for preventive conservation can be expressed by the "performance index" (PI) and the "amplitude index" (AI). Building envelope is the first filter of the external climate, buffering the external weather fluctuations and maintaining the building's indoor climate stable. Its shape, window areas and envelope materials are the most influential parameters. As they capture the relationship of a few geometric and physical variables with the building's performance, the envelope characteristics can be expressed as certain passive envelope indexes. This paper studies the relationship of certain passive envelope indexes and the preventive conservation indexes for books for several libraries and archives located in La Plata, Argentina. The results show the impact of every passive envelope index upon the preventive conservation indexes. The compactness, heaviness, adjacency to spaces and adjacency to ground have a positive linear correlation meanwhile transparency and global transmittance are parameters with a negative correlation. In general, the most influential parameter is the relative area adjacent to other spaces, followed by global transmittance, transparency, heaviness, relative area adjacent to ground and compactness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Borealis: An International Journal of Hispanic Linguistics is the property of Nordic Council for Reindeer Husbandry Research and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article presents the author's perspective on how indigenous people of the Argentinean Chaco used fetishization of ID papers, which have been previously denied to them, to accept their past alienation from citizenship rights. The author examines the oddities of ID-paper fetishism in the Chaco through the concept of state fetishism. Moreover, he focuses on the historical as well as the present experiences of the Western Toba and the Wichi on ID-papers.

Purpose: Using sentiment analysis (SA), this study aims to examine the impact of COVID-19 on mental health and virtual learning experiences among 1,125 students at a public Argentinean faculty. Design/methodology/approach: A study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, surveying 1,125 students to gather their opinions. The survey data was analysed using text mining tools and SA. SA was used to extract the students' emotions, views and feelings computationally and identify co-occurrences and patterns in related words. The study also examines educational policies implemented after the pandemic. Findings: The prevalent emotions expressed in the comments were trust, sadness, anticipation and fear. A combination of trust and fear resulted in submission. Negative comments often included the words "virtual", "virtual classroom", "virtual classes" and "professor". Two significant issues were identified: teachers' inexperience with virtual classes and inadequate server infrastructure, leading to frequent crashes. The most effective educational policies addressed vital issues related to the "virtual classroom". Practical implications: Text mining and SA are valuable tools for decision-making during uncertain times, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. They can also provide insights to recover quality assurance processes at universities impacted by health concerns or external shocks. Originality/value: The paper makes two main contributions: it conducts a SA to gain insights from comments and analyses the relationship between emotions and sentiments to identify optimal educational policies. The study pioneers exploring the link between emotions, policies and the pandemic at a public university in Argentina. This area of research still needs to be explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims at contributing to better comprehend the opportunities for innovation in the mining sector that are leveraged by local knowledge-intensive mining suppliers (KIMS) in developing mineral-rich countries. Drawing on the innovation and global value chain (GVC) bodies of literature as well as previous empirical studies on KIMS in developing mining countries, we analytically distinguish among three types of innovation approaches that local KIMS can pursue. Each of them is associated with main sources of innovation opportunities, type of inputs supplied, and prevailing market structures and entry barriers. The distinction among innovation strategies together with an analysis that combines firm- and market-level dimensions helped us to better comprehend the types of innovation opportunities that local KIMS in Argentina are adopting and the nature of challenges they encounter. The empirical analysis is based on the novel fieldwork data collected in 2019 and 2022. The findings of the paper hold significance to inform productive and innovation policies regarding the type of interventions that may be more effective for Argentina in the current technological and market circumstances that the mining industry is facing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To estimate the long-term and short-term effects on cigarette demand in Argentina based on changes in cigarette price and income per person >14 years old. Method Public data from the Ministry of Economics and Production were analysed based on monthly time series data between 1994 and 2010. The econometric analysis used cigarette consumption per person >14 years of age as the dependent variable and the real income per person >14 years old and the real average price of cigarettes as independent variables. Empirical analyses were done to verify the order of integration of the variables, to test for cointegration to capture the long-term effects and to capture the short-term dynamics of the variables. Results The demand for cigarettes in Argentina was affected by changes in real income and the real average price of cigarettes. The long-term income elasticity was equal to 0.43, while the own-price elasticity was equal to −0.31, indicating a 10% increase in the growth of real income led to an increase in cigarette consumption of 4.3% and a 10% increase in the price produced a fall of 3.1% in cigarette consumption. The vector error correction model estimated that the short-term income elasticity was 0.25 and the short-term own-price elasticity of cigarette demand was −0.15. A simulation exercise showed that increasing the price of cigarettes by 110% would maximise revenues and result in a potentially large decrease in total cigarette consumption. Conclusion Econometric analyses of cigarette consumption and their relationship with cigarette price and income can provide valuable information for developing cigarette price policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Transition from communications (abstracts) of an Argentinean congress and their publication as full papers was analyzed. No similar report was found for clinical laboratory in Latin America. Methods: A total of 388 communications from five congresses were identified, and searches were performed on the internet to find the publications. Pairs were established (1 communication, 1 publication), and characteristics were analyzed. Results: In total, 10.8% of the communications were published. Mean time elapsed was 2±1.0 years . A total of 62% of the publications appeared in Argentinean journals and 38% in foreign journals (5 in Spanish, 11 in English). Mean author number was 4.8±2.4 for communications and 5.1±2.3 for publications. In total, 59.5% of the publications changed the number and order of authors. Clinical Chemistry was the main topic (45.4% for communications, 38.1% for publications), followed by Microbiology (21.1%, 23.8%). Universities participated in 217 communications (55.9%) and 32 publications (76.2%), while other institutions participated in 171 communications (44.1%) and 10 publications (23.8%). Conclusions: Publication index was lower than for other congresses. Time elapsed was consistent with others. Preference for Argentinean journals may indicate a focus on local readers but also limitations in language skills. Variations in authorship arise from modifications of individual participation in the final work. More publications from all institutions are desirable. Differences of content were below those reported by others. Clin Chem Lab Med 2008;46:1568–74. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assesses the performance of the economy in the River Plate area in Argentina from the 1820s to the 1860s. Expansion of the rural economy; Micro- and macroeconomic consequences of inflationary financing; Contemporary financial and monetary circumstances; Buenos Aires' implementation of a 40-year process of dealing with inconvertible paper money.

School site leadership has commanded the attention of researchers and policymakers in Anglo-American jurisdictions for at least two decades, but little is known about how many other parts of the globe have addressed this topic. This paper reviews published research and policy documents related to school leadership in Latin America between 2000-2016. Applying rapid mapping techniques used for scoping studies, we review 359 research and policy documents and give "coherent, meaningful shape" to what we know and what we don't know about school leadership in the region. Attention in research and policy to school leadership in Latin America was relatively slow to arrive: whilst it grew steadily in the first decade of this century it remains low compared to other regions of the world. We provide an overview of the school leadership policy environment in several countries, describing recruitment, selection, evaluation, and job responsibilities of principals; relevant leadership frameworks; and requirements for training or professional development. We speculate on what might explain the diverse ways that school leadership has been taken up in the region: degree of school system centralization; policy borrowing; stage of development; technocratic problem solving; and neoliberal accountability.

The pulp mill conflict between Argentina and Uruguay is a topical environmental local-global dispute including various time-space levels (local-regional-national-global). It is also a politico-economic battle among business, civil society and governments in the two South American countries. This article highlights the widely analysed Argentine and Uruguayan perspectives, but it also brings to the fore the Finnish case (of mass media, the global Finnish paper industry, Finnish NGOs and the government). The article seeks to come to an understanding of the characteristics of the conflict as portrayed by the media in Finland and, critically, to examine the effects of the stereotypical Finnish image — 'iconic model' — on Argentina and Uruguay.The article is a study of the discussions in the Finnish mass media, mainly in Helsingin Sanomat (HS), the key national newspaper, and in the television coverage of the Finnish Broadcasting Company, YLE.The analysis shows that the Finnish media, too, have created stereotypes that harden attitudes and make conflict resolution more difficult. What is virtually absent in the Finnish media is a democratic multicultural learning culture that fosters and itself is fostered through a more transnational and interdisciplinary perspective. The global and national media have an increasingly important task in such situations of cultural conflict resolution, situations which are also attached to the recent discussions of corporate social responsibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forty-two dikaryotic and 42 monokaryotic isolates, and 34 pairings were examined by horizontal polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) for six enzymatic activities, viz. EST, 6PGD, IDH, MDH, SHDH and SOD. 44 bands were analysed. Numerical analysis of the isoenzymatic patterns was undertaken and compared with those from morphological characters. The analysis of six enzymatic systems showed the existence of four monomorphic systems (IDH, MDH, SHDH and SOD). The sterease system (EST) appears to be polymorphic in Polyporus ciliatus and in populations of P. tenuiculus from Argentina, being monomorphic in the remaining species studied. The 6PGD system is polymorphic in P. tucumanensis and monomorphic in the other species. Predominance of monomorphic enzymes and a clear distribution of the electromorphs among the species, indicates that isoenzymatic analysis is a good taxonomic tool within Polyporus. The low intraspecific variability allowed the use of interspecific differences to separate species. Numerical analysis showed a good correlation between morphological and molecular characters. In the isoenzymatic phenogram the similarity index is high only among very close species, showing a stressed separation of species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the variability of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current system produced by purely intrinsic nonlinear oceanic mechanisms is studied through a sigma-coordinate ocean model, implemented in a large portion of the Southern Ocean at an eddy- permitting resolution under steady surface heat and momentum fluxes. The mean transport through Drake Passage and the structure of the main Antarctic Circumpolar Current fronts are well reproduced by the model. Intrinsic variability is found to be particularly intense in the Subantarctic Front and in the Argentine Basin, on which further analysis is focused. The low-frequency variability at interannual time scales is re10 lated to bimodal behavior of the Zapiola Anticyclone, with transitions between a strong and collapsed anticyclonic circulation in substantial agreement with altimeter observations. Variability on smaller time scales shows clear evidence of topographic Rossbymode propagation along the eastern and southern flanks of the Zapiola Rise and of mesoscale eddies, also in agreement with satellite altimeter observations. The analysis of the relationship between the low- and high-frequency variability suggests possible mechanisms of mutual interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the dispute between Argentina and Uruguay at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 2006. Argentina questioned Uruguay's decision in constructing a polluting paper mill at the Uruguay River without consultations since it may cause environmental damage. The ICJ ruled the the plant will continue to operate despite Uruguay's violation of a treaty that permitted them to construct but it informed Uruguay of its failure to inform Argentina of its plan to build the mill.

This paper argues that ideas about tax matter as much as interests and institutions for understanding social attitudes and responses to attempts by the state to raise revenues for development agendas. Tax is a profoundly political problem, reflecting different and sometimes opposing ideas about the role of the state, the market and business-state relationships, and tax rises in developing countries can become linked to wider conflicts of development. Using the case of Argentina, the paper examines, empirically, the attempts by the government of Cristina Kirchner to finance state expenditure and social welfare via raising taxes on commodity exports after 2008. It argues that ideas of tax became embedded with deeply contested ideas of what the state's role in development should be. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a court case involving the Pulp Mills on the River Uruguay. The case was brought before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on April 20, 2010 when Argentina instituted proceedings against Uruguay for alleged breaches of the provisions of the Statute of the River Uruguay, arising out of the proposal of Uruguay to put up two pulp mills on the river. Argentina argued that the procedure followed by Uruguay in authorizing the establishment of the pulp mills violated the Statute. The decision of the ICJ on the case is presented.

This paper studies whether the mining sector can represent a true engine of growth for selected Latin American countries through the suppliers' entry and upgrading within mining value chains. We start by using international trade data to study where mining value is added and how rents are distributed across countries. Despite their importance in the production and exports of copper ores and concentrate, the participation of the selected Latin American countries in copper value chains is still confined to the upstream segment. Moreover, their share of innovation relevant for the sector remains very limited, although new data on patenting and publications show that the sector is becoming increasingly innovative worldwide. Then, we use new microeconomic evidence from case-studies in Latin America to explore the specific opportunities and obstacles faced by mining suppliers in entering the value chain and upgrading within it, and how the regulatory and innovation systems have influenced this process. We show that barriers related to the contractual practices, lead firms' attitudes, and the hierarchical industrial organization of the sector, coupled with the countries' weaknesses in local innovation and regulatory systems, have been contributing to hamper suppliers' entry into mining value chains and upgrading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes how news management strategies coupled with journalistic conventions affect news coverage of the Asamblea Ciudadana Ambiental de Gualeguaychú in Argentina, a social movement against the establishment of two paper mill plants on the Rio Uruguay. Since 2003, the Asamblea has received wide attention in local and national news. Media advocacy has been central to the Asamblea's political goals. This case offers an opportunity to examine the role of the news media in the definition of environmental risk in a country with weak environmental policies and a weak tradition of environmental reporting. News coverage of the Asamblea confirms the media's penchant for sensational and dramatic events. Also, it suggests that the mainstream media does not necessarily portray social movements negatively. Because the media largely relies on official sources in setting news frames, shifting views about the movement among political elites on news events take attention away from structural processes and environmental policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last years, history education has become a highly developed field, which is receiving considerable attention not only from educators but also from historians, philosophers of history, and social scientists in general. In this vein, seminal empirical and theoretical papers have focused on how history is taught to students and what are the different abilities that should be developed with the end to critically understand historical processes. These abilities are related to key concepts in the field such as historical thinking, historical consciousness, and historical culture. The aim of this paper is to focus on a matter not much considered in any of these approaches. This is to say, "where" the historical processes occurred. Usually the "where" implies a specific territory that is under dispute. In this vein, territories and their transformation through different time periods are represented by historical maps reproduced in atlas and textbooks. But these representations could have several bias and also tend to provide a number of incomplete ideas among the students and citizens in general. In relation to this, it is necessary study not only the features of historical maps but, also, how students appropriate them. This appropriation could be influenced by an essentialist view of the nation through historical master narratives. This is what we have found in our initial empirical studies in Spain and Argentina. Additional empirical studies are needed to improve history education studies from the point of view of the development of historical thinking and historical consciousness taking into account how historical maps and territorial changes are represented by both students and textbooks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of E-L@tina is the property of E-L@tina. Revista Electronica de Estudios Latinoamericanos and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article examines how trauma and affective injustice permeate the school life trajectory of a female student (Sofia) in Argentina. The study is theoretically grounded in the field of trauma studies in education and contributes to this literature by attending to affective injustice, a concept that has not received much attention yet. This study foregrounds Sofia's experience of affective injustice and demonstrates that this concept is crucial in further understanding students' experiences of affective trauma in school. Assembling rich materials (report cards, interviews, psychologists' reports, social media posts, autobiographical texts) that span over a period of 17 years, the study uses qualitative perspectives to show how Sofia understands and experiences affective injustice in various phases of her school life. In particular, these experiences are presented in the form of an assemblage of expressions showing how Sofia communicates her claims of affective injustice using varied means and resources ranging from linguistic, behavioural, biographical, creative, emotional, bodily, and artistic expression. The paper concludes with a discussion of the educational implications of the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses slavery in the Les Malouines/Las Malvinas/Falklands Islands to advance the historical study of the geographies of race in Argentina with reference to marronage and critical place naming. These islands are an example of an assemblage of colonial military extractive powers. There still are disputes with Argentina since the armed conflict of 1982. However, Las Malvinas were a part of the Spanish Empire since the French colonial authorities sold this territory in 1766. Despite being seen as at the margins of this Empire, an infertile terrain with unbearable weather, and a place of punishment for those who defied colonial rule, it was of strategic value, expensive but worth maintaining to keep the British Empire removed from Buenos Aires and Montevideo. To reduce the islands' expenses, the plan was to relocate recaptured fugitives to this territory as a labour force. Archival records collected from the National General Archive of Uruguay, General Archive of the Indies, and National Historical Archive of Madrid show that Las Malvinas were not exempt from slavery. In 1770, Antonio and Miguel, ‘royal slaves’, were part of the islands' population among white Europeans and indigenous people held captive there. They were allowed to leave the islands to live and serve the King and they navigated through the ports of Montevideo and Buenos Aires, where their tracks end. This paper demonstrates how this insular space, meant for penance, was also a place where resistance linked with marronage broke an assemblage of colonial military powers. It also highlights that the historical geographies of slavery in Argentina are intrinsically assembled with the dispossession of indigenous and other disadvantaged groups proposing an Afro‐Marrón approach to their analysis with a potential extension to other racialised Latin American geographies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A dominant perspective within the field of development economics is that structural change away from the industries that developing countries traditionally specialize in, such as agriculture and mining, is necessary to support a broad process of development. In this paper, we ask whether and how structural change within, as well as away from, such industries might help create more economically successful, socially just and environmentally benign trajectories of progress. Combining insights from innovation studies of economic development with ideas from socio-technical transitions studies, we analyse two cases of alternative, potentially transformative agricultural ventures in Argentina. We explore their practices, relative to mainstream ventures, and reflect on their potential to contribute to more sustainable trajectories of change within and out of the mainstream agricultural sector, and the ways in which they can be supported to do so. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of the International Baccalaureate (IB) has grown impressively on a global scale. In Latin America, the IB has been mainly introduced in private schools that cater for the most affluent sectors of society and, consequently, has been mostly interpreted as contributing to processes of social reproduction and the widening of inequalities However, since the mid-2000s the IB has been promoted in state schools in countries such as Ecuador, Peru, Costa Rica and in the City of Buenos Aires in Argentina. This paper analyses the enactment of the IBDP in public schools in Costa Rica and Peru drawing on a mixed methods multiple case study. It shows how, in countries with significant socioeconomic disparities, the possibility of offering the IBDP to students at public schools was mostly justified as a matter of equity, understood as opening access to an educational programme that was only available to the most privileged sectors of society. By problematising the notions of privilege and eliteness, we discuss the complex relations between inequalities and educational opportunities and question the extent to which these programmes are affecting social structures in Costa Rica and Peru. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic Agriculture and Agroecology are production systems considered relevant for building up sustainable food systems at an environmental, social and economic level. In recent years there has been a growing interest in considering which processes can contribute to upscaling these systems. At a global level Agroecological Local Agri-food Systems and Bio-districts are becoming beacons for that purpose. This paper presents a case study of an organic and agroecological group of producers in the Argentinian Pampa Region where we used the Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach in implementing three interconnected methodologies: (i) Sustainability assessment using the FAO Tool for Agroecology Performance Evaluation (TAPE), (ii) Participatory Value chain Development and (iii) Stakeholder Analysis. This was done to verify if the combination of methodologies can be useful to (i) evaluate the current situation of the group in terms of LAFS development and (ii) identify which possible activities would be required for upscaling organic and agroecological practices at a regional level with a neo-endogenous approach. We conclude that the participative assessment implemented was useful to identify the group stage in terms of LAFS development and also to identify the activation requirements for upscaling the system at the same time that the participatory process addressed and organized a set of procedures in the hands of the group for implementing that process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work studies the different materials used in the production of Argentine postage stamps from 1888 to 2016 and explains how the use of these materials has changed over time, thus contributing to knowledge of the national philatelic heritage. Analyses of more than 40 Argentine postage stamps were carried out non-invasively in situ without the need for prior preparation, using portable X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (p-XRF) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy with attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR). Paper, ink, coatings, and adhesives were analysed and the period of use of each material was established. Some notable results include the continuous use of Prussian blue until its replacement by an organic copper phthalocyanine pigment. In addition, it was possible to establish the substitution date of gum arabic as an adhesive by PVA. In general, the variation of the materials used was accompanied by changes in printing techniques. This is the first time that information on the materiality of these historical-artistic objects is published, contributing to the knowledge and conservation of the philatelic heritage of the Argentine Republic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to evaluate how Argentina's Financial Information Unit (Unidad de Información Financiera, FIU) has responded after detecting noncompliance with money laundering regulations. Specifically, it identifies the main lessons that can be drawn from analyzing the sanctions that the FIU imposed between 2016 and 2019. Design/methodology/approach: The issues that this article outlines suggest the need for a substantial rethinking of Argentina's anti-money laundering regulations. Based on an analysis of the size of sanctions and the time taken to impose them, the study suggests that the regulatory framework in Argentina fails to comply with the international standards that require the imposition of effective, proportionate and dissuasive sanctions. Findings: This analysis suggests that there are serious issues regarding the regulation of the sanctions that Argentina's FIU is responsible for imposing. Specifically, the way the exact amount of each fine is determined urgently needs to be redesigned. In other words, the system for establishing fines needs to take the fluctuations that are typical of Argentina's economy into account. Originality/value: This paper has demonstrated that it is vital for the country to review its regulatory framework for the prevention of money laundering and to effectively apply sanctions when noncompliance is detected. A successful approach to both objectives will contribute to generate and align incentives to improve compliance levels and to fulfill international standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Técnica Industrial: Revista Cuatrimestral de Ingeniería, Industria e Innovación is the property of Fundacion Tecnica Industrial and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Our world needs to develop clean energy to reach the target of carbon peak and carbon neutralization. As one of clean energy, wind energy should contribute to energy conservation and emission reduction. Wind power generation is an important field of wind energy application. However, the fluctuation and intermittency of wind can affect the safety of power system. Therefore, prediction of wind power accurately for wind power safety, dispatching, and power grid development is significant. This paper proposes a prediction model of wind power, and predicts the wind power of two wind farms. For the complex wind speed series, the variational modal decomposition (VMD) method is used to reduce its volatility before prediction. And this paper presents an improved method to improve the prediction efficiency when least square support vector machine (LSSVM) predicts stationary series. The prediction result shows that the proposed model improves the prediction of wind power effectively, provides an effective method for wind farm to predict the wind power, and makes contributions to reducing carbon emissions and environmental protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many oppressive governments have passed cyber laws, cracking down on free speech, and used less traditional tactics to restrict people's capacity to speak freely and in public. This is particularly true in nations where the government regulates media and information flow due to closed information systems. Laws regulating fake news clash with citizens? free speech and expression rights. The paper gives an overview of the hurdles in regulating transnational cases of fake news. In cases of cross-border jurisdiction, it becomes vital to examine International legal standards, such as international agreements and international institutions governing fake news. In this paper, we look at two case studies, one from Argentina and one from Brazil, to see how these countries have dealt with the issue of fake news in cases involving transnational jurisdictions. The paper concludes with the observation that various governments employ a variety of approaches and policies in order to combat fake news. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 1990s, agribusiness expansion in Argentina involved the exponential growth of pesticide use throughout the country. Pesticide exposure has become a widespread problem in rural areas and farming towns, but protests and conflicts about this issue are the exception rather than the norm. Why? Based on archival work, interviews, and ethnographic observations, in this paper, we scrutinize pesticide governance at the subnational scale to elucidate this puzzle, focusing on a) informal arrangements (face-to-face negotiations between pesticide users and people affected by them), b) juridical conflicts (lawsuits against farmers over exposure of people and crops to herbicides), and c) regulatory challenges (when rural populations and environmentalists push for local ordinances to curb pesticide exposure). We find that local cultural codes encourage informal agreements and that social inequalities prevent conflicts from arising in the public sphere. The interventions of social movements and civil society organizations (or lack thereof) and the mobilization of expertise also shape pesticide governance. Our analysis highlights that pesticide governance is context-dependent or situated, and informed by subtle but significant power asymmetries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates gender differences in the short- and longer-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on employment status in Argentina. Using individual cross-sectional and panel data from household surveys, we compare employment status (inactive, unemployed, self-employed, or employed, distinguishing between the formal and informal sectors) before, immediately after, and a year after the pandemic. We examine how gender intersects with education and age in affecting employment status transitions and the extent to which COVID-19 deepened gender, educational, and age inequalities. In the short term, the pandemic impacted the labor market position of men and women similarly. Partly because of the labor market policies of Argentina, the pandemic idled both men and women, particularly those in the informal sector but also the self-employed. However, after the pandemic, men regained their pre-pandemic status while women remained (or became) inactive. Within genders, labor market recovery varied with education and age. Young and less educated women were more exposed to the immediate and longer-term negative effects in a manner not observed among men. The pandemic accentuated not only gender inequalities in the labor market but also socioeconomic inequalities among women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lactation is a crucial reproductive stage in eutherian mammals and the most energetically and nutritionally expensive part of the life cycle. However, data on lactation parameters in cetaceans remain scattered and incomplete. In this paper, we present novel information on the nutritional compositions and fatty acid (FA) profiles of the milks of two small odontocete species that inhabit coastal waters of the southwest Atlantic Ocean: the endangered Franciscana dolphin (Pontoporia blainvillei) and the Burmeister's porpoise (Phocoena spinipinnis). Milk samples were collected from the fresh carcasses of two lactating females stranded in Argentina. The milk profiles of both species were consistent with existing knowledge on odontocetes worldwide, being characterised by low proportions of carbohydrates and high proportions of proteins and lipids. The FA profiles exhibited a predominance of long-chain FAs (≥18 C), with monounsaturated FAs representing nearly 50% of the total FAs. In both species, the main FAs were 18:1n9 and 16:0, which are common FAs in coastal prey species in this region. These findings are particularly relevant for the conservation of Franciscana dolphins, which are at risk of extinction throughout their distribution range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The characteristics of South American biomass burning (BB) aerosols transported over northern and central Argentina were investigated from July to December 2019. This period was chosen due to the high aerosol optical depth values found in the region and because simultaneously intensive biomass burning took place over the Amazon. More specifically, a combination of remote sensing observations with simulated air parcel back trajectories was used to link the optical and physical properties of three BB aerosol events that affected Pilar Observatory (PO, Argentina, 31°41′S, 63°53′W, 338 m above sea level), with low-level atmospheric circulation patterns and with types of vegetation burned in specific fire regions. The lidar observations at the PO site were used for the first time to characterize the vertical extent and structure of BB aerosol plumes as well as their connection with the planetary boundary layer, and dust particles. Based mainly on the air-parcel trajectories, a local transport regime and a long transport regime were identified. We found that in all the BB aerosol event cases studied in this paper, light-absorbing fine-mode aerosols were detected, resulting mainly from a mixture of aging smoke and dust particles. In the remote transport regime, the main sources of the BB aerosols reaching PO were associated with Amazonian rainforest wildfires. These aerosols were transported into northern and central Argentina within a strong low-level jet circulation. During the local transport regime, the BB aerosols were linked with closer fires related to tropical forests, cropland, grassland, and scrub/shrubland vegetation types in southeastern South America. Moreover, aerosols carried by the remote transport regime were associated with a high aerosol loading and enhanced aging and relatively smaller particle sizes, while aerosols associated with the local transport pattern were consistently less affected by the aging effect and showed larger sizes and low aerosol loading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe the perceptions that older people in Argentina have about the use of cell phones and to analyze their influence on user behavior. At the same time, it was intended to analyze whether sociodemographic factors influence these perceptions. Design/methodology/approach: The authors conducted a study with a non-experimental, cross-sectional and cross-correlational design; a non-probabilistic sample of 138 intentionally selected older people was chosen. Findings: The frequency and years of cell phone use, as well as the applications used, are influenced by the perceptions that older people have about cell phone use. In addition, it was found that age, gender and socio-educational level determine the perceptions that older people have about cell phone use. Originality/value: This research has implications for interventions aimed at improving older people's functional health. Understanding the perceptions of older people in relation to technology will enable the enhancement of its utility to foster an autonomous lifestyle and social integration in old age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What is the impact of large swings in economic policy on the risk-return trade-off faced by i nvestors? What is the impact of changes in policy regimes on investment strategies? In this paper we study the impact on returns of switches between periods of market-friendly economic policies and periods of populist policies. To quantify the impact of policy instability, we use data from Argentina--a country that has experienced frequent and very large regime changes--and find that the risk-return for individual assets and minimum variance portfolios are quite different across regimes. We then develop a dynamic model to understand optimal portfolios when investors are cognizant that regimes can change. We find that when portfolios are unrestricted, it is optimal for investors to take a large amount of risk. On the other hand, when portfolios are restricted to include only long positions, a real asset (real estate) dominates financial assets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim/purpose - This paper investigates the accuracy of leading indicators in the case of the 2001 sovereign default crisis and the 2018 currency turmoil in Argentina. Design/methodology/approach - In this paper, we conducted early warning signals analysis based on a-priori selected variables. For each of the macroeconomic variables, we computed yearly changes and selected the threshold to minimise the noise-to-signal ratio, i.e. the ratio of percentage of false signals in 'normal' times to percentage of good signals in a two-year period preceding each of the crises. Findings - The predictive power of indicators differs significantly in various crisis episodes. For the 2001 crisis, the decline in value of bank deposits was the best leading indicator based on the noise-to-signal ratio. For the 2018 currency crisis, the lowest noise-to-signal ratio was observed for the lending-deposit rate ratio. Research implications/limitations - The survey is limited mostly by the data availability and their quality. Originality/value/contribution - This paper gives a complex review of the major early warning indicators in the context of the most recent history of Argentina's economy. It applies a set of classical leading indicators to two modern cases of financial crises. The paper proposes an original 'knocking the window' approach to the presentation of traditional warning concepts in the context of current economic events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We assessed temporal variability in phytoplankton biomass, Chlorophyll a, nutrient availability, Gross Primary Production (GPP), community respiration (CR), and bacterial secondary production (BSP) over a year of monthly observations (October 2007 to October 2008) at a fixed station in the Puyuhuapi fjord, Chilean Patagonia (44°S, 73°W). A set of in situ observations gathered over two consecutive spring-summer seasons, and one autumn-winter season in the middle, has made it possible to connect the two-phase (i.e. productive season/non-productive season) pattern of Chlorophyll a (Chl a) variability shown by satellite data with a two-phase cycle in GPP, CR, and the composition of phytoplankton assemblages. Estimates of annual GPP and CR, integrated over the top 20 meters of the water column, were 533 and 537 g C m-2 yr-1, respectively. Low values of pCO2 were measured in mixed layer autotrophic waters (GPP/CR>1) while high pCO2 levels were measured in mixed layer heterotrophic waters (GPP/CR<1). Bacterial Secondary Production (BSP) was significantly and positively correlated with GPP (r = 0.6, p < 0.05, n = 24) and Chl a (r = 0.4, p < 0.05, n = 24) on an annual cycle basis. The winter drop in bacterioplankton (both bacteria and archea) activity (from 0.9±0.6 g C m-2 d-1 to 0.6±0.3 g C m-2 d-1) was not as pronounced as the winter drop in phytoplankton activity (from 1.1±1.12 g C m-2 d-1 to 0.1±0.09 g C m-2 d-1). It is hypothesized that dissolved organic matter (DOM) of terrestrial origin plays an important role (especially in winter) supporting bacterial activity in the Puyuhuapi fjord. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aquatic sediments record past climatic conditions while providing a wide range of ecological niches for microorganisms. Although marine sedimentary microbial assemblages are often defined by their surrounding geochemical conditions, the influence of environmental features upon microbial development and post-depositional survival remains largely unknown in the lacustrine realm. Due to long-term microbial activity, the composition of environmental DNA can be expected to evolve with sediment depth and over time and therefore should reflect both ancient and extant microbial populations, but this hypothesis has rarely been tested using a multiproxy approach. Here geomicrobiological and phylogenetic analyses of a Patagonian maar lake were used to indicate that the different sedimentary microbial assemblages derive from specific lacustrine regimes during defined climatic periods. Two well defined climatic intervals whose sediments harboured active microbial populations and measurable ATP were sampled for a comparative environmental study based on fossil pigments and 16S rRNA gene sequences. Bacterial and archaeal 16S rRNA gene sequences recovered from the Holocene record revealed a microbial community adapted to subsaline conditions actively producing methane during organic matter degradation. These characteristics were associated with sediments resulting from endorheic lake conditions with high evaporative stress and concomitant high algal productivity. Moreover, archaeal clone libraries established throughout the Holocene record indicate an age-related stratification of these populations, consistent with a gradual use of organic substrates after deposition. In contrast, sulphate-reducing bacteria and lithotrophic Archaea were predominant in sediments dated from the Last Glacial Maximum, in which pelagic clays alternated with fine volcanic material characteristic of a lake level highstand and fresh water conditions, but reduced water column productivity. These patterns reveal that microbial assemblages identified from environmental DNA stemmed from a variety of sedimentary niches associated with climate-dependent factors (catchment inflows, water column conditions, productivity), but that initial assemblages underwent structural changes and selective preservation during early diagenesis to result in the final composition entombed in the sediments. We conclude that environmental DNA obtained from lacustrine sediments provides essential genetic information to complement paleoenvironmental indicators and trace climate change and post-depositional diagenetic processes over tens of millennia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In-work poverty (IWP) is gaining interest in the public agenda. This article is a first contribution to the analysis of IWP dynamics in Latin America, based on the study of the Argentine case. Using one-year interval panel data, the paper analyzes the trigger events that produce entries and exits from IWP, short-term poverty trajectories and the determinants associated to transient and persistent poverty. Drawing on a decomposition analysis of mutually exclusive events, the article shows that labor market events are the most relevant triggers for both exits and entries into IWP. Based on a multinomial logistic regression, the paper concludes that low education, the presence of children in the household, and having a low-quality job are the three main factors explaining persistent-poverty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since its founding in the late nineteenth century, the procedure to elect the members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has remained largely unaltered. Although generally accepted in the Olympic Movement, this procedure has been criticized and even contested. Moreover, particular nominations and elections for membership in the IOC have occasionally been challenged. For the most part, due to the inner workings of the IOC and its tight-lipped approach, these criticisms, contestations, and challenges have not played out publicly and scant details are known about them. This paper analyzes the contentious election of Argentine Roberto G. Peper to the IOC in the mid-1970s. The vicissitudes of his case lay bare a challenge to the IOC's procedure to nominate and elect its members. They reveal that the Argentine Olympic leadership was not a passive recipient of the IOC's dictates and illustrate the existing tensions between the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and the global Olympic leaders, which at the same time help to frame and understand the controversy at hand. The paper demonstrates that the IOC's insistence on its procedure to elect its members brought unexpected instability to its structure and offered the NOCs an opportunity to challenge its power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The objective of the paper is to learn about the enabling factors that fostered the development of the Agtech sector in Argentina. The authors analyze how the local ecosystem (S&T institutions, incubators and accelerators, domestic clients, venture capitals and other actors) contributed to the emergence, consolidation and early internationalization of Agtech ventures. Design/methodology/approach: Throughout 2020 the authors held 16 semi-structured interviews with experts, CEOs and managers of Agtech firms, incubator and accelerator managers, as well as with other stakeholders of the Agtech sector. All the interviews were recorded and then transcribed. The authors also undertook two case studies, one on a consortium of agricultural producers that created an Agtech incubator, and another on a successful Agtech venture. The selection of the case studies was based on the information collected during the interviews with local stakeholders ("snowballing technique"). Findings: Linkages with the actors of the local ecosystem allowed Agtech ventures to validate their services and value proposition, identify business opportunities, improve and develop technologies, obtain funding, and reach out to new national and international customers. Research limitations/implications: While a case study methodology does not allow for direct generalization to other experiences, the authors' findings shed light on relevant factors behind the development of the Agtech sector in Argentina which cannot be easily captured through quantitative methods. Originality/value: This paper contributes to achieve a better understanding of the factors that allow the emergence and consolidation of young ventures based on disruptive technologies in Latin America. Hence, it contributes to the advancement of knowledge in an emerging field: the generation and dissemination of 4.0 technologies in developing regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a recent collection of essays on Germany''s relations with Latin America Natalja Karthaus argued that ‘Latin America was never a priority area for German foreign policy’. Natalja Karthaus, ‘Lateinamerika als Bezugsfeld der (bundes-) deutschen Außenpolitik’, in Manfred Mols and Christoph Wagner, eds., Deutschland-Lateinamerika: Geschichte, Gegenwart und Perspektiven (Frankfurt/Main: Vervuert, 1994), 53. Karthaus''s verdict can, in fact, be extended to the Luso-Hispanic world as a whole, thus including Portugal and also, for most of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Spain. On aspects of the history of German – Spanish relations see now Conrad Kent, Thomas K. Wolber and Cameron M. K. Hewitt, eds., The Lion and the Eagle; Interdisciplinary Essays on German – Spanish Relations over the Centuries (New York and Oxford: Berghahn, 2000). Even Hitler''s foreign policy, despite its global aspirations, is included in Karthaus''s assessment. The focus of this article is largely on Brazil, Argentina, Spain and Portugal. These four countries were of comparatively greater importance to the Nazi regime than the other Latin American countries. On the latter see, inter alia, Jobst-H. Floto, Die Beziehungen Deutschlands zu Venezuela 1933 bis 1958 (Frankfurt/Main, Vervuert, 1991); María M. Camou, Los vaivenes de la politica exterior uruguaya ante la pugna de las potencias; las relaciones con el Tercer Reich (1933–1942) (Montevideo: Fundación de Cultura Universitaria, 1990); Klaus Volland, Das Dritte Reich und Mexiko. Studien zur Entwicklung des deutsch-mexikanischen Verhältnisses 1933–1942 unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Ölpolitik (Frankfurt/Main, Berr: Peter Lang, 1976). To Hitler, both Latin America and the Iberian Peninsula (with the exception of Spain during the first year of that country''s civil war and again in 1940/41) were of marginal relevance to his foreign policy objectives. This verdict notwithstanding Nazi Germany maintained regular, indeed in some areas close, relations to the countries of Latin America and the Iberian peninsula which warrant closer examination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interplay of digital technologies and inequalities are increasingly discussed in contemporary research, mostly focusing on different forms of digital divides and often addressed as a 'problem' that societies should face. Hence, digital education and its governance becomes a major arena for addressing inequalities. In this paper, we offer a cross-country and multi-voiced perspective on how socio-digital inequalities are problematized in digital education policy in three world regions – Latin America, Africa and Europe – studying cases through policy documents in Argentina, Mexico, South Africa, Botswana, Germany and Sweden. Our analysis shows how differences and similarities between digital education policy are rooted in various sociotechnical imaginaries that go beyond the national as they are highly situated in spatial–temporal contexts and rooted in historical trajectories. Our contribution aims at a further exploration of the entanglements of educational technology and in/equalities through global conditions and local (hi)stories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has produced controversies, and its mode of concrete social existence is strongly assembled in multiple ways of world-making that mobilize particular human-non-human relations. This paper analyzes the ways in which the people of the Andean valleys of northwestern Argentina understand and live the pandemic, in the partial coexistence of ways of understanding the body, the person, and wellbeing. On the one hand, we identify the so-called traditional way of life, which implies a relational sociality; on the other hand, the Pentecostal way of life, which promotes an interpretative current under an apocalyptic key. In sum, we are interested in thinking about the coexistence and assembly between ways of living suffering and well-being in the context of the pandemic, associated with expanded and relational socialities and with ways of imagining and living the "end of the world" as a specific manifestation of the Pentecostal tradition. Thus, the article proposes to overcome the perspective of COVID-19 as a given and universal phenomenon that produces different interpretations or cultural fictions, and consider it as a component in a wide network of human and non-human agencies, forming a scenario of epistemic plurality. Resumen: La pandemia de COVID-19 ha producido controversias variadas y su modo de existencia social se encuentra fuertemente ensamblado en múltiples formas de hacer mundo que movilizan particulares relaciones entre humanos-no humanos. Este trabajo analiza los modos en que la gente de los valles andinos del noroeste argentino entiende y vive la pandemia, teniendo en cuenta las formas de entender el cuerpo, la persona y el bienestar. Considera tanto el modo de vida identificado como tradicional, que implica una socialidad relacional, y el del pentecostalismo, que fomenta una corriente interpretativa bajo una clave apocalíptica. En suma, se propone pensar la convivencia y ensamblaje entre formas de vivir el padecimiento y el bienestar en el contexto de la pandemia, asociados con socialidades ampliadas y relacionales y con modos de imaginar y vivir el "fin del mundo" como manifestación específica de la tradición pentecostal. De este modo, se entiende al COVID-19 más que como un fenómeno dado y universal que produce diferentes interpretaciones o ficciones culturales, como un componente en una red amplia de agenciamientos entre humanos y no humanos, conformando un escenario de pluralidad epistémica. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Cosmocercids are common nematodes that parasitize the digestive tract and lungs of amphibians and reptiles around the world. They are commonly found in leptodactylid and bufonid anurans in South America, primarily in Brazil and Argentina. This paper describes a new species of genus Cosmocerca based on specimens collected in a microhylid from the Dry Chaco ecoregion. Methods: A total of 18 specimens of Elachistocleis haroi were collected in October 2011 in Chaco province and in December 2021 and March 2022 in Formosa province, Argentina, both areas of the Dry Chaco ecoregion. The morphology of the nematodes was studied in detail using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Results: One hundred and fifty-one nematodes were collected from the large intestines of E. haroi. Based on the morphology of the caudal papillae (rosette papillae and plectanes), the presence of two spicules and the absence of caudal alae in males, and the presence of two prodelphic ovaries in females, these specimens were allocated to the genus Cosmocerca. However, they presented unique characteristics that differentiate them from all known species. Cosmocerca wichiorum sp. nov. is similar to C. archeyi, C. australis, C. sardiniae, C. zugi, and C. leytensis by having four pairs of plectanes, but can be easily distinguished from all of them by the type, number, and arrangement of the precloacal (non-plectanes), adcloacal and postcloacal papillae, by the length of the spicules and by its different zoogeographical distribution. Conclusion: This is the 14th species of the genus Cosmocerca described in South America and the first one for the microhylid E. haroi from the Dry Chaco ecoregion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]