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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]

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.

Background: Ioannidis et al. (2020) reported a standardized estimate of scientific productivity obtained from a worldwide database of 6,880,389 scientists who published at least 5 papers picked up by the Scopus database, and elaborated a ranking of ca. 120,000 scientists by both whole trajectory (career-long) impact and their current impact at year 2019. The goal of our paper is to contextualize Latin American ecologists' contribution at the world level based on the four most scientifically productive countries in the region. Methods and findings: Ioannidis et al. (2020) proposed a composite index that is the sum of six scientometric indicators: (1) The number of allocites, (2) the h index, (3) a per capita corrected version of h, (4) the allocites received as single author, (5) those received as single + first author, and (6) those as single + first + last author. We selected data for ecologists from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Mexico and comparatively analyzed their productivity according to the proposed index. We also compared these data with those obtained from a global sample of the top ecologists worldwide. Conclusions: Based on Ioannidis et al.'s proposition to evaluate scientific productivity we extract three lessons: (1) It does not pay to publish many papers; what counts is the number of allocites (i.e., self-citations do not add up). (2) Either be single, first, or last author; it does not pay to be in the middle of an authorship line. (3) Even worse it is to be among many co-authors because the proposed index allocates credits on a per capita basis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Poligramas is the property of Universidad del Valle 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 combines cross-national statistical analysis and in-depth historical case studies of Argentina and Chile to explore the relationship between two crucial dimensions of state capacity. We show that information capacity contributes to the development of fiscal capacity. When states have accurate information about their subject populations, territories, and economies, they are more effective at mobilizing revenues. In developing this argument this article makes three broader contributions. First, while existing scholarship either treats distinct dimensions of state capacity as separate entities, or simply assumes that they complement each other, our findings urge scholars to treat state development as sequential and to further investigate how multiple dimensions of state capacity are interrelated. Second, the paper suggests a broader underlying set of mechanisms – economies of scope – which connect these dimensions, and explores them in the specific context of how information capacity facilitates fiscal capacity. Third, we join the scholarship on the importance of societal compliance in the creation of the fiscal state, but with a focus on elite cooperation with the state's information collection efforts, which we show to be crucial to tax state development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Universitaria de Historia Militar (RUHM) is the property of Centro de Estudios de la Guerra 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.)

Purpose: This paper aims to assess the quality of interest rate forecasts for the money markets in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico and Venezuela for the period between 2001 and 2019. Future interest rate trends are of key significance for many business-related decisions. Thus, reliable interest rate forecasts are essential, for example, for banks that make profits by carrying out maturity transformations. Design/methodology/approach: The data that we analyze were collected by Consensus Economics through a monthly survey with over 120 renowned economists and were published between 2001 and 2019 in the journal Latin American Consensus Forecasts. The authors use the Diebold-Mariano test, the sign accuracy test, the TOTA coefficient and the unbiasedness test to determine the precision and biasedness of the forecasts. Findings: The research reveals that the forecasting work carried out in Brazil, Chile and Mexico is remarkably successful. The quality of forecasts from Argentina and Venezuela, on the other hand, is significantly poorer. Originality/value: Over 50 studies have already been published with regard to the accuracy of interest rate forecasts, emphasizing the importance of the topic. However, interest rate forecasts for Latin American money markets have hardly been considered thus far. The paper closes this research gap. Overall, the analyzed database amounts to a total of 209 forecast time series with 28,451 individual interest rate forecasts. This study is thus far more comprehensive than all previous studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite their common historical roots, two higher education systems in Latin America differ dramatically in their financing mechanisms. In Argentina, the national government completely subsidizes undergraduate programs in public institutions, while Chile relies mostly on tuition fees charged to individuals attending public institutions. Through quantitative and qualitative secondary sources, this paper shows that class interests (structural approach) and economic policies (ideational approach) played a major role in explaining comparative policy outcomes in these nondemocratic regimes. The article makes an explicit contribution to the understanding of comparative policy choices in nondemocratic regimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to propose a measurement of the materiality of environmental, social and governance information (ESG) reported by listed companies belonging to sensitive industries in Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, Chile and Argentina. This analysis is carried out from the insights of stakeholder theory, legitimacy theory and institutional theory. The research questions addressed are: What type of information is considered as material by Latin American companies? Does this information respond to the environmental and social issues within the context of Latin American companies and the needs of their stakeholders? Design/methodology/approach: A materiality index is developed from principal component analysis and factor analysis, which are multivariate analysis statistical techniques used in various fields to develop indices. The designed index examines materiality in the sustainability reports of 65 companies for 2017 and 67 companies for 2018. These firms belong to the energy, mining, chemical, construction, construction materials and public services industries in Colombia, Mexico, Chile, Argentina and Brazil. Findings: The results show medium-high materiality indices, mostly in Chilean, Mexican and Colombian companies. In addition, issues such as water management, climate change and occupational health and safety are particularly interesting for companies. For the two years studied and from the perspective of material aspects for the company and its stakeholders, energy, mining and utilities (drinking water and sewage) sectors obtained the highest scores. This shows that the disclosure of ESG information is higher in industries related to the exploitation of natural resources that cause adverse effects on the environment such as extractive industries. Both the analysis presented in this paper and the materiality measurement developed, allow social responsibility managers to have a standard on the level of importance allotted to the different topics disclosed in sustainability reports. Additionally, this study provides a perspective of the material issues recognized by sensitive industries with great environmental impact. Similarly, an analysis of the issues considered material by stakeholders is provided. This allows such issues to be compared, identifying similarities and differences among the issues regarded as material by a company and its stakeholders. Practical implications: The paper opens the debate is open as to whether the information disclosed response to the needs of stakeholders or whether, on the contrary, the materiality analysis is a process that emerges simply from the interests of the company. These demands for qualitative and field research to complement quantitative studies such as this one to research the stakeholders' engagement processes in context. Social implications: The paper's purpose a challenge for future research is to strengthen the use of various methodologies that allow knowing the participation processes in the definition of materiality in the ESG information and the companies' engagement with stakeholders. This stimulates research in the region, which is still in its infancy. Originality/value: The international literature contains few studies related to the assessment of materiality for sustainability reporting. So this paper contributes proposes measurement of materiality for ESG information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The military in Latin America has been extensively involved in pandemic relief operations. This paper analyses the impact of militarization of pandemic relief operations on human rights. It argues that not all militarization is equally harmful to individuals in the region. When troops assume responsibilities regarding medical care and logistical support, human rights violations do not follow. When involved in policing the stay-at-home orders, the extent of human rights violations is explained by the level of operational autonomy the military has in public security operations. The more autonomous the military, more likely abuses are to occur. Additionally, military exposure to judicial prosecution for human rights offenses contributes to the explanation. After gathering original empirical evidence from 14 Latin American democracies on military presence in pandemic relief, we draw our inferences from process tracing on four comparative case studies of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and El Salvador. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to investigate the relationship between lithium mining and the environmental-social aspects of mining in the countries of the lithium triangle by analysing scientific research works and available statistical data, and applying economic theory to green extractivism. We investigate whether the countries of the lithium triangle meet the criteria of the theory of green extractivism. In the context of the theory of green extractivism, we include Bolivian and Argentine regions as sacrifice zones while Chile is relatively successfully building renewable energy sources. In all three countries, we detected the socio-environmental impacts of lithium mining, the most serious problem being the right to water and the threat to the poorest regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to characterise the Entrepreneurial Ecosystems (EE) at the national and regional (subnational) level in Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay employing relevant scientific literature and the latest available data from two well-known entrepreneurial ecosystem indices. Our results show that overall, Chile offers the best national-level ecosystem conditions for productive entrepreneurship among the selected countries. Uruguay and Argentina perform relatively lower than Chile, but they still show potential for improvement by addressing their key system bottlenecks. Moreover, data at the regional level shows that the performance of subnational ecosystems within each country is not homogeneous and regional ecosystems have specific combinations of strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, in a way, these findings confirm the relevance of regional perspectives for research in EE. The data synthesised in this study may be of assistance to researchers interested in understanding entrepreneurship in South American countries and for local policymakers aiming to design context-sensitive entrepreneurship policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the effects of economic growth and four different types of energy consumption (oil, natural gas, hydroelectricity, and renewable energy) on environmental quality in terms of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions were examined within the framework of the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) for three Latin American countries, namely, Argentina, Brazil, and Chile, from 1975 to 2018. The autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) in the form of Error Correction Mechanism (ECM) was used to verify the validity of the EKC hypothesis and the impacts of the variables in the short and the long run alike. Furthermore, the Toda-Yamamoto Granger causality test was carried out to identify the direction of causality between the variables. From ARDL-ECM estimation, the EKC was confirmed (inverted U-shaped curve between income growth and CO2 emissions) only in Argentina in the long run but not in Brazil and Chile. Based on the findings, renewable energy can have a great potential in reducing CO2 emissions in the future, but this advantage has not been fully exploited yet since a significant negative impact on CO2 emissions was only found in Chile. Also, the use of other less carbon-intensive energy sources such as natural gas and hydropower if they could be combined with renewable energy would be of great benefit and contribute to enhancing environmental quality and energy security in the short and the medium term and to successful low-carbon energy transition in the long run in Argentina, Brazil, and Chile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Bridging Cultures is the property of Pontificia Universidad Catolica Argentina 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.)

Biodiversity loss remains one of the most pressing issues for global governance. This situation can be seen in Argentina and Chile through the effects of biodiversity loss caused by the introduction and expansion of beavers in Southern Patagonia. This case is interesting because, despite the Beagle conflict (i.e., the border dispute) between these countries some decades ago, nowadays Argentina and Chile are facing shared environmental problems and both are actively seeking solutions. The main question in this paper is, how did Argentina and Chile search for a solution to shared environmental problems caused by the expansion of beavers in Southern Patagonia? This paper tackles this question and presents the results of the conducted qualitative research. The results indicate that, in order to understand what Argentina and Chile are doing to achieve a solution to their shared environmental problems, research cannot be exclusively focus on domestic affairs. Instead, this issue requires taking into account how international dimensions influenced domestic policies. As this paper argues, in Argentina and Chile, international cooperation is a method of influencing biodiversity governance through funds granted by international organizations and international expert recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Chile are four large developing countries in Latin American that are going on their development stage comparable to China. Getting insight into the carbon emissions and the effectiveness of the carbon neutrality policies in these countries are expected to be beneficial for China s carbon neutrality aspirations. With the data of the national "fossil fuel carbon emissions and terrestrial carbon balance of the four countries from 1990 to 2016, this paper examined the individuality and commonality in the carbon emission and carbon sequestration features and the driving forces. Thereafter, based on a systematic and comprehensive review of policy planning related to long-term emission reduction goals in the four Latin American countries, the scenario analysis method was used to evaluate the carbon emission reduction effectiveness and carbon neutrality of each country from 2017 to 2050. It is found as follows. ➀ The economic growth and demographic expansion were the two most important factors that pushed the fossil fuel carbon emissions in all the four countries. The improvement in energy utilization intensity in Mexico, Argentina and Chile had the effect of mitigating carbon emissions. Deforestation deviated Brazil and Argentina from their carbon neutrality goals while Mexico and Chile s terrestrial ecosystems had sequestered amount of carbon from the atmosphere to offset their fossil fuel emissions, by which Chile is nearing its carbon neutrality. ➁ The scenario analysis suggested that the current policies might facilitate Brazil to commit its 2025 and 2030 goals and close to its 2050 carbon neutrality goal. The current policies may also support Argentina commit its 2030 goal and Chile commit its 2050 carbon neutrality goal. However, there are challenges to Argentina's 2050 goal and Mexico's all intermediate goals. In light of these results, China's carbon neutrality strategies should prioritize three aspects: optimizing the energy structure, promoting energy efficiency, and enhancing terrestrial carbon sink sequestration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies on Latin American Spatial Governance and Planning Systems (SGPSs) have highlighted the need to focus on alternative processes and mechanisms of land-use management and transformation that, arising and operating alongside the formal ones, contribute to shaping the nature of SGPSs themselves. This paper taps into this ongoing debate by further unfolding this 'other institutionality' and broadening its scope. It does so through the exploration of three case studies – namely the SGPSs of Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay – here analysed in relation to their institutional and legal frameworks and the instruments that are produced. In relation to each case, the local spatial planning practices in intermediary cities are examined, enabling understanding of the nuances of the 'other institutionality' mentioned and the role that the latter plays in the overall SGPS. The analysis shows an ongoing 'judicialisation' of spatial planning in the form of an increasing number of legal actions undertaken by civil society and the mobilisation of legal expertise in addressing the urban conflicts. This phenomenon seems to be related to the lack of updated spatial planning tools and public participatory processes to accompany official spatial planning practices. Overall, these findings open a pathway for further comparative spatial planning studies broadening the concept of the 'other institutionality' in Latin America and beyond and shedding light on the role and impact of the latter within existing SGPSs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a methodology for the estimation of the current account equilibrium exchange rate - the exchange rate that guarantees the intertemporal current account equilibrium for a country. Moreover, the methodology is tested throughout appropriate econometric technics (VECM Models) for Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Colombia, using quarterly data from around 2000 (according to data availability for each country) to 2020. The model includes both long-term structural variables such as terms of trade, goods and service trade as percentage of GDP and GDP per capita as well short term policy variables such as interest rate differential and EMBI plus. Apart from proposing an innovative methodology for estimating the current account equilibrium exchange rate, the paper brings important insights in terms of chronicle and cyclical appreciation (depreciation) of the exchange rate in LA countries. In addition, it shows high correlation between the exchange rate negative (positive) misalignments and the current account deficits (surpluses) in the countries analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Iberian & Latin American Research is the property of Routledge 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 purpose of this paper is to identify and analyze how prison systems in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico respond to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). It explores the challenges these institutions face, the actions taken, the beneficiaries from such measures, and their immediate effect. We argue that governments and prison authorities struggle to put in place comprehensive measures to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19 within these institutions and that more concrete and swift actions are needed to address the magnitude and the consequences of the pandemic. This paper uses both primary and secondary data to describe the current prison situation and analyze institutional responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in these countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of the rising incidence of displacement and land use conflicts over resource extraction, this article draws attention to changes in the extractive practices of the gold mining industry as a consequence of financialisation. Through a close study of the Pascua Lama gold project in Chile and Argentina, I examine how the industry's adoption of shareholder value maximisation has mobilised alternative forms of rural arrangements between land, resources, labour, and capital conducive to the extraction of financial value. Such strategy, I find, has altered the scale and pace of mineral development and heightened the disruptions conventionally associated with commodity price cycles. The paper contributes to advancing existing understandings of financialisation as a key driver of agrarian and rural transformations within critical agrarian studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Brazilian Journal of Management / Revista de Administração da UFSM is the property of Brazilian Journal of Management / Revista de Administracao da UFSM 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.)

Copyright of Meteorologica is the property of Centro Argentino de Meteorologos 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.)

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to do a systematic assessment and testing of identified human rights norms alongside social determinant approaches in relation to identified health issues of concern in four Latin American countries (Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay) to show how social determinants and human rights frameworks improve population health. Design/methodology/approach: To do so, in the first part the authors analyze the inequalities both between and within each of the selected countries in terms of health status and health determinants of the population. Then, in the second section, the authors analyze the level of recognition, institutionalisation and accountability of the right to health in each country. Findings: From the data used in this paper it is possible to conclude that the four analysed countries have improved their results in terms of health status, health care and health behaviours. This improvement coincides with the recognition, institutionalisation and creation of accountability mechanisms of human rights principles and standards in terms of health and that a human rights approach to health and its relation with other social determinants have extended universal health coverage and health systems in the four analysed countries. Originality/value: Despite of the importance of the relation between human rights and social determinants of health, there are few human right scholars working on the issues of social determinants of health and human rights. Most of the literature of health and human rights has been focussed specific relations between specific rights and the right to health, but less human right scholar working on social determinants of health. On the other hand, just a few epidemiologists and people working on social medicine have actually started to use a universal human rights frame and discourse. In fact, according to Vnkatapuram, Bell and Marmot: "while health and human rights advocates have from the start taken a global perspective, social medicine and social epidemiology have been slower to catch up". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With ongoing climate change, there is a pressing need to better understand how much water is stored as ground ice in areas with extensive permafrost occurrence, as well as how the regional water balance may alter in response to the potential generation of meltwater from permafrost degradation. However, field-based data on permafrost in remote and mountainous areas such as the South American Andes are scarce. Most current ground ice estimates are based on broadly generalized assumptions such as volume–area scaling and mean ground ice content estimates of rock glaciers. In addition, ground ice contents in permafrost areas outside of rock glaciers are usually not considered, resulting in a significant uncertainty regarding the volume of ground ice in the Andes and its hydrological role. In Part 1 of this contribution, present an extensive geophysical data set based on electrical resistivity tomography and refraction seismic tomography surveys to detect and quantify ground ice of different landforms and surface types in several study regions in the semi-arid Andes of Chile and Argentina with the aim to contribute to the reduction of this data scarcity. In Part 2 we focus on the development of a strategy for the upscaling of geophysics-based ground ice quantification to an entire catchment to estimate the total ground ice volume (and its approximate water equivalent) in the study areas. In addition to the geophysical data, the upscaling approach is based on a permafrost distribution model and classifications of surface and landform types. In this paper, we introduce our upscaling strategy, and we demonstrate that the estimation of large-scale ground ice volumes can be improved by including (i) non-rock-glacier permafrost occurrences and (ii) field evidence through a large number of geophysical surveys and ground truthing information. The results of our study indicate that (i) conventional ground ice estimates for rock-glacier-dominated catchments without in situ data may significantly overestimate ground ice contents and (ii) substantial volumes of ground ice may also be present in catchments where rock glaciers are lacking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Irrational antimicrobial consumption (AMC) became one of the main global health problems in recent decades. Objective: In order to understand AMC in Latin-American Region, we performed the present research in 6 countries. Methods: Antimicrobial consumption (J01, A07A, P01AB groups) was registered in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Paraguay, and Peru. Source of information, AMC type, DDD (Defined Daily Doses), DID (DDD/1000 inhabitants/day), population were variables explored. Data was analyzed using the Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS) tool. Results: Source of information included data from global, public, and private sectors. Total AMC was highly variable (range 1.91-36.26 DID). Penicillin was the most consumed group in all countries except in Paraguay, while macrolides and lincosamides were ranked second. In terms of type of AMC according to the WHO-AWaRe classification, it was found that for certain groups like "Reserve," there are similarities among all countries. Conclusion and Relevance: This paper shows the progress that 6 Latin-American countries made toward AMC surveillance. The study provides a standardized approach for building a national surveillance system for AMC data analysis. These steps will contribute to the inclusion of Latin-America among the regions of the world that have periodic, regular, and quality data of AMC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Signo y Pensamiento is the property of Pontificia Universidad Javeriana 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.)

Latin American countries begin to develop their national-level cyber policy including their cybersecurity strategy. The paper aims to provide a comparative analysis of the strategy development processes in six Latin American countries including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru. The methodology is based on a mixed approach. For the quantitative analysis, the National Cyber Security Index and UNIDIR Cyber Policy Portal were used, while for the qualitative analysis a document analysis was carried out on the national strategies. Analysing national data based on the NCSI, Chile stands out overall, however, the country is still in the initial phase in terms of digital and essential service protection, personal data protection and cyber crisis management. Brazil's position is interesting, standing at 3rd place overall, being the most targeted country by cyberattacks in the region. Brazil stands out in terms of cyber threat analysis and military cyber operations. Based on the document analysis, Chile and Argentina have a more holistic cybersecurity strategy, including factors such as cybersecurity education, cybercrime detection, regulatory framework, and the aim to cooperate with international and industrial partners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Our knowledge about the diversity of land planarians (Platyhelminthes: Geoplanidae) from the Andean‐Patagonian Forests is scarce compared with other forested biomes. These cold‐temperate forests are located in southern Chile and western Patagonia in Argentina, at the southern end of South America. Many species of land planarians from this region are known from descriptions based on a single or only a few specimens. Therefore, the finding of new material can reveal cryptic species, as well as anatomical or histological differences among specimens due to different maturation stages, physiological states, or intraspecific variation. In this paper, we focus on two geoplaninid species, Geoplana valdiviana and Amaga ruca, with the main goal of offering detailed re‐descriptions of both species (previously known from Chilean Patagonia) from new material recently found in Argentinean Patagonia. In this contribution, we added new information on histological and anatomical features of these species. After assessing taxonomically relevant anatomical characters together with DNA sequence data (mitochondrial COI gene and nuclear 18S rRNA gene), we took three taxonomic decisions: (a) G. valdiviana was removed from Geoplana and re‐allocated in the new genus Inakayalia; (b) Geoplana chanca and Geoplana tirua were also included in this new genus; and (c) A. ruca was split off from the genus Amaga and placed in the new monotypic genus Wallmapuplana. In addition, the known distribution of these planarian species was expanded to include the Argentinean portion of the Andean‐Patagonian Forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study attempts to improve the understanding of how factors related to the board of directors in emerging countries from America determine a firm's sustainability performance. This paper examines the effect of board cultural diversity and the mediating effect of the existence of a corporate social responsibility (CSR) committee. To test our objectives, we carried out a sample analysis on data gathered between 2012 and 2018 from a group of firms located in Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Mexico. The results suggest that board cultural diversity promotes a firm's commitment toward sustainability issues and leads to higher social and environmental performance. Moreover, the results show the mediating effect of the existence of a CSR committee, where a positive impact on sustainability performance appears to be linked to board cultural diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Setter colonialism is dedicated to the elimination of the native, not just from territory but from the past. This form of elimination comes from the mistranslation or misunderstanding of names and terms that identify individuals and communities, which the colonists then use to separate Indigenous peoples from their own pasts. Many researchers have argued that the modern Mapuche are the result of ethnogenesis in the late eighteenth century, in part from misuse of the Mapuche language mapuzugun in describing communities in the past. This paper argues that, based on ethnographic, archaeological, and historic evidence, Che is the correct autonym to use for the Indigenous inhabitants of Wajmapu, the territory comprised of southern Chile and western Argentina, before the Che themselves began using the autonym Mapuche in the eighteenth century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water mites of the genus Corticacarus Lundblad, 1936 (Acari: Hydrachnidia, Hygrobatidae) are among the most widespread and abundant riverine genera in the Neotropics. In this paper we reported 12 species of the genus Corticacarus from streams and rivers from Argentina, Chile and Costa Rica. Two species from Chile (Corticacarus cooki.sp. nov.) and Costa Rica (C. habeebisp. nov.), respectively, are described as new for science. The number of species of this genus now tallies 71 species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Objective: This paper reports on a focus‐group discussion of four expert psychotherapy researchers facilitated at an international conference from the Society of Psychotherapy Research. A discussion was facilitated to explore their perspectives on psychotherapy practices of personal growth (intentionally working towards a strengthened sense of autonomy, mastery, and self‐acceptance) in different countries (United States, Canada, Argentina, and Chile) and different modalities (psychoanalysis, humanistic therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy). Methods: Following the conference, the audio recording of this discussion was transcribed and analyzed using consensual qualitative research methods. Results. Six domains were identified; definition of personal growth, mental health care systems, psychotherapy practice, psychotherapy research, client and therapist characteristics, and social stigma. Results: Six domains were identified; definition of personal growth, mental health care systems, psychotherapy practice, psychotherapy research, client and therapist characteristics, and social stigma. Conclusion: Future research examining the cost‐effectiveness and benefits of psychotherapy for personal growth is warranted. Building on the six domains, specific future research projects on the evidence‐based practice of psychotherapy for personal growth are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ayer: Revista de Historia Contemporánea is the property of Asociacion de Historia Contemporanea 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.)

Copyright of Revista Mundo de Antes is the property of Revista Mundo de Antes 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.)

In this paper, we aimed at assessing the best conditions for the isolation of actinobacteria from old potato samples. A set of media and pretreatments were tested. The optimal were chosen for the isolation of actinobacteria from potatoes from Peru, Chile and Argentina. Isolates were tested on the presence of thaxtomin phytotoxin by amplification of the respective gene. Phylogenetic position of strains was compared with their geographical origin, pathogenic potential and existence of common scab (CS) symptoms on potato sample. We demonstrated that RNAlater can be successfully used for the long-term preservation of potato peel for subsequent isolation of actinobacteria on R2A medium. Many streptomycetes were thaxtomin-positive, though they are distantly-related to described pathogens causing CS. Genus Nocardia was first reported to be thaxtomin-positive. Potentially pathogenic strains were isolated not only from infected potato but also from those lacking CS symptoms. Some strains from scabby potatoes were thaxtomin-negative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the ordered weighted average weighted average inflation (OWAWAI) and some extensions using induced and heavy aggregation operators and presents the generalized operators and some of their families. The main advantage of these new formulations is that they can use two different sets of weighting vectors and generate new scenarios based on the reordering of the arguments with the weights. With this idea, it is possible to generate new approaches that under- or overestimate the results according to the knowledge and expertise of the decision-maker. The work presents an application of these new approaches in the analysis of the inflation in Chile, Colombia, and Argentina during 2017. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Dilemas Contemporáneos: Educación, Política y Valores is the property of Dilemas Contemporaneos: Educacion, Politica y Valores 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.)

Copyright of Boletín de Filología is the property of Universidad de Chile, Facultad de Filosofia y Humanidades 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.)

Copyright of América Latina Hoy is the property of Ediciones Universidad de Salamanca 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.)