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Purpose: This study aims to identify the strategic leadership and change management used to obtain the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accreditations as well as the research development on AACSB in the past decade. Design/methodology/approach: This study used a systematic literature review following Petticrew and Roberts' study. The articles were limited to empirical studies published from 2013 to 2022, taken from the Dimensions AI database. Findings: The findings suggested that two leadership styles were used to obtain AACSB accreditation: dominance-oriented transformational and financial leadership, alongside three traits of academic leaders: commitment, engagement and encouragement. Additionally, three change management models/processes were found in the articles: teaching evaluation framework, temporary isomorphism and authenticity. Finally, they discovered that the object of the studies on AACSB accreditation had been narrowed down from the organizational level to smaller objects consisting of schools' identity, teaching, learning and business schools' key players. Research limitations/implications: As this study only used Dimensions AI, potential articles related to the topic outside the database could not be obtained. Thus, it limits the scope of the findings of this paper. Practical implications: This study informs academic leaders in business schools about the role of strategic leadership and change management in obtaining AACSB accreditation. Originality/value: Through a systematic scoping review, this study presented a decade of research development on AACSB in addition to the strategic leadership and change management needed to obtain it.

In this paper we analyze the semantic and pragmatic properties of a colloquial interrogative construction attested in European Spanish, which we label invariable "qué" questions (IQQs). In doing so, we contribute to the better understanding of a relatively understudied phenomenon in Spanish, given that IQQs have been mainly approached from a purely syntactic standpoint. We claim that evidentiality and irony play a crucial role in the understanding of IQQs. Because of their special interpretative functions, as well as the fact that they do not appear to have a clear correlate in other languages, we believe IQQs pose a challenge to the second language student, which is why we further offer a step-by-step proposal to introduce IQQs in the Spanish as a second language class.

This paper presents a compilation of personal reflections from 66 contributors on the impact of, and responses to, COVID-19 in accounting education in 45 different countries around the world. It reveals a commonality of issues, and a variability in responses, many positive outcomes, including the creation of opportunities to realign learning and teaching strategies away from the comfort of traditional formats, but many more that are negative, primarily relating to the impact on faculty and student health and well-being, and the accompanying stress. It identifies issues that need to be addressed in the recovery and redesign stages of the management of this crisis, and it sets a new research agenda for studies in accounting education.

Latin American countries have evolved over the years. Still, after years of military reign, socioeconomicinstability, and civil wars, the region has been known for its anti-hegemonic economic growth (educationalpolicies) strategies. Central and South America's educational system has long been under investigation by researchers both theoretically and empirically. The transition of its education system through the introduction of centralized, liberalized, and populist ideology has sparked many researchers' interest. This paper aims to understand and compare 14 Latin American countries' education orientation. The study uses a matrix table to visualize the qualitative finding.

Linguistic and anthropological research has demonstrated that language ideologies play a complex role in contexts of language endangerment, as well as in revitalization initiatives. In this paper, we articulate some central ways in which these beliefs and interests can translate into significant barriers to successful language revitalization. Based on collaborative ethnographic fieldwork with Indigenous languages in North and South America, we propose a model for planning language ideologies as a practice that can be deliberately incorporated into revitalization efforts. Given the urgency of the situation facing many languages, we argue that treating language ideologies as requiring planning is necessary and offer preliminary suggestions about what this planning could look like by analyzing examples around the language ideology assemblages of language teaching and learning.

This paper draws on two research activities to discuss the role of research at the Centre for Language Learning (CLL) at The University of the West Indies St. Augustine Campus in Trinidad and Tobago. Established in 1997, the CLL introduced languages for all into this Caribbean higher education (HE) context. The CLL also introduced an expanded language curriculum beyond the historical focus on Romance languages and literatures. As the language centre evolved with more languages being taught and more language services offered, research, nonetheless, remained a marginal activity. Yet without a research agenda, the CLL risked being seen as a "service unit" - an outlier in a university seeking to confirm its place in the highly competitive global HE landscape. As the CLL sought to embrace more fully the research mandate of The UWI and of language centres internationally, CercleS publications and documents, for example, "Quality Assessment Criteria for Language Centres" were of great utility. The latter document's focus on research as a quality indicator was consistent with The UWI's focus on quality assurance and research. Taking research from periphery to core is thus intrinsic to moving the CLL into closer alignment with both institutional and international norms.

Purpose: This paper aims to present an approach to achieve accessible and inclusive Virtual Education for all, but especially intended for students with disabilities. This work proposes main steps to take into consideration for stakeholders involved in the educational process related to an inclusive e-Learning. Design/methodology/approach: The paper pays particular regard to accessibility in Virtual Education. This work is based on the activities prepared from years 2012 to 2015 within the initiative called ESVI-AL. This initiative was carried out in conjunction with Latin American and European Universities; for this paper, experiences and best practices from the initiative were used to prepare the proposed approach. Findings: The aim of ESVI-AL initiative was to offer products that can help in the development of an accessible and inclusive e-Learning education. Among the main results were reports, case studies, practical guidelines, training courses and software to install virtual campuses with accessibility features. Social implications: Nowadays, few countries have laws promoting and enforcing accessibility for e-Education and e-Society. This work aims to sensitize educators from different countries and raise awareness on the importance of working together toward an inclusive society based on accessible e-Learning. Originality/value: Based on a literature review and ESVI-AL initiative results, a descriptive overview was prepared as a starting point for the four identified main actors of an educational project, namely, educators, technical staff, quality auditors and students, with special emphasis on students with disabilities.

This paper analyzes the activities, members, and effects of an inter-American expert network for the diffusion of psychometric knowledge, specifically of standardized aptitude testing for university admission in Latin America during the 1960s and 1970s. Within the framework of educational transfer studies, the role of international, nongovernmental, and philanthropic organizations is examined. It is argued that circulation of psychometric knowledge and technologies led to a new governing regime for learning and learners. The paper discusses the effect of convergence and Americanization, in the context of US-promoted "Alliance for Progress," but also of divergence and resistance.

Despite the growing number of international professional development programs, there is very little published research regarding the structures and effectiveness of these programs. This paper shares the design and development of the technology component of an international professional development (PD) program designed for secondary English as Foreign Language (EFL) teachers. Using a one-group, pre- and post-program design, the study examined how the technology component influenced participating teachers' technology knowledge and skills, and their attitudes and beliefs toward technology integration. The analysis of survey quantitative data indicated that participants' knowledge of, and skills using, various technologies were significantly increased by completing the program, whereas their attitudes and beliefs toward technology remained unchanged. Qualitative interview results revealed the types of barriers to technology integration. Implications and significance of the study were discussed.

The academic programs at the graduate level are increasingly interested about the enrollment management challenges in terms of international student mobility. Understanding fundamental enrollment concepts to attract international students provides the essential key to consider the competitive environment concerning university resources, academic program potential, complex cultural dynamics, and workplaces among others. Based on a six-year quantitative and descriptive statistical study, this paper addresses the trends of first-time graduate enrollment and patterns of international student mobility by faculty at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez. Results revealed the sustained trend of graduate enrollment of international students mainly from South America, Central America, and the Caribbean among others. Moreover, the presence of international graduate students adds a dimension of diversity to UPRM between teaching and research undertakings that enhance the Colleges of Engineering, Arts and Sciences, Agricultural Sciences, and Business Administration. The international student mobility has a consistent tendency mainly in the Colleges of Engineering, Arts and Sciences, and Agricultural Sciences. This consistency resembles the quality and reputation recognized by educational institutions and organizational world rankings. In-depth, understanding the trends related to international graduate enrollment and mobility should be considered by institutional leaders and administrators at UPRM to make knowledgeable decisions and to effectively set priorities to recruit highly qualified international students.

The economic and social crisis faced by Venezuela since 2013 has led to a massive migration of its population to neighbouring countries, with Colombia being the nation that has been the most impacted. This paper estimates the impact of Venezuelan immigration on housing rents in Colombia's main cities. Using a repeated cross-section data of Colombian households between 2013 and 2019, along with an instrumental variables approach, this study finds that a 1% increase in the proportion of Venezuelan immigrants to residents in the main cities in Colombia raises housing rents, on average, by about 1.25%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The migration of Venezuelans nationals to other Latin-American countries has been defined as the most significant migratory phenomenon in the recent story of the region, with Colombia being the country that hosts the highest number of Venezuelan nationals. From a human rights perspective, this article critically analyzes the response of the Colombian State to address migration from Venezuela. The objective of this article is to show that Colombia has preferred to govern this migration through the creation of ad hoc permits, instead of recognizing the need for international protection of this population and their status as refugees. To this end, this paper analyzes the Colombian regulatory framework on migration and refuge and, in particular, the response of the Colombian State to the migration of people from Venezuela. Its central argument is that the Colombian authorities have opted for the design and implementation of alternative measures of migratory regularization, as it was at the time the Special Permit of Permanence and is today the Permit for Temporary Protection. This article concludes by stating that the approach to Venezuelan migration has led to a clear detriment to the refugee system, today collapsed and with no prospect of reform or strengthening. This is so because the institutional design of the Colombian refuge entails a host of obstacles that discourage applicants from following this path, even when they require international protection. The authors of this paper use legal dogmatic as the main research methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we analyze the impact of Venezuelan migration on the female labor market in Colombia. Following the economic crisis in Venezuela, more than 1.5 million Venezuelans arrived in Colombia in the period 2016–2019. Using an instrumental variables approach, we find that the sudden influx of millions of migrants reduced the labor force participation of less-skilled native women due to a disproportionate increase of competition in economic activities in which they were more concentrated. On the other hand, migration positively affected the labor force participation for high-skilled women with children. When testing the underlying mechanisms of this latter result, we find a reduction in the time spent on childcare and an increase in the probability of hiring domestic service, explained by a decrease in the cost of this service due to the Venezuelan exodus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the impact of a massive skilled labor supply shock on Colombian manufacturing firms' exports, the Venezuelan exodus. We exploit crosssectional and time variability of Venezuelan forced migrants' settlements in Colombian sub-national areas through an enclave instrumental variables approach to account for the selection of immigrants' location. Using yearly customs data from 2013 to 2019, we find that the Venezuelan migration improved Colombian manufacturing firms' export performance, particularly to high-income countries of the OECD located in North America and low-income countries. This effect was stronger for firms that exported less prior to the exodus (2012). Furthermore, using a detailed yearly panel of manufacturing firms from 2013 to 2019 we identify the potential labor market driving mechanism of the trade-creation effect: immigrants lowered exporting firms' blue-collar wages, and allowed them to upgrade their labor force skill composition, namely firms were able to hire workers more compatible with exports to developed destinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Confluenze. Rivista di Studi Iberoamericani is the property of Universita di Bologna, Dipartimento di Lingue, Letterature e Culture Moderne 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.)

Based on the conceptualizations of organized crime as both an enterprise and a form of governance, borderland as a spatial category, and borders as institutions, this paper looks at the politics of bordering practices by organized crime in the Colombian-Venezuelan borderlands. It posits that contrary to the common assumptions about transnational organized crime, criminal organizations not only blur or erode the border but rather enforce it to their own benefit. In doing so, these groups set norms to regulate socio-spatial practices, informal and illegal economies, and migration flows, creating overlapping social orders and, lastly, (re)shaping the borderland. Theoretically, the analysis brings together insights from political geography, border studies, and organized crime literature, while empirically, it draws on direct observation, criminal justice data, and in-depth interviews. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we analyze the impact of Venezuelan migration on the female labor supply in Colombia. Using a instrumental variable approach we found significant drops in the female labor supply, mainly on those women with lower qualifications. In contrast, we observe significant increases for high-skilled women with family responsibilities, such as childcare. These results are consistent with a redistribution of time use, where women spend fewer hours on household tasks and more time in the labor market. Our results provide novel evidence of the consequences of forced migration between developing countries on the female labor supply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I estimate the effect of the Venezuelan exodus on the Colombian labor market. The economic and social crisis in Venezuela triggered one of the most important migratory exoduses in recent decades: more than 4 million Venezuelans left their country and close to 1.8 million arrived in Colombia. I show that an increase in 1 p.p of labor supply due the migratory flow caused a decline in hourly wages in Colombia of 0.4% and a negative effect of 0.1 p.p. on the employment rate of low-skilled workers. The drop in wages was greater for men, low-skilled and informal workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Two Homelands / Dve Domovini is the property of Scientific Research Centre of Slovenian Academy of Sciences & Arts 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 de Economía Institucional is the property of Universidad Externado de Colombia 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 studies how slavery was finally abolished in the Spanish-speaking republics of South America and how these processes were connected. Although slavery was not as important in these countries as it was in Brazil or Cuba, it remained relevant in certain regions, even after the slave trade was abolished and free-womb laws and state manumission policies were implemented. In Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela, slavery did not legally end until mid-century when civil wars pitted progressive liberals against conservatives who wanted to retain slavery. Parliamentary means secured abolition north of the continent, while further south abolition was achieved as ideologically charged civil wars necessitated slave recruitment. Just as at independence, this need for soldiers brought free-womb laws and the end of the slave trade. For thirty years the enslaved sought to change their situation through manumission, legally challenging slavery and by fleeing and rebelling. But it was not until the tension between freedom and slavers' right to property became an issue for liberals at mid-century that slavery ended in these republics in the space of four years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this article is to document the spatial diffusion of the National Liberation Army (ELN) in Colombia and Venezuela. Building on a comprehensive database of more than 2100 violent incidents collected by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Database (ACLED) project and the Global Terrorism Database (GTD), the paper examines whether the ELN has expanded or relocated into Venezuela following the peace accords with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in 2016. We find that the vast majority of events and fatalities involving the ELN are located in Colombia. Recent years, however, have seen a significant increase in armed actions by the ELN on Venezuelan soil. This expansion was facilitated by the ultimate demobilization of the FARC and the ongoing social, political, and economic implosion that has wracked Venezuela since 2014. The ELN is a typical case of diffusion by escalation marked by a growth in violent events and fatalities in both the country of origin of armed groups and their new destination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last six years, Colombia has received an exceptionally high number of incoming people on the move, fleeing from neighbouring Venezuela, including around 1 million Venezuelan nationals in an irregular situation.1 Against this unique and challenging background, this article aims to ascertain the extent to which the jurisprudence of the Constitutional Court of Colombia and that of United Nations' human rights treaty bodies and InterAmerican institutions are synergetic and supportive of the idea that the right to health must be equitably accessible for irregular migrants and subgroups of the same. The case law of this Court provides useful insights into both the difficulties of implementing 'beyond minimalist' approaches to the rights of irregular migrants in a middle-income country and the unusually influential but selective role of international human rights law and the comments of treaty bodies in its findings. For this case study, I also systematise applicable arguments of UN and InterAmerican human rights law and demonstrate that they are normative frameworks capable of pitching the right to health of irregular migrants beyond access to urgent treatment by integrating arguments based on core rights and vulnerability into a primary health care approach to public health that 'brings promotion and prevention, cure and care together'.2 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Cuadernos del CENDES is the property of Universidad Central de Venezuela 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 perception that immigrants represent a burden to national health systems can hinder the development of policies for their inclusion in health coverage. In order to inform the development of such policies, data on the healthcare needs and healthcare spending for immigrants is required. The objective of this article is to compare the clinical characteristics and healthcare‐related expenditures of Venezuelan immigrants and non‐migrants living with HIV in Colombia. We analysed data from the Colombian High‐cost Diseases Fund from February 1, 2018 to January 31, 2019, identifying the hospital and non‐hospital expenditures per patient for Venezuelan immigrants and non‐migrant patients, in both the state‐subsidised and the contributory coverage schemes. We employed binomial negative regression models to compare expenditures between the two groups. In the contributory scheme, the average annual per‐capita expenditure for immigrants was USD $ 859.07 (SD: ± $793.37) for non‐hospital care. For non‐migrants, the average costs were 1,796.53. In the state‐subsidised scheme expenditures were higher on average, but still lower for immigrants than for non‐migrants. After adjusting by clinical and sociodemographic characteristics, non‐hospital per capita expenditures were lower for immigrants as compared with non‐migrants (25,37% lower in the state‐subsidised scheme, and 33,75% lower in the contributory scheme). Hospital expenditures were also lower, but the small sample size limited analysis. To conclude, Venezuelan immigrants living with HIV do not represent a major economic burden to the health system in Colombia. Further studies are required in order to understand if the lower healthcare expenditures of this population are the result of limitations in healthcare access, of clinical characteristics that were not assessed in this study, or of other unmeasured aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species delimitation in the Poa taxa of the ' Cucullata complex' from the páramos of north-west South America, morphologically defined by open panicles and webbed calluses, among other characters, has been complicated by their large morphological variability coupled with a lack of available taxonomic treatments. Using multivariate morphometric and phylogenetic analyses, distinct groupings of taxa were identified including the new páramo taxa, P. bricenoi sp. nov. from Venezuela and P. cucullata subsp. cucullatella subsp. nov. from Ecuador, which are described and illustrated. Poa scabrivaginata is also presented as a new record for Ecuador and páramo vegetation in general. Based on the results from this study, updated descriptions and images are also presented for P. chirripoensis , P. cucullata s.s. , P. petrosa and P. scabrivaginata , and an identification key is provided for the species of the Cucullata complex and other open-panicled Poa spp. from Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe Serpocaulon psychotrium, a new species from northern South America, and provide for it a discussion of similar species, line drawings, field photographs, and a distribution map. It is often confused with, and probably related to, the species commonly called S. caceresii, also widespread in South America. We reinterpret S. caceresii as a heterotypic synonym of S. articulatum, an older name, and review the nomenclature of that species. Also, we provide a list of representative specimens for both species and a key to all pinnate species of Serpocaulon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While hypsodonty mostly is associated with medium to large body sizes in sigmodontine rodents, high-crowned molars combined with small bodies rarely are recorded. This latter condition is present in Neomicroxus (Sigmodontinae, incertae sedis), a genus of high-Andean cricetids also characterized by a noticeable set of cranial traits, including enlarged turbinals and rostrum, slanting zygomatic plate, and a marked backward displacement of the vertical ramus of the dentary, linked with an enlargement of the basicranial region. These morphological features, combined with the isolated position of this lineage in molecular-based phylogenies, indicate that Neomicroxus should be situated in a new tribe. We name and describe this Páramo novelty monotypic clade here. As a working hypothesis, the hypsodonty displayed by this group is considered an evolutionary response to continued volcanic ash falls that characterized the region during the Neogene. A reappraisal of tribe recognition within the two cricetid largest subfamilies, arvicolines and sigmodontines, is made, coupled with a discussion about the role of morphological convergence in "long-nose" cricetids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Therya is the property of Asociacion Mexicana de Mastozoologia, A. C. 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 the Colombian–Venezuelan borderlands, the reconfiguration of armed group presence and mass migration create and reinforce conditions of high violence and risk. Against this backdrop, we ask: What are the gendered security implications of the double crisis in the borderlands? Based on fieldwork in four regions along the border, this article argues that the border effect is gendered; the very factors that coalesce to produce this effect exacerbate existing gendered power dynamics, particularly as these relate to gender-based violence. Accordingly, this article demonstrates the specific ways in which the border – as a facilitator, deterrent, magnet and/or disguise – reinforces experiences of gendered insecurity in this region. The article finishes by outlining the implications for other international borderland settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In recent years, Ecuador and other South American countries have experienced an increase in arboviral diseases. A rise in dengue infections was followed by introductions of chikungunya and Zika, two viruses never before seen in many of these areas. Furthermore, the latest socioeconomic and political instability in Venezuela and the mass migration of its population into the neighboring countries has given rise to concerns of infectious disease spillover and escalation of arboviral spread in the region. Results: We performed phylogeographic analyses of dengue (DENV) and chikungunya (CHIKV) virus genomes sampled from a surveillance site in Ecuador in 2014–2015, along with genomes from the surrounding countries. Our results revealed at least two introductions of DENV, in 2011 and late 2013, that initially originated from Venezuela and/or Colombia. The introductions were subsequent to increases in the influx of Venezuelan and Colombian citizens into Ecuador, which in 2013 were 343% and 214% higher than in 2009, respectively. However, we show that Venezuela has historically been an important source of DENV dispersal in this region, even before the massive exodus of its population, suggesting already established paths of viral distribution. Like DENV, CHIKV was introduced into Ecuador at multiple time points in 2013–2014, but unlike DENV, these introductions were associated with the Caribbean. Our findings indicated no direct CHIKV connection between Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela as of 2015, suggesting that CHIKV was, at this point, not following the paths of DENV spread. Conclusion: Our results reveal that Ecuador is vulnerable to arbovirus import from many geographic locations, emphasizing the need of continued surveillance and more diversified prevention strategies. Importantly, increase in human movement along established paths of viral dissemination, combined with regional outbreaks and epidemics, may facilitate viral spread and lead to novel virus introductions. Thus, strengthening infectious disease surveillance and control along migration routes and improving access to healthcare for the vulnerable populations is of utmost importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After nearly two centuries at war with itself, Colombia witnessed an opportunity for peace in 2016 when the government reached a celebrated agreement with the leftist rebels of the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC). Three years down the road, the peace agreement has frayed, and the aura of hope that initially surrounded it has depleted. Colombia now faces a transformation of warfare marked by what appears to be an 'end of ideology'. That is, rather than pursuing ideational goals for the achievement of a better society, the country's diverse array of armed groups appears to be fighting primarily for the maximisation of wealth and territory. We shall begin with a conceptual discussion, and then turn to the historical context of Colombian security. This will be followed by an analysis of the elements that led to the demise of the FARC, and to the proliferation of an assortment of illegal armed groups that dot the landscape of Colombia's transformation of war. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Marine turtles play an important role in the culture and economy of numerous coastal communities around the world. However, the legal framework that regulates the consumptive use of these reptiles varies among countries. For example, the consumption of these reptiles has been regarded as common in several rural areas of Venezuela, especially in the eastern coast of the Guajira Peninsula. Methods: To assess the scale and cultural component of this use, we interviewed 35 residents from the southwestern coast of the Gulf of Venezuela (Venezuelan part of the Guajira Peninsula), using a combination of in-depth and semistructured interviews. We carried out a field and detailed market-based observations on the Guajira Peninsula to detect the sale and use of marine turtle products. We focused on three main categories of use; the type of product, routes of trade, and the price of products. Results: All of the marine turtle species reported from the Gulf of Venezuela were used, and the prices of products varied among their type, species of origin, and the distance from the capture area to a marketplace. We obtained evidence connecting Wayuú Indigenous people's traditions and beliefs with marine turtle use, and also they are used as traditional products such as medicine, and as an economic resource to sustain their communities. Conclusion: It is probable that trade of marine turtle products is placing pressure on populations in the Gulf of Venezuela. We recommend the implementation of an inter-institutional conservation-portfolio be developed for the Peninsula to evaluate actions related to this concern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of EMPIRIA: Revista de Metodología de Ciencias Sociales is the property of Editorial UNED 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 species Lathecla carolyna Busby, 2015 described recently from Ecuador is reported to occur also in Venezuela and Colombia. An additional Peruvian occurrence of L. mimula (Draudt, 1920) is also documented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South America has gained international media attention due to its ongoing arms race, with politicians and analysts warning about the possibility of war. Nevertheless, since the Chaco War in the 1930s, the region has seldom faced major inter-state wars, all of which have been short-lived and with relatively few casualties. This article will discuss in greater detail the ongoing arms race in South America, portraying it as a race 'of levels', with not all countries carrying out massive weaponry purchases. Finally, I will discuss regional geopolitics, geosecurity and integration as part of an analysis regarding the unlikelihood of war. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With one vaccine on the market and others in clinical trials, policy makers in dengue endemic regions face the decision of whether to introduce a dengue vaccine in their communities. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that individualized assessments be conducted before any vaccine introduction to evaluate disease burden and the strength of current vaccination programs. This study seeks to aid in that decision-making process by examining the acceptability and feasibility of dengue vaccine introduction in Barranquilla, Colombia, and Merida, Venezuela. Surveys were administered February–June of 2018 for three groups: patients (n = 351), health professionals (n = 197), and government officials (n = 26). In Barranquilla, most respondents reported dengue to be a moderate-severe problem, that a dengue vaccine would be useful in their communities, and that their current vaccination programs could handle the addition of a new vaccine. In Venezuela, respondents were less likely to view dengue as a major concern and listed multiple barriers to not just dengue vaccine introduction, but to providing current vaccines as well. Further work is needed in Colombia to more objectively assess the country's readiness as a whole for a future dengue vaccine. As political and social unrest continues in Venezuela, however, future initiatives should focus on trust and capacity building. This study can serve as a framework for future assessments of the acceptability and feasibility of a dengue vaccine in both targeted areas and on larger scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]