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We aim to provide a critical appraisal of basic concepts underlying signal recording and processing technologies applied for (i) atrial fibrillation (AF) mapping to unravel AF mechanisms and/or identifying target sites for AF therapy and (ii) AF detection, to optimize usage of technologies, stimulate research aimed at closing knowledge gaps, and developing ideal AF recording and processing technologies. Recording and processing techniques for assessment of electrical activity during AF essential for diagnosis and guiding ablative therapy including body surface electrocardiograms (ECG) and endo- or epicardial electrograms (EGM) are evaluated. Discussion of (i) differences in uni-, bi-, and multi-polar (omnipolar/Laplacian) recording modes, (ii) impact of recording technologies on EGM morphology, (iii) global or local mapping using various types of EGM involving signal processing techniques including isochronal-, voltage- fractionation-, dipole density-, and rotor mapping, enabling derivation of parameters like atrial rate, entropy, conduction velocity/direction, (iv) value of epicardial and optical mapping, (v) AF detection by cardiac implantable electronic devices containing various detection algorithms applicable to stored EGMs, (vi) contribution of machine learning (ML) to further improvement of signals processing technologies. Recording and processing of EGM (or ECG) are the cornerstones of (body surface) mapping of AF. Currently available AF recording and processing technologies are mainly restricted to specific applications or have technological limitations. Improvements in AF mapping by obtaining highest fidelity source signals (e.g. catheter-electrode combinations) for signal processing (e.g. filtering, digitization, and noise elimination) is of utmost importance. Novel acquisition instruments (multi-polar catheters combined with improved physical modelling and ML techniques) will enable enhanced and automated interpretation of EGM recordings in the near future., (Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author(s) 2021. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Hypertension, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, overweight, obesity, and tobacco (smoking, chewing, and vaping), together with a pro-inflammatory and procoagulant state, are the main risk factors related to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease., Objective and Methods: A group of experts from the Americas, based on their clinical expertise in cardiology, cardiovascular prevention, and cardiometabolic (CM) diseases, joined together to develop these practical recommendations for the optimal evaluation and treatment of residual CM risk factors in Latin America, using a modified Delphi methodology (details in electronic TSI) to generate a comprehensive CM risk reduction guideline, and through personalized medicine and patient-centered decision, considering the cost-benefit ratio The process was well defined to avoid conflicts of interest that could bias the discussion and recommendations., Results: Residual risk reduction should consider therapeutic options adapted to specific patient needs, based on five treatment objectives: triglyceride-rich lipoproteins, inflammation, impaired glucose metabolism, high blood pressure, and prothrombotic status. Comprehensive control of all CM risk factors should be a priority to deal with this important public health problem and prevent premature deaths. The recommendations in this paper address the evidence-based treatment of CM risk and are intended for clinical application in Latin American countries.

Idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury (DILI) caused by xenobiotics (drugs, herbals and dietary supplements) is an uncommon cause of liver disease presenting with a wide range of phenotypes and disease severity, acute hepatitis mimicking viral hepatitis to autoimmune hepatitis, steatosis, fibrosis or rare chronic vascular syndromes. Disease severity ranges from asymptomatic liver test abnormalities to acute liver failure. DILI has been traditionally classified in predictable or intrinsic (dose-related) or unpredictable (not dose-related) mechanisms. Few prospective studies are assessing the real prevalence and incidence of hepatotoxicity in the general population. DILI registries represent useful networks used for the study of liver toxicity, aimed at improving the understanding of causes, phenotypes, natural history, and standardized definitions of hepatotoxicity. Although most of the registries do not carry out population-based studies, they may provide important data related to the prevalence of DILI, and also may be useful to compare features from different countries. With the support of the Spanish Registry of Hepatotoxicity, our Latin American Registry (LATINDILI) was created in 2011, and more than 350 DILI patients have been recruited to date. This position paper describes the more frequent drugs and herbs-induced DILI in Latin America, mainly focusing on several features of responsible medicaments. Also, we highlighted the most critical points on the management of hepatotoxicity in general and those based on findings from our Latin American experience in particular., (Copyright © 2021 Fundación Clínica Médica Sur, A.C. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

In this article, we examine a corpus of recommended Spanish-language picturebooks published in Spain and Latin America between 2012–2018. We examine a corpus of fifty-six books that have received awards or are highlighted by reading-promotion institutions inquiring into how race and ethnicity are narrated in them. We first notice a predominant whiteness in these picturebooks: often characters are "paper white," as their faces take the white of the default color of the paper. We undertake a critical content analysis informed by intersectionality and decolonial thinking to show how ethnicity is absent, erased, or folklorized in these recommended picturebooks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the changing nature of internationalisation in higher education in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and how this change has required institutions to strengthen the case for internationalisation by linking it more explicitly to institutional purpose. It argues that this development requires institutions to formulate approaches to internationalisation that are explicitly linked to vision and mission statements, that often directly cite the support and development of society in general and local communities specifically, as strategic institutional priorities. In turn, this requires an examination of how internationalisation is addressed in strategic statements and the implications for practical delivery. The paper is underpinned by the authors' understanding of the nature and operation of institutions of higher education which is exemplified by the MARS model. It briefly describes this model and argues that within it, internationalisation activities should be seen as a transversal theme, which affects all operations of the institution in a coordinated matter, rather than an isolated or "exceptional" activity which can be allocated exclusively to specialised units such as the International Office--termed "exceptionalism". Exploring this theme further, the paper sets out how internationalisation should be embedded into all aspects of institutional operations in a way that is consistent with the hierarchy of priorities set out in the MARS model. A case study from Latin America in which this approach was adopted is presented in which some of the practical implications are considered. The paper concludes by exploring the implications of these outcomes and the potential for, and the nature of, future applications of the MARS model to the development and delivery of re-imagined internationalisation strategies in the post-COVID-19 world.

The contribution of the geospatial tools to the vector control activities of Chagas disease is very clear for the academic and technology-prone communities, but not so much for the state-dependent health agents (national or provincial) that are ultimately responsible for disease control in Latin America. (...).

Accurate office blood pressure measurement remains crucial in the diagnosis and management of hypertension worldwide, including Latin America (LA). Office blood pressure (OBP) measurement is still the leading technique in LA for screening and diagnosis of hypertension, monitoring of treatment, and long-term follow-up. Despite this, due to the increasing awareness of the limitations affecting OBP and to the accumulating evidence on the importance of ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM), as a complement of OBP in the clinical approach to the hypertensive patient, a progressively greater attention has been paid worldwide to the information on daytime and nighttime BP patterns offered by 24-h ABPM in the diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic management of hypertension. In LA countries, most of the Scientific Societies of Hypertension and/or Cardiology have issued guidelines for hypertension care, and most of them include a special section on ABPM. Also, full guidelines on ABPM are available. However, despite the available evidence on the advantages of ABPM for the diagnosis and management of hypertension in LA, availability of ABPM is often restricted to cities with large population, and access to this technology by lower-income patients is sometimes limited by its excessive cost. The authors hope that this document might stimulate health authorities in each LA Country, as well as in other countries in the world, to regulate ABPM access and to widen the range of patients able to access the benefits of this technique., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Out-of-office blood pressure (BP) monitoring appears to be a very useful approach to hypertension management insofar it allows to obtain multiple measurements in the usual environment of each individual, allows the detection of hypertension phenotypes, such as white-coat and masked hypertension, and appears to have superior prognostic value than the conventional office BP measurements. Out-of-office BP can be obtained through either home or ambulatory monitoring, which provide complementary and not identical information. Home BP monitoring yields BP values self-measured in subjects' usual living environment; it is an essential method for the evaluation of almost all untreated and treated subjects with suspected or diagnosed hypertension, best if combined with telemonitoring facilities, also allowing long-term monitoring. There is also increasing evidence that home BP monitoring improves long-term hypertension control rates by improving patients' adherence to prescribed treatment. In Latin American Countries, it is widely available, being relatively inexpensive, and well accepted by patients. Current US, Canadian, Japanese, and European guidelines recommend out-of-office BP monitoring to confirm and refine the diagnosis of hypertension., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background: By 2015, the World Health Organization reported that 1% of the world population suffered from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and in Latin America (LA) between 0.5% and 1%. Previously, in May 2014, a consensus meeting was held in Barranquilla, Colombia, where the Project for Implementation and Accreditation of Centers of Excellence (CoE) in RA in LA was established, which then became an official special group of the Pan American League of Associations for Rheumatology (PANLAR)., Objective: The aim of this study was to define the methodological approach for the accreditation process of CoE in RA in LA., Methods: A meeting was held in April 2015 with participation of the members of the REAL-PANLAR Steering Committee, and representatives of several LA countries, with the support of 2 experts in accreditation processes and models in Colombia. Then, in November 2015 in San Francisco and in November 2016 in Washington, the REAL-PANLAR Steering Committee met to discuss some final aspects of the project., Results: The following steps for accreditation were defined: application for accreditation, issuance of the concept of assessment of the entity, accreditation decision, and monitoring accreditation., Conclusions: This is the second REAL-PANLAR consensus paper with the purpose to define the parameters for the accreditation process for future CoE in RA in LA.

India's relations with the Latin American countries have been traditionally friendly and interaction with them is close both at bilateral and multilateral level. India's collaboration with Latin American countries has resulted in different kinds of outputs, including joint publications, technology development, technology transfer, improvised products and processes. The joint research output emanating out of research collaboration is an important source of information for mapping India's collaboration with Latin America, and its impact on different fields. This paper attempts to study the research collaboration of India with Latin America, with the following objectives: (i) To study the nature of Indian collaboration with Latin American countries in S&T, as reflected in co-authored research papers, (ii) To identify the specific subject areas of Indian collaboration with Latin America, (iii) To study the impact of Indian collaborative research with Latin America in different fields, and (iv) To identify the major Indian institutions involved in this collaborative research with institutions in Latin America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is the product of doctoral research and aims to introduce the discussion and analysis of Ubuntu and traditional African philosophy as a contribution to thinking about the fragmentation of democracy in Latin America, giving way to the role that African movements and organizations have in assuming a political and ethical struggle to build a relational democracy as a necessary proposal to the crisis of liberal democracy. The methodology consists of a bibliographic review of literature and intellectuals from the social sciences and African thought to highlight a trend that is not only framed in the questioning of the democratic model in force in Latin America, but also provides some clues for the construction of a community society project in the region, based on relational ontology. It concludes that, in the crisis of the Western political model, the struggles of Afro-descendant movements must transcend the logic of strengthening liberal democracy, to propose the ethical path of Ubuntu as a route to deconstruct the political and societal structures in place, promoting a message of humanity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the emergence of the paper as a kind of writing in the area of the Humanities that, in recent times, and with institutional support, has been imposed as the nearly unique and acceptable kind of academic discourse. The aim of this paper is, first, to study the main characteristics of this kind of writing, based on information in the manuals and instructions for paper writing and, secondly, to signal its implications for the intellectual work in general and for the work in Latin America in particular. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the role of the Spanish legal ecology in maintaining social cohesion, bolstering the popular legitimacy of the imperial project, and setting the boundaries of economic development. Drawing the connections between Hapsburg and Bourbon governance through two (inconclusive) legal cases, the first lasting throughout the Spanish War of Succession (1700-1713), and the second occurring during the Seven Years’ War (1756-1763). The ambiguity of missing appeals and references to previous legal actions corresponds to the reality for Africans and their descendants in the Spanish Indies for whom there was rarely a clear endpoint in their dealings with the courts. The first case follows two sisters, Maria Josefa Copete and Lorenza Elena, as they defend their freedom against their half-brother. In the second case Nicolás Quintana, an African slave, fights to avoid being sent to the gold mines and separated from his family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is an executive summary made by a group of experts named Latin American Academy for the study of Lipids (ALALIP). In the current clinical guidelines, atherogenic dyslipidemia (AD) is a poorly recognized entity. Due to the frequent lipid alterations associated with AD in Latin America (LA), we organized a group of experts named (ALALIP) to generate a document in order to analyze their prevalence and to offer practical recommendations. Methodology: using the Delphi methodology, we conducted a comprehensive literature review with emphasis on those publications related to LA. Subsequently, we developed key questions for discussion. As a convention, those recommendations that had a 100% of acceptance were considered unanimous, those with >80% were consensual, and those with <80% were in disagreement. Results: a systematic analysis of national health surveys and regional cohort studies showed a consistently high prevalence of the lipid abnormalities that define AD: low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) range from 34.1% to 53.3% and elevated triglycerides (TG) range from 25.5% to 31.2%. These abnormalities could be related to high consumption of food with a high caloric density, cholesterol and trans fats, a sedentary lifestyle and perhaps epigenetic changes Conclusions lipid abnormalities that define AD have a high prevalence in LA. The interaction between an unfavorable lifestyle, inheritance and epigenetic changes is probably their cause. It is important to design a global study of risk factors in LA to know its true prevalence in the region, its consequences and to derive from its treatment strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Archivos de Cardiología de México is the property of Publicidad Permanyer SLU 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.)

Objective: A consensus meeting of representatives of 16 Latin American and Caribbean countries and the REAL-PANLAR group met in the city of Bogota to provide recommendations for improving quality of care of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Latin America, defining a minimum standards of care and the concept of center of excellence in RA., Methods: Twenty-two rheumatologists from 16 Latin American countries with a special interest in quality of care in RA participated in the consensus meeting. Two RA Colombian patients and 2 health care excellence advisors were also invited to the meeting. A RAND-modified Delphi procedure of 5 steps was applied to define categories of centers of excellence. During a 1-day meeting, working groups were created in order to discuss and validate the minimum quality-of-care standards for the 3 proposed types of centers of excellence in RA. Positive votes from at least 60% of the attending leaders were required for the approval of each standard., Results: Twenty-two opinion leaders from the PANLAR countries and the REAL-PANLAR group participated in the discussion and definition of the standards. One hundred percent of the participants agreed with setting up centers of excellence in RA throughout Latin America. Three types of centers of excellence and its criteria were defined, according to indicators of structure, processes, and outcomes: standard, optimal, and model. The standard level should have basic structure and process indicators, the intermediate or optimal level should accomplish more structure and process indicators, and model level should also fulfill outcome indicators and patient experience., Conclusions: This is the first Latin American effort to standardize and harmonize the treatment provided to RA patients and to establish centers of excellence that would offer to RA patients acceptable clinical results and high levels of safety.

Copyright of Revista Iberoamericana de Ciencia, Tecnologia y Sociedad is the property of Centro de Estudios sobre Ciencia, Desarrollo y Educacion Superior 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 Dados - Revista de Ciências Sociais is the property of DADOS 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.)

We aim to provide a critical appraisal of basic concepts underlying signal recording and processing technologies applied for (i) atrial fibrillation (AF) mapping to unravel AF mechanisms and/or identifying target sites for AF therapy and (ii) AF detection, to optimize usage of technologies, stimulate research aimed at closing knowledge gaps, and developing ideal AF recording and processing technologies. Recording and processing techniques for assessment of electrical activity during AF essential for diagnosis and guiding ablative therapy including body surface electrocardiograms (ECG) and endo- or epicardial electrograms (EGM) are evaluated. Discussion of (i) differences in uni-, bi-, and multi-polar (omnipolar/Laplacian) recording modes, (ii) impact of recording technologies on EGM morphology, (iii) global or local mapping using various types of EGM involving signal processing techniques including isochronal-, voltage- fractionation-, dipole density-, and rotor mapping, enabling derivation of parameters like atrial rate, entropy, conduction velocity/direction, (iv) value of epicardial and optical mapping, (v) AF detection by cardiac implantable electronic devices containing various detection algorithms applicable to stored EGMs, (vi) contribution of machine learning (ML) to further improvement of signals processing technologies. Recording and processing of EGM (or ECG) are the cornerstones of (body surface) mapping of AF. Currently available AF recording and processing technologies are mainly restricted to specific applications or have technological limitations. Improvements in AF mapping by obtaining highest fidelity source signals (e.g. catheter-electrode combinations) for signal processing (e.g. filtering, digitization, and noise elimination) is of utmost importance. Novel acquisition instruments (multi-polar catheters combined with improved physical modelling and ML techniques) will enable enhanced and automated interpretation of EGM recordings in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Towards the end of the colonial period the east coasts of the General Captaincy of Venezuela were the setting of an intense movement of ideas, papers and people, as well as of conspiracies and confrontments (both armed and unarmed). In that context emerged the figure of Francisco Isnardi, who would soon be imprisoned for alleged intentions to conspire. The study of this case of treason, especially of the suspect's library, which was confiscated, allows us to present a set of problems regarding the diffusion of enlightened values in Tierra Firme during that time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth of Learning Analytics (LA) as a research field has been extensively documented since its beginnings. This paper provides a broad overview of the publications that Latin American authors have published in the last years by performing a quantitative review of the literature (from 2011 to 2019). A total of 282 papers were collected and categorized according to a multidimensional model composed of seven dimensions (data collected, stakeholders targeted, goals of the paper, techniques employed, maturity of the tool, research approaches and ethical issues). The paper describes how the field has evolved over the years in Latin America, presenting the main characteristics of the papers from different perspectives (year, type of venue, language) together with the descriptives of the categorized dimensions and the relations between them. At last, papers are presented in number by countries and institutions, and we perform an authorship and coauthorship analysis with information extracted from the selected papers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: A consensus meeting of representatives of 18 Latin-American and Caribbean countries gathered in Reñaca, Chile, for 2 days to identify problems and provide recommendations for the care of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Latin America, a region where poverty and other health priorities make the efforts to provide effective and high quality care difficult. This report includes recommendations for health professionals, patients, and health authorities in Latin America, with an emphasis on education and therapeutic issues., Methods: Fifty-one rheumatologists (list available only online on the JCR website) from 18 Latin-American and Caribbean countries with a special interest in RA participated in the consensus meeting. Participants were experts identified and appointed by the National Societies of Rheumatology affiliated with the Pan-American League of Associations for Rheumatology (PANLAR) and by the Grupo Latino Americano De Estudio de Artritis Reumatoide (GLADAR)-an independent group of Latin American rheumatologist researchers were also invited to the meeting. Eight topics were identified as priorities: patient, community and allied health professional education, health policy and decision making, programs for early detection and appropriate treatment of RA, role of classic disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), role of biologic therapy, and drug safety surveillance. To reach consensus, a survey with questions relevant to the topic of interest was sent to all participants before the meeting. During a 2 day meeting, the answers of the survey were reviewed and discussed by each group, with final recommendations on action items., Results: The specific topic of the survey was answered by 86% of the participants and 68% of them answered the entire survey. It was agreed that RA and rheumatic diseases which are currently not but should be public health priorities in Latin America, because of their prevalence and impact on quality of life., Conclusions: Strategic areas identified as priorities for our region included: early diagnosis and access to care by multidisciplinary teams, creation of databases to identify infections with the use of biologic agents in RA which are relevant to Latin America, and overall efforts to improve the care of RA patients in accordance with international standards. Implementation of educational programs aimed to improve self-management for patients with RA was also considered crucial.

Objective: To characterize frequency and type of use of theories or models on papers of a Latin-American journal in public health between 2000 and 2004., Methods: The Revista de Saúde Pública was chosen because of its history of periodic publication without interruption and current impact on the scientific communication of the area. A standard procedure was applied for reading and classifying articles in an arbitrary typology of four levels, according to the depth of the use of models or theoretical references to describe problems or issues, to formulate methods and to discuss results., Results: Of 482 articles included, 421 (87%) were research studies, 42 (9%) reviews or special contributions and 19 (4%) opinion texts or assays . Of 421 research studies, 286 (68%) had a quantitative focus, 110 (26%) qualitative and 25 (6%) mixed. Reference to theories or models is uncommon, only 90 (19%) articles mentioned a theory or model. According to the depth of the use, 29 (6%) were classified as type I, 9 (2%) as type II, 6 (1.3%) were type III and the 46 remaining texts (9.5%) were type IV., Conclusions: Reference to models was nine-fold more frequent than the use of theoretical references. The ideal use, type IV, occurred in one of every ten articles studied. It is of relevance to show theoretical and models frames used when approaching topics, formulating hypothesis, designing methods and discussing findings in papers.

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, systemic inflammatory disease that involves synovial joints, resulting in severe dysfunction or burden for individual patients, families and society. Latin American Rheumatology Associations have acknowledged its relevance and recognized multiple limitations for its diagnosis and treatment in Latin America and the Caribbean. This document underscores issues regarding the impact and relevance of this disease in these countries., Objectives: To develop a consensus document that may unify and guide the pharmacological management of RA in Latin America and the Caribbean., Methods: An Executive Committee appointed by the Epidemiology, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Radiology Committees of Pan-American League of Association for Rheumatology (PANLAR), held a meeting at Lisbon in May 2003. The goal was to establish a task force for the development of a Latin American consensus on the management of RA. Efforts focused on the problems encountered in the region regarding the availability of appropriate treatment for RA and the development of treatment guidelines for clinical practice. A secondary objective was the diffusion of the consensus conclusions and recommendations in participating countries., Results: Six major issues were identified for discussion by six working groups. All Latin American Rheumatology Associations registered in PANLAR were invited to participate in the consensus. PANLAR members were well-represented in each group. Coordinators identified essential literature to be reviewed, analysed, and electronically discussed before the consensus meeting., Conclusions: The consensus' results and recommendations of this effort to delineate RA management in Latin America are contained in this article, which has been reviewed by participant societies and authors during 2004/2005 and endorsed by PANLAR.

The article presents a reprint of the article "Aptitud de la mujer para ejercer todas las profesiones," by Soledad Acosta de Samper, presented at the Congreso Pedagógico Hispano-Lusitano-Americano in Madrid, Spain in 1892. Acosta discusses women's roles in 19th-century society, particularly in Latin America, and examines the intense academic and social debate surrounding this topic. She also analyzes the schooling women receive in educational systems and compares women's roles in various countries in Latin America and Europe.

This article examines the educational dimension of the General Agreement on Trade in Services of the World Trade Organisation (WTO/GATS), with a special focus on its potential implications for the Latin American region. This ambitious strategy to transform education into a tradable commodity in a global economy cannot be isolated from other international treaties and from the neoliberal policies that have impacted Latin American societies for the last two decades. In this regard, we argue that the WTO/GATS educational agenda has the potential to further the project of privatisation to a higher level, opening the door for international competition. In a continental political economy characterised by large asymmetries in educational export markets and in interactive technologies, such competition will not take place on an even playing field, as the USA is better positioned than most countries in the region to take advantage of a 'free educational market'. If the proposed WTO/GATS goes ahead in such a context, Latin American countries can be adversely affected in terms of their sovereignty on cultural policy, the quality and accessibility of their public education systems, the training of scientists and researchers oriented towards national development, and the contribution of their education systems to the common good and to the equalisation of opportunities in largely unequal societies. We recommend that Latin American governments do not commit themselves to the educational agenda of the WTO/GATS before holding a wide process of public participation, information and reflection in national parliaments and in civil society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the relationship between access to early childhood education and care (ECEC) services and family arrangements in the distribution of work in four Latin American countries. We find that households in which all children aged 0 to 5 receive ECEC services exhibit smaller gender gaps in unpaid work, mainly due to a decrease in the amount of time women devote to care work. Women in these households devote more time to paid work, such that the gender gap in total work does not differ between households based on use of ECEC services. However, use of ECEC services for children aged 0 to 5 is associated with reduced hours of unpaid work among women and an increase in women's hours of paid work. These findings confirm the importance of increasing access to early childhood care and education services to reduce gender gaps in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2015, UNESCO has developed a variety of programmes for preventing violent extremism through education (PVE-E), under the framework of Global Citizenship Education and Target 4.7 of Agenda 2030. There have been formal board decisions to promote PVE-E, regional and international conferences and three key publications: a Teacher's Guide (2016), a Guide for Policy-makers (2017), and a Youth-Led Guide (2017 and 2018). Through a discourse analysis of these key documents and a critical engagement with the institutional politics of UNESCO, the paper delineates the discursive constructs of PVE-E that are mobilised and sheds light on the under-researched politics of production that affect the nature of these texts. Taking a comparative perspective, the paper shows how PVE-E is represented within and between these different texts, exposes the normative values and ideological assumptions underpinning these representations and argues that we are ultimately witnessing a declining legitimacy of UNESCO's normative power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to summarize the main methods and themes used on organizational learning (OL) and learning organization (LO) research in Latin American and the Caribbean. Design/methodology/approach: A literature review was conducted by means of a broad and systematic strategy to locating, selecting and analyzing papers on OL/LO, written in different languages (English, Portuguese and Spanish). Systematic searches were carried out at the two databases (Web of Science's Social Sciences Citation Index and Scopus), and 15 specific Latin American and Caribbean journals were identified as data sources for the review. A thematic analysis was carried out using NVivo and cluster analysis. Findings: In all 79 papers published between 2000 and 2017 were included in the synthesis and results: 18 are theoretical papers and literature reviews and 61 are empirical papers (30 qualitative, 24 quantitative and 7 multiple methods). These empirical papers revealed the study of the OL/LO concepts in organizations located mainly in Brazil, Venezuela, Chile, Colombia, El Salvador, Mexico and Costa Rica. Five topics represent the main themes addressed on OL/LO studies in Latin America and the Caribbean and are avenues for future research in the field: (i) knowledge and KM (i.e. knowledge management), (ii) culture and leadership, (iii) innovation and improvement, (iv) learning (for example, learning process, learning styles), and (v) entrepreneurship and sustainability. Originality/value: This paper provides a summary of the research methods and themes used in the OL/LO field in Latin America and the Caribbean, suggesting insights for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A documentary review was carried out on the production and publication of research papers related to the study of the variable Functions and Practices in Management Accounting in Latin America. The purpose of the bibliometric analysis proposed in this paper is to know the main characteristics of the volume of publications registered in the Scopus database during the period 2016-2021 in Latin American countries, achieving the identification of 106 publications. The information provided by the said platform was organized through tables and figures categorizing the information by Year of Publication, Country of Origin, Area of Knowledge, authors and Type of Publication. Once these characteristics were described, a qualitative analysis was carried out to refer to the position of different authors related to the proposed topic. Among the main findings of this research, it is found that Brazil, with 51 publications, is the Latin American country with the highest production. The Knowledge Area that made the greatest contribution to the construction of bibliographic material referring to the study of Functions and Practices in Management Accounting was Business, with 64 published documents, the author with the greatest number of publications registered in Scopus is Lacerda, D.P. with 4 documents and the Type of Publication that was most used during the above-mentioned period was the Journal Article, which represents 74% of the total scientific production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary health care (PHC) has increased in global relevance as it has been demonstrated to be a useful strategy to promote community access to health services. Multilateral organizations and national governments have reached a consensus regarding the basic principles of PHC, but the application of these varies from country to country due to the particularities of local health systems. This article aims to review and summarize PHC strategies and the configuration of health networks in Latin American and Caribbean countries. The review was carried out using keywords in at least 9 databases. Papers in languages other than English, Portuguese, and Spanish were excluded, while non-refereed articles and regional gray literature were incorporated. As a result, 1,146 papers were identified. After three instances of analysis, 142 articles were selected for this investigation. Data were analyzed according to an analysis by theme. The evidence collected on health reforms in the region reflects the need to intensify care strategies supported by PHC and care networks. These must be resilient to changes in the population's needs and must be able to adapt to contexts of epidemiological accumulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]