Search

Libraries play an increasingly significant role in responding to the needs of the local economy. They have the resources to survey the business community to determine what these needs are. Libraries can also form partnerships with government agencies and nonprofits that can help to foster a thriving economy. Programming and events can be targeted to assist segments of the population that have traditionally been underserved or have only limited access to the resources needed for business creation. Richland Library in Columbia, SC, and the Baltimore County Public Library are cited for the community partnerships they have formed and for their innovative programming in support of small business. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To describe the prevalence, incidence, and sociodemographic characteristics of uveitis in Colombia based on the National Health Registry of Colombia, the Integrated Social Protection Information System database (SISPRO). Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study using SISPRO. Along with the International Classification of Diseases, we were able to identify cases of general uveitis (GU), anterior (AU), and posterior uveitis (PU) from 2015 to 2019. For 2020, we used a statistical model for spatial data to predict the prevalence/incidence of the diseases and compared it to the data retrieved in SISPRO. Results: The average prevalence of GU was 14.66 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, while the average incidence rate of GU during the same period was 13.61 cases per 100,000 inhabitants per year. In 2020, there was a noticeable decrease in the incidence and prevalence of GU. Similar trends were observed when analyzing the incidence and prevalence of AU and PU separately. Females accounted for most reported cases, and there was a notable shift towards older age groups (over 50 years) for uveitis occurrence in males and females. Regions such as Bogotá, Antioquia, Valle del Cauca, and the Andean region had higher numbers of cases and a more significant disease burden. Conclusions: Our study represents Colombia's first population-based characterization of GU, AU, and PU epidemiology. Our results highlight the importance of understanding disease patterns according to sociodemographic factors intrinsic to distinct geographic locations to design better preventive, diagnostic, and treatment approaches in the Colombian population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is an anthropological contribution to the historiography of the rural township of San José de Apartadó and the region of Urabá. The aim is to consider further concepts of statehood in Colombian conflict regions. Based on anthropological fieldwork and a critical rereading of historical literature, I reconstruct local and regional history from the perspective of the Urabá region and explore state action in the region's many conflicts. Taking a 'state formation' approach, I show that state institutions in the region developed reciprocally with a clientelist network. I suggest calling the regional state a 'clientelised state', as this past participle adjective captures the processual dimension to the characteristics of state formation in Urabá. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What explains politicians' involvement in foreign elections? Understanding this behavior is important not only because it has received little scholarly attention but also because it could undermine public faith in electoral integrity in target countries. In this study, I consider an electorally based explanation, which suggests that politicians' electoral incentives to appeal to expatriate voters in a foreign country can explain their rhetorical involvement in that country's elections. I test this argument in the context of the 2020 US presidential election, where more than 50 Colombian MPs extensively promoted or attacked Joe Biden and Donald Trump on social media. My analysis indicates that whether Colombian MPs competed for Colombian Americans' votes and their popularity in the US are the systematic correlates of how much they got involved in the 2020 US election. The findings highlight how diaspora enfranchisement is important to understand elite online communication that cuts across national borders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: For mental disorders Mutual Aid Groups (MAG) have been proposed, however, these have lack of methodologies that approach the needs of young people. The aim of the present study was to determine the impact of MAG in rural and semi-urban environments, developed through poetry, on the improvement of mental health. Methods: A quasi-experimental study was carried out in Caldas, Colombia. 171 adolescents participated, divided into 10 MAG. Child Behavior Checklist 4–18 (CBCL/4–18) was used and the nuclear components of the MAG were applied, adding elements of introduction to poetry, creation and group rituals. Results: Statistically significant associations (P <.001) were found between the number of sessions and the reduction of symptoms, as well as a decrease in Internalizing Problems and Social problems, after participating in the groups. Conclusion: Poetry applied to the core components of the MAG can improve psychiatric symptoms in adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The professional development for teachers is an important component of the quality of education. However, few systems for monitoring and analysing the quality and impact of teacher professional development programmes have been created. In this article, we present the effects on classroom practices of a Colombian professional development programme for in-service secondary mathematics teachers. We compare the teachers' classroom practices of planning, implementation, and assessment, before and after participating in the programme. We found that the professional development programme shows a statistically significant and positive effect on planning, implementing and assessment practices. These results serve as evidence of teacher training policy in terms of changes in classroom practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe a 19-year-old indigenous male with no relevant medical history who presented with chronic symptoms of headache, fever, weight loss, blurred vision, and conjunctival mass who was diagnosed with disseminated tuberculosis (TB). Extensive ocular involvement, including multifocal choroiditis and nodular episcleritis, in addition to brain, spinal cord, lung, and gastrointestinal tract involvement were identified. Ocular tuberculosis (OTB) is a rare presentation of extrapulmonary manifestations, with choroiditis being the most common. Nodular episcleritis has been rarely reported in some cases in the literature. This case highlights the importance of suspecting tuberculosis in immunocompetent patients, from endemic countries, with a history of contact with a confirmed case of TB, with associated pulmonary involvement or prolonged episcleritis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microfranchises (MFs), as an innovative organizational model, aim to enhance the productive capacity of the base of the pyramid (BoP) population in diverse contexts. We provide original insights into the underexplored role of MFs in the socioeconomic inclusion of victims of the conflict and former combatants in conflict settings while advancing theory-building in overlooked areas. To bridge these gaps, we use grounded theory in exploratory analysis of the total population sampling of 17 Colombian social enterprises/seven MFs financed by the United Nations Development Program and Inter-American Development Bank. Our results suggest that MFs were the most adopted organizational model in post-conflict Colombia, promoting the inclusion of victims and ex-combatants who collaboratively create contextualized solutions and prioritize community well-being, which has led to the development of a new iteration of the BoP model – BoP 4.0 - closely aligned with MFs, an innovative sustainable business typology developed. Its focus on Colombian social enterprises in post-conflict settings delimited this research. Thus, generalizing these findings beyond this context should be approached with caution. This study marks a significant contribution by revealing the pivotal role of MFs in promoting socioeconomic inclusion for victims in conflict-affected regions. Furthermore, it introduces the innovative concept of BoP 4.0, representing an evolution in sustainable business typology within the BoP framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using longitudinal data of college graduates in Colombia, we estimate labor market returns to postsecondary degrees and to various skills—including literacy, numeracy, foreign language, and field-specific skills. Graduates of academic programs and schools of higher reputation obtain higher earnings relative to vocational public programs. A one standard deviation increase in each skill predicts average earnings increases of 1–3%. Returns vary along the earnings distribution, with tenure, with the degree of job specialization, and by gender. Our results imply that degrees and skills capture different human capital components that are rewarded differently in the labor market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the progress and impact of the King’s College London Centre for Military Ethics since its collaboration with the Colombian military forces’ educational institutions. More specifically, the article focusses on expanding the military ethics course across different educational facilities of the Colombian Army and the Colombian Navy and Air Force. The impact of the education delivered using an online course designed to be completed without a tutor is analysed and presented. The final part of the article describes a way forward as far as the Colombian project is concerned, as well as the refinement of the course materials and launch of new tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractObjective: This study aimed to assess the prognostic value of the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale-Revised (ALSFRS-R) in predicting mortality and characterizing disease progression patterns in ALS patients in Colombia. Methods: We conducted a retrospective longitudinal analysis of 537 ALS patients from the Roosevelt Institute Rehabilitation Service between October 2008 and October 2022. The study excluded nine patients due to incomplete data, resulting in 528 individuals in the analysis. ALS diagnoses were confirmed using the revised El Escorial and Gold Coast criteria. Disease progression was assessed using the ALSFRS-R, and mortality data were sourced from follow-up calls and a national database. Statistical analysis included Cox proportional hazards models to identify mortality predictors and Growth Mixture Modeling (GMM) to explore ALS progression trajectories. Results: The majority of the cohort (63.8%) deceased within the 84-month follow-up period. Survival analysis revealed that each point increase in the ALSFRS-R rate was associated with a 2.22-fold (95% CI =1.99–2.48, p < 0.001) increased risk of mortality. In the population with data from two clinical visits, the ALSFRS-R rate based on initial assessments predicted mortality more effectively over 36 months than the rate based on two evaluations. GMM identified three distinct progression trajectories: slow, intermediate, and rapid decliners. Conclusions: The ALSFRS-R rate, derived from self-reported symptom onset, significantly predicts mortality, underscoring its value in clinical assessments. This study highlights the heterogeneity in disease progression among Colombian ALS patients, indicating the necessity for personalized treatment approaches based on individual progression trajectories. Further studies are needed to refine these predictive models and improve patient management and outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis article uses a Social Reproduction Theory (SRT) lens to illuminate the lived experiences of women in rice farming in rural Tolima, Colombia, by examining the gender division of labor, the devaluation of women’s work, and geographies of exclusion among farmers and farmworkers. Through the analysis of ethnographic findings, this paper argues that perceptions of women as either berracas [tough, badass, stubborn, and hardworking] or out of place legitimize the devaluation of women’s contributions to the political economy of rice. These gender dynamics create geographies of exclusion, shaping rural livelihoods and exacerbating disparities in resource access. This paper advances SRT’s understandings of agricultural wage labor, class differentiation, and how women navigate, resist, and shape their roles in agrarian communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital literacy affects how people use the internet. However, we argue that the concept of "digital literacy" cannot usefully be applied to all internet users; there is simply too much heterogeneity across devices, platforms, and social contexts. We conduct surveys in Mexico and Colombia to understand how these people use the internet. We find that WhatsApp is by far the dominant platform across all sectors of society. In contrast to evidence from the US, we find that education is a better predictor of two measures of digital literacy than is age. We then conduct a survey experiment to test how people understand news shared on WhatsApp. We find that the inclusion of a link to source material increases respondents' trust in a message shared on WhatsApp, but that the platform-supplied note that a message has been shared many times has no such effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores how Black women entrepreneurs in Cali, Colombia confront racism and sexism, as they engage in the expanding neoliberal beauty market. We argue that anti-racist entrepreneurial experiences in Cali are shaped by four interconnected processes: First, changes in gender and development policies, aligned with inclusive neoliberal development projects. Second, the limitations of state neoliberal multicultural policies, which has made activists aware of the need to address racism and sexism. Third, activist's appropriation of the intersectional turn, allowing them to recognize articulations between racism, classism and sexism. Fourth, the adoption of anti-neoliberal discourses supporting distributive and solidarity practices. Our analysis suggests that while entrepreneurial anti-racist actions do not generate radical or permanent changes in the beauty industry, they do have material and symbolic effects in Black women's experiences of racial justice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Behavioral decision making tasks are common in research settings, with only the Iowa Gambling Task available for clinical assessments. However, correlations among these tasks are low, indicating each may assess a distinct component of decision making. In addition, it is unclear whether these tasks are sensitive to invalid performance or even simulated impairment. The present study examined relationships among decision making tasks and whether simulated impairment moderates the relationships among them. Across two studies (Study 1: n = 166, Study 2: n = 130), undergraduate student participants were asked to try their best or to simulate a specific diagnosis (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder; Study 1), decision making impairment (Study 2), or general cognitive impairment (Study 2). They then completed a battery of tests including embedded and standalone performance validity tests (PVTs) and three behavioral decision making tasks. Across studies, participants simulating impairment were not distinguishable from controls on any of the behavioral tasks. Few significant correlations emerged among tasks across studies and the pattern of relationships between tasks did not differ on the basis of simulator or PVT failure status. Collectively, our findings suggest that these tasks may not be vulnerable to simulated cognitive impairment, and that the tasks measure largely non-overlapping aspects of decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractHousing cooperatives are being reconsidered in many countries worldwide as potentially relevant actors in the provision of affordable housing. This is also the case in Latin America, characterised by neo-liberal housing policies that have led to an increasing financialization of housing and marginalisation of the poor. Uruguay is an exception, with housing cooperatives playing a key role in the provision of affordable housing. For over two decades its Federation of Mutual Aid Housing Cooperatives (FUCVAM) has been advocating and actively supporting the establishment of cooperative housing in the region. In this paper, we examine the opportunities and challenges of housing cooperatives to penetrate in Colombia and El Salvador’s housing systems, two countries historically characterised by neo-liberal housing regimes. Based on empirical research in Uruguay, Colombia, and El Salvador, we will analyse the socioeconomic, political, and institutional factors that enable or constrain the emergence of housing cooperatives and their sustainability over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interest in plant pathogens for classical biological control (CBC) of invasive introduced plants has increased steadily since the 1970s. The introduced plant Passiflora foetida sensu lato invades large tracts of land across northern Australia and CBC represents a possible solution to reduce its abundance and spread. Field surveys for foliar fungal pathogens of P. foetida s.l. were performed between 2017 and 2020 in Colombia. Molecular sequencing was used to confirm the identity of plants surveyed at each site and to explore genetic variation between sites. Leaf spots of various sizes and sometime associated with chlorosis as well as necrosis of leaf edges were the main disease symptoms observed. These symptoms were not severe and did not appear to affect plant growth. No disease symptoms caused by obligate biotrophic fungi nor girdling lesions on stems were observed. Of the 125 fungal isolates recovered from the collected diseased material, only 21 were considered as pathogenic on P. foetida s.l. in detached-leaf assays. Morphological examinations and sequencing of the 21 pathogenic isolates revealed that they belong to 11 genera. Based on the low severity of disease symptoms observed in the field, we conclude that these isolates do not warrant further investigations as potential CBC agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We know that civil wars have negative and long-term consequences for public trust in state institutions. However, few studies have examined the post-peace challenges of rebuilding trust in state institutions. In this study, we utilise the case of Colombia to explore the impact of civil wars on the institutional trust of the police. We find that perspectives on abuse, punishment, and corruption are significant predictors of trust in the Colombian police. Further, we find that when we test all three phenomena together, perceptions of police abuse and experience with bribery are the key drivers of trust of police in Colombia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Colombia, some educational settings, particularly territories with high levels of educational inequality, uphold conventional teaching strategies where emotional education and critical thinking receive little attention. This study is rooted in our intention to contribute to peace education in early childhood educational environments by fostering critical thinking and empathy, a predictor of prosocial behavior in children. The aim of this study is, first, that young children develop empathy by recognizing situations of oppression and injustice in children's literature using critical literacy practices; and second, to contribute to young children's development of critical thinking. Utilizing Critical Discourse Analysis, we suggest that critical literacy practices enhance empathy and critical thinking in young children through three strategies: reading selected children's literature aloud, responding through multimodal texts, and having an open dialogue about critical issues that affect children in local communities. This article contributes to the literature about literacy, empathy development, and peace education with young children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To describe the epidemiology, incidence, mortality and survival of ocular cancer in Cali between 1962 and 2019. Ecological population-based study analyzing data of incidence, mortality, and 5-years survival of malignant ocular tumors from the Populational Cancer Registry of Cali between 1962 and 2019. Between 1962 and 2019, 586 ocular tumors were found, 50.5% occurred in females, the mean age at diagnosis was 45 years (standard deviation = 25), 70.3% of ocular malignancies occurred in >14 years. The average annual incidence rate was 7.8 per million for male and 6.9 per million for females. Retinoblastoma (21%), squamous cell carcinoma (20%), melanoma (16%) and lymphoma (8%) were the most common neoplasm. In those <15 years, the most frequent malignant tumors were retinoblastomas (85.7%), followed by non-specified malignant neoplasm (NOS, 7.9%), and rhabdomyosarcoma (3.6%). In those >14 years, there were NOS (30%), followed by squamous cell carcinomas (28%), melanomas (23%), and lymphomas (9.7%). Conjunctiva (38.2%), retina (21%) and orbit (10%) constituted the majority of anatomical sites of ocular tumors. The survival rate was about 83.2% and mortality did not show a decreasing trend over time (p >.05). The incidence of ocular cancer in Cali has a slightly increasing trend, with stable behavior in the last decades. Squamous cell carcinoma, retinoblastoma, melanoma and lymphoma are the most frequent ocular cancers, with being retinoblastoma more frequent than melanoma. In general, ocular cancer had good survival rates in Cali. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bullying is a frequent, yet sometimes dismissed dynamic in school-aged youth, despite all the literature around its prevalence and detrimental effects. Around the world, prevalence estimates have demonstrated wide variability. In Colombia, between 22% and 49.9% of adolescents have experienced bullying. Much research on school bullying has focused on perpetrators and those victimized; less is known about those who witness it. The main objective of this cross-sectional study of 1224 Colombian public high school students was to determine if there is an association between the different types of involvement (victims, aggressors, witnesses) in bullying and the presence of symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We measured individual sociodemographic factors, types of involvement in bullying, the presence of PTSD symptoms, and levels of family dysfunction. We found that verbal abuse was the most frequent behavior reported. Also, a high proportion of PTSD symptoms among victims, witnesses, and aggressors were identified. In the logistic regression analysis, presence of PTSD symptoms was associated with subjects identified as social victims (OR = 2.067; CI = 1.381– 3.095), verbal victims (OR = 2.779; CI = 1.599–4.828), victims by coercion (OR = 4.038; CI = 1.710–9.532), social aggressors (OR = 1.974; CI = 1.355–2.919), and in those with severe family dysfunction (OR = 3.372; CI = 1.744–6.520). Additional research is needed in the Colombian population to identify and explore appropriate options for prevention and intervention in those most vulnerable to bullying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates how some small-scale palm oil growers in northeast Colombia have managed to exercise partial autonomy from global markets while still participating in them. By comparing the varied experiences of these farmers, I find that, state-led land access and multiscale organizational support for small-scale farming have enabled these farmers to selectively engage with global markets and carve-out space for autonomous decision-making on their farms. By examining the risks and possibilities associated with farmers' engagement in global value chains, this study illuminates the potential for agricultural transitions and small-scale farming within the context of global agricultural markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the real-life safety, morphological, and visual outcomes of the dexamethasone intravitreal implant (Ozurdex) in patients with macular edema (ME) within a low-middle-income country (LMIC) setting. Methods: Patients with ME who received Ozurdex injections between 2012 and 2018 were included. Central retinal thickness (CRT), best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), lens status, and intraocular pressure (IOP) at baseline and last follow-up were compared. Univariate and multivariate analyses identified factors associated with visual improvement. Results: 154 patients were enrolled. Diabetic ME was the most common etiology (32.4%), followed by central retinal vein occlusion (18.8%), branch retinal vein occlusion (14.2%), and uveitis (9.99%). CRT was significantly reduced in all patients except those with uveitis but did not correlate with BCVA improvement. Lower baseline visual acuity (OR=1.67), younger age (OR=1.87), and ME secondary to branch retinal vein occlusion (OR=1.34) were associated with BCVA improvement (p < 0.05). During follow-up, 11 patients (7.14%) developed cataracts, and 22 (14.2%) showed increased IOP; these complications resolved without affecting final BCVA improvement. Conclusion: In an LMIC setting, Ozurdex effectively reduces CRT in diabetic and retinal vein occlusion-related ME but not in uveitis. BCVA improvement depends on factors beyond CRT reduction. Cataracts and elevated IOP are manageable complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Latin American & Caribbean Studies (Routledge) 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.)

This study aims to understand urban animal welfare policy development and implementation for four species in public spaces: cats (Felis catus), dogs (Canis familiaris), pigeons (Columbia livia domestica), and foxes (Vulpes vulpes). Our exploratory research offers an overview of the perspectives of all involved municipal and police officers and their challenges in a metropolitan urban context, the Brussels Capital Region in Belgium. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 35 participants from 19 municipalities and six police zones of the region. Additionally, we organized two focus groups consisting of representatives from municipalities, police zones, and nongovernmental organizations. Afterward, we analyzed the data thematically, leading to the identification of six policy and six practice recommendations. These recommendations can help advance the notion of urban animal welfare for the four species from a multispecies perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colombian society has been exposed to decades of sociopolitical violence with apparent effects on its social infrastructure that may inadvertently lead to more structural, cultural, and interpersonal forms of violence. Peacebuilding efforts are required, and education for peace plays a key role. This requires building conflict sensitivity within the school system and improving teachers’ competence-based knowledge in several domains. To achieve this aim, we developed and tested the ‘Eco-GesTE Virtual Learning Environment.’ Nine teachers (male and female) from a public school in Ibagué (an intermediate city in Colombia) completed 10 Interactive Virtual Learning Scenarios (IVLS) to improve emotional, social reasoning, integrative, and conflict transformation competencies over three months. They completed two conflict management style measures, before and after the intervention, besides a qualitative survey after the intervention. Non-parametric, paired samples Wilcoxon tests suggest marginally significant individual changes whereby teachers reported using fewer conflict-avoidant styles after completing the intervention. Qualitatively, participants also reported learning emotion regulation and listening skills, as well as feeling better equipped to handle situations with domain congruency. They also reported using more perspective-taking during conflicts. Findings suggest potential for competence-based knowledge online interventions to strengthen conflict transformation competencies among teachers and contribute to violence-free educational environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research delves into the effectiveness of Colombia's trade liberalisation process in boosting its exports at the industrial level. Based on an empirical workhorse approach to international trade, the gravity model, we evaluate the effect of trade openness on Colombian exports at the industrial level following the SITC4 categorisation. For this purpose, panel data on Colombian exports to all its trading partners between 2007 and 2020 were used. The results establish that Colombia's trade openness has boosted the exports of most of its industries, except for exports of the mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials group, which is a group of goods that represents the country's largest exports. Furthermore, the research also confirms the prominent impact of labour productivity in boosting Colombian exports of most product groups. Consequently, Colombian policymakers should support a re-composition of the Colombian export basket in order to take proper advantage of trade integration formulas, within a global energy transition framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community parents as caregivers of preschoolers are a crucial factor in promoting general and oral health habits. The objective of this study was to determine the oral health knowledge of community parents working as caregivers in family welfare homes and explore their relationship with the oral health of preschoolers under their care. A non-experimental (cross-sectional) study was conducted, which analyzed the 2009–2012 Valle del Cauca's oral health database. This database contains a survey of 250 community mothers from 40 municipalities who cared for 7221 preschoolers. A total of 982 clinical records of preschoolers were analyzed. The average age of the mothers was 41.4 years (± 10); 18% had university training. The average age of preschoolers who had been clinically evaluated was 3.5 (± 0.6); 52% were affiliated to the contributory and special Colombian social security regime, and 36.6% were poor populations affiliated to the subsidized regime. Assessment of the oral-health-related knowledge of caregivers revealed that 22.8% had good oral health knowledge. 18.4% reported consumption patterns related to a high-risk cariogenic diet. The prevalence of decay in preschoolers was 45.6%. This study found that children had better oral health conditions in community homes where caregivers presented better oral health knowledge. This reinforces the hypothesis that the greater the knowledge from caregivers on the topic, the lower the prevalence of pathologies such as caries and gingivitis in preschoolers under their care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tailoring asthma interventions based on biomarkers could substantially impact the high cost associated with asthma morbidity. For policymakers, the main concern is the economic impact of adopting this technology, especially in developing countries. This study evaluates the budget impact of asthma management using sputum eosinophil counts in Colombia patients between 4 and 18 years of age. A budget impact analysis was performed to evaluate the potential financial impact of sputum eosinophil counts (EO). The study considered a 5-year time horizon and the Colombian National Health System perspective. The incremental budget impact was calculated by subtracting the cost of the new treatment, in which EO is reimbursed, from the cost of the conventional therapy without EO (management based on clinical symptoms (with or without spirometry/peak flow) or asthma guidelines (or both), for asthma-related). Univariate one-way sensitivity analyses were performed. In the base-case analysis, the 5-year costs associated with EO and no-EO were estimated to be US$ 532.865.915 and US$ 540.765.560, respectively, indicating savings for Colombian National Health equal to US$ 7.899.645, if EO is adopted for the routine management of patients with persistent asthma. This result was robust in univariate sensitivity one-way analysis. EO was cost-saving in guiding the treatment of patients between 4 and 18 years of age with persistent asthma. Decision-makers in our country can use this evidence to improve clinical practice guidelines, and it should be replicated to validate their results in other middle-income countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comprehensive study was conducted to analyse the impact of different drivers on streamflow downstream of the Magdalena River (MR), Colombia, between 1971 and 2020. The study considered El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events as a climate-forcing driver and evaporation from the reservoir network as a human-induced driver. Streamflow data was linked to previously categorized ENSO events, then standardized and classified based on date and year to evaluate inter- and intra-annual changes in streamflow. Daily evaporation losses were calculated using meteorological records and the aerodynamic method. The study also grouped 10-year periods of evaporation and streamflow to assess their ranges, rates, and water volumes. The results showed a decrease in means, volume, and maximum streamflow, while evaporation and minimum streamflow increased, especially during positive ENSOs. These changes in streamflow could have a significant impact on river-dominated dependent ecosystems, such as the MR downstream wetland complex, putting these ecosystems at risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Professional credentialing schemes based on experience and examination are used to clarify the scope and required competencies associated with the practice of a profession. National occupational hygiene (OH) credentials developed in 17 nations have been recognized by the International Occupational Hygiene Association (IOHA) to meet or exceed the requirements of a model certification program. To date, there is no credentialing or certification scheme for occupational hygienists in Spanish-speaking regions. To fill this void, a new credentialing body has been created named the Iberoamerican Board of Occupational Hygiene (JIHO). As a first step to the development of a certification exam for a profession, it is necessary to determine the interest in an occupational hygiene certification exam in Spanish and to clarify the most common work practices for those practicing the profession. To determine the proper exam weightings for occupational hygiene competencies needed to practice in Spanish-speaking regions JIHO conducted a comprehensive survey of professional practice of occupational hygiene in nations where Spanish is spoken as the primary language. Surveys were sent to 456 practicing occupational hygienists in nine different countries on a variety of topics. Results indicated that 79% of respondents felt the need for an OH certification exam in Spanish was very or extremely important. The most frequent and important technical competencies utilized in practice were (1) awareness about the health effects of hazardous agents to make decisions about workplace activities and exposures, (2) application of the hierarchy of controls, control banding, hazard communication, training of employees and other methods to reduce worker exposure and workplace risks, and (3) application of principles to recognize and control biohazards in the workplace. The study results have been used to guide the weighting and importance of various technical topics and rubrics on the JIHO exam. Data from this study can be used in the development of certification examinations, to improve international coherence in the profession, and the development of educational programs in OH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aims to identify the relationship between perceived risks and the adoption of virtual reality technology in the tourism sector for two study groups: tourists and tourism agencies. In this way, we investigate the main differences between clients and tourism agencies in adopting this type of technology in two countries (Spain and Colombia). The financial, social, time, psychological, and performance risks that influence the consumption and the sale of this type of service have been included among the perceived risks. To achieve this objective, a multi-group model is used that considers the theoretical model of the present investigation. A total of 83 tourism agencies and 150 consumers of tourist services between Spain and Colombia were consulted. For the collection of information, an external consulting firm was hired and used a questionnaire to collect data. The methodological contribution is related to the study of variables typical of consumer preferences and variables that affect the decision-making of technological adoption of tourist agencies. The results show that tourists perceive new technologies with a high social risk, while tourism agencies are more concerned with psychological, financial, time, and performance risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Verify the measurement equivalence by nationality (Colombia and Ecuador), internal consistency, and discrimination and difficulty from the Item Response Theory of the Satisfaction with Life Scale. Instrumental study based on Classical Test Theory (CTT) and Item Response Theory (IRT). 464 university students, 217 of Colombian (54.4% women, mean age = 20.9 years, SD = 3.4), and 250 Ecuadorian (60% women, mean age = 21 years, SD = 2.0). The SWLS presented a single-factor model for both the Colombian and Ecuadorian samples. In addition, the instrument presented measurement equivalence between countries at the metric level and has adequate internal consistency according to the CTT criteria. Finally, regarding the IRT criteria, the items present adequate discrimination and difficulty. The SWLS presents evidence of cross-cultural invariance in addition to having new properties based on the IRT that have not been fully investigated before. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines a rare event: confessions to "intimate" acts of sexual violence by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Using a dramaturgical approach, it explores the transformation of "confessional acts" from silence and denial to excuses to eventual remorse and condemnation. It explains the shifts in the FARC's narratives (scripts) in terms of who performed them (actors), when and where (stage and timing), audiences' reactions, and the role of directors (FARC leaders). The article uses the unique FARC case to consider how confessional acts can break global patterns of denial and silence around sexual violence in armed conflicts. As sexual violence lacks heroic or military justification and has the potential to harm armed groups' image, it is logical that leaders would attempt to manage what is said. Audiences comprised of the FARC's opponents, former combatants, victim-survivors, and enemies influenced scripts. On alternative stages, new narratives acknowledged sexual violence and acceptance of responsibility for it. Over time, leaders lost directorial control over the original denial performance. Understanding this dramatic and contentious process, the article contends, holds the potential for helping to build a strong norm – shared by all sides of Colombia's polarized post-war society – to condemn sexual violation whenever it occurs and whoever is involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From The Armies (2007/2008) to Toño the Infallible (2017/2022), work by the Colombian writer Evelio Rosero that has been translated into English has brought something that exceeds the popular (to the point of clichéd) story of Colombian violence. Specifically, Rosero's writing reveals our narrative or readerly complicity in violence: not only that for which Colombia became notorious during the twentieth and into the twenty-first centuries, but in a generalized violence against the Other. The narrator of The Armies, a retired schoolteacher called Ismael Pasos, affectionately known as profesor, and Toño the Infallible, a writer called Heriberto Salgado, who goes by Eri, are both so libidinally invested in the perpetrators of violence that the line between bearing witness to the suffering of the victims and bearing responsibility for it begins to blur. Despite themselves and their protestations to the contrary, they pursue violence, particularly against women and other vulnerable groups, and facilitate its spectacle in both excruciating and poetic detail. This article argues that in the context of world literature, Rosero's narrators are redoubled by an audience in the Global North whose voracious appetite for exceptional Colombian violence blurs the line between curiosity, consumption, and complicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes alternative development coalitions, their contradictions and complexities, and how they promoted a steeply unequal agrarian change through illicit crop substitution. We zoom into two paramilitary-controlled territories in Colombia. We show that those programs counted with significant support from, and were actually driven by, long coalitions that included regional and national politicians, sectors of the rural rich, paramilitary leaders, Colombian government and United States agencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The illicit coca economy has become a bulwark for smallholder farming in Colombia. This article helps explain why. Analysis of the social relations surrounding coca production in one of the country's most important coca-producing municipalities shows that capitalist market imperatives are weak within this economy. Pressures to increase productivity are muted by fluid access to land, non-interest-bearing debts, and the lack of price competition between producers. Coca-growers are 'improving' production, but they mostly respond to opportunities rather than imperatives. In the context of multiple agrarian crises, the coca economy allows even less well-off producers to survive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stand-alone price analysis of illicit opium and coca does not explain why smallholders turn to illicit crops for coping and survival. Under conditions of precarity, illicit crop markets can stimulate productivity. They generate returns that can tame crises and relieve pressures. To smallholders facing marginalisation, violence, and climate change – growing opium and coca, despite their illegality, can reduce or spread risks and provide more predictability. Thus, rather than fix on the 'invisible hand' of price theory, the focus should be on the 'visible hand' of political entrepreneurship, interdependent relationships, and the metrics of precarity. To do this, this paper retrospectively compares illicit crop prices before and after certain historical moments in Bolivia, Myanmar, Colombia, and Afghanistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the process by which an organisation creates a historical narrative about itself as a strategy to legitimise the role it plays in a particular society. By using the concept of 'public good' as our analytical lens, we show that when the organisation creates a narrative that coincides with that of the nation-state, this poses enormous challenges to the organisation's efforts to control how and by whom this narrative is used. This is because anyone belonging to the nation-state can legitimately make use of that narrative. Therefore, the boundary conditions that permit other actors to use these historical narratives are delimited by those able to define who belongs to the nation-state and who does not. We illustrate our argument with the rhetorical strategies developed by Colombia's Coffee Growers Federation (FNCC) between 1927 and 2013. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines children's perspectives on rural territories in two Colombian areas affected by armed conflict, exploring intersections of knowledge production, territory, and memory. Using Decolonial Perspectives and Escobar's territory concept, an educational collaborative ethnography was conducted. Territory is conceptualised as a biophysical and epistemic space shaped by community worldview. This paper reflects on how collaboration with children contributes to decolonising representations of conflict-affected rural territories, allowing the recognition of its values and the reconstruction of negative dominant representations. Data collection involved five months of participant observation, engaging children, teachers, parents, grandparents, community leaders, and researchers. Activities included walks, reading circles, workshops, map-making, and family garden visits to construct narratives about the past and present. Analysis revealed situated knowledge production, with territory acquiring semantic and experiential meaning. Peasant children's perspectives challenge homogenising discourses about childhood, war, peace, and rurality, emphasising agency and exploring multiple forms of knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the curricular trends of Social Work education in Colombia focusing on the legacy of the historical periods of the profession in Latin America: Traditional, Developmentalist, Reconceptualization and Post reconceptualization have on the conception of the curricula. Using the documentary review methodology, the social work curricula of eight Colombian public and private universities are analyzed. The authors discuss around three conclusions: 1. The professional identity in social work is mediated by the tension between historical moments and their diverse ethical and political positions. 2. It is relevant to recognize the legacy of the history of the profession of social work in Latin America in terms of reading the political and temporal context in each period. 3. There is evidence of a tendency to include themes that respond to the situated reading of the national context of the armed conflict, peace processes and migrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the intrahousehold allocation of housework and paid work in five Latin American countries. Prior work has consistently shown that income plays a major role in the region’s large gender gaps in the distribution of unpaid work at the aggregate level. However, the extent to which earnings shape intrahousehold decisions regarding the allocation of unpaid work remains unexplored. Using harmonized time-use surveys for Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and Uruguay, we analyze the relationship between earnings and housework drawing on the framework of the dependency, gender deviance neutralization, and autonomy. We find that in Latin America, increases in women’s absolute earnings are related to decreases in the hours women devote to housework. At the same time, the allocation of men’s time into housework does not seem to be related to their own or their partners’ earnings. Against our expectations, differences in contextual gender inequality across countries does not seem to be relevant. These findings help us assess how well existing theories, formulated to account for phenomena of the developed world, apply to more unequal contexts that have higher levels of gender inequality and where a high proportion of women are excluded from paid work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholars often explain political violence by highlighting factors such as state weakness. This article shifts the analysis to a focus on state character. More specifically, the article analyses how the growth of revolutionary violence in 1960s Colombia was shaped by the earlier period of the National Front (1958–1964). This earlier period is crucial to understanding the outbreak of revolutionary violence because it gave rise to a project of state reorganization which refashioned the relationship between dominant and subaltern groups. The reorganization of alliances under the National Front helped to significantly reduce inter-party violence, but because of the way in which the form of state was reorganized, the National Front produced new conditions of conflict, which culminated in the growth of revolutionary violence. In making this case it is argued that the birth of the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC), reflected through the military offensive against Marquetalia in 1964, can only be effectively captured by appreciating how dominant forces implemented a state reorganization project, which produced new dynamics of conflict and ultimately failed to incorporate key subaltern groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Guatemalan potato moth (Tecia solanivora) is one of the most destructive pests affecting potatoes in Colombia. Our objective was to evaluate the susceptibility of T. solanivora to a combination of entomopathogenic nematodes and entomopathogenic fungi, to study the interactions of these two agents under laboratory conditions. We evaluated the mortality of fourth instar larvae against 200 Infective Juveniles (IJs) per larva of ten strains of entomopathogenic nematodes, and 104–108 conidia per larva of Beauveria bassiana sensu lato Bb9205 and Metarhizium anisopliae sensu lato Ma9236. We found that Steinernema feltiae SC125 caused a mortality rate of 98.2% with an LC50 of 33 IJs/larva. M. anisopliae sensu lato Ma9236 achieved a mortality rate of 88.8% with an LC50 of 6.9 × 105 conidia/larva. We selected these strains for the interaction tests. We determined that the interaction test results were statistically additive regardless of any difference in application times of the entomopathogens and despite the observation of signs of infection in the hosts from both the nematode and the fungus. Despite not having found synergistic interactions between the evaluated control agents, these laboratory tests suggest a possible strategy of combining entomopathogenic nematode and fungi for biological management of the guatemalan moth T. solanivora in potato crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Former top-ranking commanders of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) have admitted to the group's use of kidnapping during a hearing before the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP). The hearing is determining whether the leaders should face restorative justice measures instead of imprisonment. Former FARC members, including commanders and combatants, are collaborating with families and forensic anthropologists to search for the estimated 210,000 people who disappeared between 1985 and 2016. This collaboration goes beyond finding the disappeared and can be seen as a form of reconciliation. The article highlights the efforts of Ángela and Steffy, who are searching for their disappeared family members who were former guerrilleros. Ángela formed a search committee and invited former combatants to participate, but their efforts have been hindered by FARC dissidents. Steffy worked with Reencuentros to search for her father's remains and navigate the state's records. The search process aims to not only find the remains but also honor and understand the lives of the disappeared individuals. [Extracted from the article]

The article provides an overview of the 1985 siege of the Palace of Justice in Bogotá, Colombia, where M-19 guerrilla commandos attacked the building, leading to a military counter-siege and the destruction of the palace. The siege resulted in the deaths of numerous individuals, including judges, M-19 members, and cafeteria workers who were disappeared. Efforts have been made to uncover the truth about the disappeared victims, and a recent project by Forensic Architecture and the Colombian Truth Commission has shed light on the gaps in knowledge surrounding the events. The investigation focuses on the relationship between objects and spaces, particularly the Museum of Independence Casa del Florero, which was used as a center for military operations during the siege. The article also highlights the lack of coordination and fragmentation among the different components involved in the operation, as well as the media's portrayal of the events and the ongoing legacy of disappearance and impunity. The museum's portrayal of its role in the events has faced criticism from the victims' relatives. [Extracted from the article]

This paper examines the Eurocentric Globalization of Football (EGF), that is, the concentration of capital, broadcasts, players and coaches from around the world in the most powerful football leagues in Europe. It presents a historical analysis based on statistics and an ethnographic approach to three groups of fans of European clubs in Mexico, Brazil and Colombia. It is concluded that EGF is defined by an unequal international division of labour that mainly benefits the European clubs and contribute to the reproduction of a kind of (neo)colonial world system. In Latin America, transnational fans are often seen as mere imitators of the so-called 'first world' lifestyles and traitors of the national culture. On the contrary, transnational fans conceive the EGF as an opportunity to transit freely through different cultural references, distinguish themselves socially, and build trans-scale identities that creatively challenge traditional ways of building identity in the globalized world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hard ticks of the genus Ixodes are one of the most diverse groups in the Neotropical region, but some species are known only from historical records. In Colombia and Venezuela, Ixodes montoyanus is known from records obtained more than 50 years ago. In this study, we performed morphological and molecular evaluations of immature and adult stages of I. montoyanus collected from Pudu (Pudella) mephistophiles, in the municipality of Puracé, Cauca, in the Andean region of Colombia. The results include the first morphological evaluations of larvae, nymphs, females and males of I. montoyanus, confirming each of these stages with their respective sequences of a fragment of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene, and nymphs and females with a fragment of the mitochondrial cox1 gene. These results represent the first molecular information of I. montoyanus from Colombia, allowing differentiation of this species from others within Ixodes distributed in the country. The data generated consolidate valuable information for the genus Ixodes, which plays an important role in pathogen transmission. The information is also key to addressing the controversy regarding the identification, validity and distribution of various species within the genus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Satellite-based monitoring provides insights on synergies and trade-offs between energy production and land use and land cover (LULC) changes (LULCC) around hydropower dams. Using Landsat data, we mapped LULCC related to hydropower expansion to understand change dynamics of cash crop production in the Magdalena River basin (Colombian Andes). We leveraged secondary map products and an active learning routine to produce thematically detailed LULC maps, for 2009, 2015, and 2020, including key cash crops (rice and oil palm). Our area-adjusted accuracy assessment revealed high overall and class-specific user's and producer's accuracies, exceeding 80% for oil palm, rice, non-agricultural vegetation, wetlands, and grasslands, and accuracies of ~60% for other temporary and permanent crops. We identified substantial losses of rice (10,6%) and grasslands (25,9%) in El Quimbo due to reservoir flooding. For Hidrosogamoso, there was a loss of wetlands downstream. Our products provide the basis for balancing social, economic, and environmental trade-offs related to conflicting land uses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Is it possible to measure how critical soft skills like leadership or teamwork are from the viewpoint of graduate studies offerings? This paper provides a conceptual and methodological framework that introduces the concept of a bipartite network as a practical way to estimate the importance of soft skills as socio-emotional abilities trained in graduate studies. We examined 230 graduate programs offered by 49 higher education institutions in Colombia to estimate the empirical importance of soft skills from the viewpoint of graduate studies offerings. The results show that: (a) graduate programs in Colombia share 31 soft skills in their intended learning outcomes; (b) the centrality of these skills varies as a function of the graduate pro- gram, although this variation was not statistically significant; and (c) while most central soft skills tend to be those related to creativity (i.e. creation or generation of ideas or projects), leadership (to lead or teamwork), and analytical orientation (e.g. evaluating situations and solving problems), less central were those related to empathy (i.e. understanding others and acknowledgment of others), ethical thinking, and critical thinking, posing the question if too much emphasis on most visible skills might imply an unbalance in the opportunities to enhancing other soft skills such as ethical thinking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]