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The aim of this paper is to understand the influence of the user behavior on tubular digesters performance, through a technical and a social approach in the Bolivian context. Fifteen domestic digesters were evaluated, from which 6 were installed in the Altiplano and other 6 in the Andean Valleys. Data about slurry temperature, feedstock and biogas quality were collected from these 12 digesters, while daily biogas production and feeding pattern were also monitored from further three digesters in the valleys. Because of changes in user behavior along the monitoring period and particular characteristics of the digesters monitored, 5 complete patterns of biogas production and digester management were established. Furthermore, the results of a socio-cultural study with Andean families about the perception of poverty, their needs and the role played by digesters in their expectations in improving life quality, are correlated to the obtained technical data. The technical evaluation shows how the digester management seems to have a seasonal performance throughout the year according to the agricultural calendar. This means that families are more interested in using bioslurry in crops and agricultural improvements than in the use of biogas. The Bolivian government subsidy on liquefied gas seems to be one of the key issues to understand these results. Finally, data also reveals how the thermal behavior of tubular digesters adapted to cold climate that use a passive solar design, is similar to the thermal behavior of valley digesters, and therefore intends to add the same passive heating techniques for warm and tropical climates, to increase slurry temperatures and achieve a higher biogas production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the last deglaciation, the Bolivian Altiplano (15–23°S, 66–70°W) was occupied by paleolake Tauca covering, at least, ∼51,000 km 2 at its maximum highstand between 16.5 and 15 ka. Twenty-five hundred years later, after a massive regression, a new transgressive phase, produced paleolake Coipasa, smaller than Tauca and restricted to the southern part of the basin. These paleolakes were overlooked at the west by the Sajama ice cap. The latter provides a continuous record of the oxygen isotopic composition of paleo-precipitation for the last 25 ka. Contemporaneously to the end of paleolake Tauca, around 14.3 ka, the Sajama ice cap recorded a significant increase in ice oxygen isotopic composition (δ 18 O ice ). This paper examines to what extent the disappearance of Lake Tauca contributed to precipitation on the Sajama summit and this specific isotopic variation. The water δ 18 O values of paleolakes Tauca and Coipasa (δ 18 O lake ) were quantitatively reconstructed from 18.5 to 11.7 ka based on diatom isotopic composition (δ 18 O diatoms ) and ostracod isotopic composition (δ 18 O carbonates ) retrieved in lacustrine sediments. At a centennial time scale, a strong trend appears: abrupt decreases of δ 18 O lake during lake fillings are immediately followed by abrupt increases of δ 18 O lake during lake level stable phases. The highest variation occurred at ∼15.8 ka with a δ 18 O lake decrease of about ∼10‰, concomitant with the Lake Tauca highstand, followed ∼400 years later by a 7‰ increase in δ 18 O lake . A simple hydro-isotopic modeling approach reproduces consistently this rapid “decrease–increase” feature. Moreover, it suggests that this unexpected re-increase in δ 18 O lake after filling phases can be partly explained by an equilibration of isotopic fluxes during the lake steady-state. Based on isotopic calculations during lake evaporation and a simple water stable isotopes balance between potential moisture sources at Sajama (advection versus lake evaporation), we show that total or partial evaporation (from 5 to 60%) of paleolake Tauca during its major regression phase at 14.3 ka could explain the pronounced isotopic excursion at Sajama ice cap. These results suggest that perturbations of the local hydrological cycle in lacustrine areas may substantially affect the paleoclimatic interpretation of the near-by isotopic signals (e.g. ice core or speleothems). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes the relationships between national and Bolivian populations in the Tarapacá borde region from the perspective of interethnic relations. Our interest in these interactions is based on both the historical bond between the two populations and the conflict between the countries on each side of the Chilean-Bolivian border. The image of Bolivian immigration and media accounts of trends on the subject during the last 17 years as presented by La Estrella de Iquique newspaper are studied through a qualitative content analysis. Consequently, a permanent stigmatization of immigration in general and Bolivian immigration in particular was identified on the part of both the authorities and civil society. Nonetheless, a call for solidarity toward immigration and the need to understand the phenomenon is raised in opposition to the need for a new immigration law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is about the representations, practices and cultural expressions carried out by groups of Bolivian immigrants and their descendants in the cities of Olavarria, Tandil and Azul in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. For this purpose, the three case studies presented are analyzed based on the theoretical notions of identities and ethnic groups proper to the field of social anthropology. It thus seeks to contribute to knowledge about the construction of the identities of Bolivian immigrants in Argentina and, especially, to the discussion of those perspectives that propose the cultural assimilation of these groups into the host society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes the perceptions of health teams concerning Peruvian and Bolivian migrant women living in the city of Cordoba, Argentina. The research consisted of a qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive study based on 12 in-depth, semi-structured interviews. It documents various health teams' views regarding the two migrant groups as well as their opinions about the factors that influence the women's access to and use of public health systems during pregnancy and childbirth. The article emphasizes the importance of incorporating a historical, political, and cultural approach to migrant health care that can recover migrants' individual histories and their specific needs in terms of health care access and cultural practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Espanola de Antropologia Americana is the property of Universidad Complutense de Madrid 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 Runa: Archivo para las Ciencias del Hombre is the property of Runa: Archivo para las Ciencias del Hombre 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.)

Using the case of Bolivian migrants in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area, this article analyses the development of hometown associations and the construction of migrant communities at multiple scales. While research has largely focused on the role of hometown associations (HTAs) in promoting local development in sending countries, HTAs also facilitate civic engagement and shape identity formation in both sending and receiving contexts. The article explores the efforts of HTAs and other migrant organisations to construct unified Bolivian communities at local, regional, national and transnational scales, while demonstrating that HTAs are simultaneously contested and highly gendered spaces. It analyses soccer fields and folkloric dance performances as sites of cultural production that seek to transfer practices and identities to the 1.5 and second generations. The article also contributes to an emerging literature on indigenous migration by examining how Bolivians have transferred and adapted organisational practices and networks of reciprocity from rural Cochabamba to suburban Washington D.C. It argues that indigenous migrants are developing new ways of being native even as they move across borders and reside away from traditional lands for long periods of time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From 2008 onwards, the economic crisis experienced by countries such as Spain marked a turning point in migratory flows. As a result, faced with the serious reality of unemployment and the precariousness of the Spanish labour market, the option of return has become the last resort for some immigrants, and an attractive strategy for governments (of both countries of origin and destination), which attempt to manage return using special programmes. From this point of view, the aim of this paper is to examine the assisted voluntary return programmes in Spain and Bolivia and their suitability to the dynamics of return, beginning with an exhaustive review of the programmes and the perceptions on them expressed by Bolivian immigrants as part of the survey «Circulation and Return», carried out within the framework of the RETTRANS project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article addresses the interrelationships between the economic crisis, international migration and the labour market, and their impact on female migration agency, both in the decision to migrate and in the subsequent possibility of return to Bolivia. Based on information collected in a large survey conducted in the city of Cochabamba and the tracing of multiple female migration trajectories, the extreme vulnerability of these women, who are the heads of single-parent households, working in elderly care in Bergamo, is shown. Despite their deteriorating working conditions in the context of current Italian economic crisis and the competition of immigrant care workers from countries of Eastern Europe, they choose to remain in Italy instead of returning to Bolivia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the dynamics of the reconfiguration of Bolivian migratory fields in the context of the crisis affecting European destination countries. At a global level, we show how the 2008 worldwide economic crisis, and, in particular, its severity in Spain, has reoriented Bolivian migratory flows towards regional Latin American destinations: economies undergoing larger relative growth, such as Brazil and Chile, are newer destinations, while migration to Argentina has a long history. In a more qualitative approach, based on fieldwork interviews with Bolivian migrants in Spain, we explore the key factors that determine migratory strategies: whether to stay, return or re-emigrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Olfactory sensitivity can be evaluated by various tests, with 'Sniffin' Sticks' test (SST) being one of the most popular. SST consists of tests for odor threshold, discrimination, and identification. It seems relatively straightforward to administer threshold tests in different groups and societies and it has been shown that odor identification tests requires special adaptation before they can be administered to various populations. However, few studies have investigated the application of an odor discrimination task in various regions/cultures. In the present study, we compared the discrimination scores of 169 Polish people with the scores of 99 Tsimane', Bolivian Amerindians. The Tsimane' participants scored very low in the discrimination task, despite their general high olfactory sensitivity. This result suggests that when a discrimination task is chosen as the form of olfactory testing, some additional variables need to be controlled. We suggest three sources of low scores of our participants-their cognitive profile, the cultural background, i.e., little knowledge of the odors used in the discrimination test and problems associated with testing environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study we tested if a series of 18 rapids on the upper Madeira River form an effective barrier to gene flow, and in particular if they delimit the distribution of the boto Inia boliviensis-which it is believed to occurs only in the Bolivian sub-basin, above the rapids-and I. geoffrensis, which occurs throughout the Amazon basin and below the upper Madeira River rapids. We analyzed 125 individuals from the Madeira River basin sampled from upstream and downstream of the rapids. As the two species are morphologically similar, we used diagnostic molecular characters from known reference specimens to assign individuals to species. We observed that all individuals of Inia from the Bolivian sub-basin up to almost the mouth of the Madeira River belong to the species I. boliviensis. Therefore we concluded that the rapids do not delimit the distribution of I. boliviensis upstream and I. geoffrensis downstream of the rapids as previously hypothesized. Since we registered I. boliviensis along almost the entire length of the Madeira River, we estimated gene flow, time of divergence and effective population sizes of the upstream (Bolivian) and downstream (Madeira River) groups of I. boliviensis using IMa2. We concluded that gene flow is uni-directional from the upstream to the downstream group. Divergence time between the two groups was estimated to have occurred ~122 thousand years ago. The coalescent effective population size for the upstream group was estimated at ~131 thousand individuals, while for the downstream group it was estimated at ~102 thousand individuals. Recently two dams have been constructed in the region of the rapids; neither has a mechanism that will maintain connectivity between the upstream and downstream regions, and together with anthropogenic alterations to the hydrodynamic regime and ecology of the river will likely pose serious long-term and short-term consequences for I. boliviensis and other aquatic taxa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Argentinean garment industry has evolved into a dynamic and complex inter-ethnic environment wherein ethnic Koreans, while conducting their businesses, have established a particular set of inter-ethnic relations with other minority groups. This research aims to explore the types of relations that Korean immigrants have established with Jews and Bolivians, through the analysis of the perceptions and stereotypes which Koreans explicitly hold vis-à-vis Jews and Bolivians. The research shows that a number of factors, such as hierarchical labour relations, economic inequalities, business competition and conflict, and other cultural practices, have been involved in the processes of shaping and reshaping the Korean relations with other minority groups. This study further argues that discourses emphasising “racial” differentiation as well as generalised images and stereotypes of “others” have unfortunately helped generate and harden prejudices and discrimination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The prevalence of Chagas disease in endemic countries varies with the kind of vector involved and the socioeconomic conditions of the population of origin. Due to recent immigration it is an emerging public health problem in Europe, especially in those countries which receive immigrant populations with a high prevalence of carriers. The study reviews the impact of the disease on Bolivian immigrants living in Europe, the preventive measures and regulations applied in European countries, and their repercussion on possible stigmatization of certain population groups. Methods. The Bolivian immigrant population resident in 2012 was estimated and the affected population in different European countries was calculated with data on carrier prevalence that were recently published. The preventive measures and regulations available in Europe were also reviewed. MEDLINE-PubMed, GoPubMed, and Embase were consulted for the literature review. Results. The Bolivian immigrant population has the highest prevalence of Chagas carriers (6.7%-25%) compared to the overall Latin American population (1.3%-2.4%). Only in Spain, France, Belgium, UK, Portugal, Italy, Switzerland, The Netherlands, and Germany, preventive measures are applied to this population. The established regulations are insufficient and completely different criteria are applied in the different countries and this could reflect a certain degree of stigmatization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Stunting, or linear growth retardation, has been documented in up to half of all children in rural indigenous populations of South America. Stunting is well understood as a signal of adverse conditions during growth, and has been associated with developmentally induced modifications to body composition, including body fat and muscularity, that stem from early growth restriction. This article examines the relation between short stature and three anthropometric indicators of body composition during childhood and adolescence among a rural, indigenous population of forager-horticulturalists. Anthropometric data were collected annually from 483 Tsimane' youth, ages 2-10 years, in 13 communities in the Beni region of Bolivia for 6 consecutive years (2002-2007). Baseline height-for-age was used to indicate stunting (HAZ < −2.0) and compared with z-scores of body mass index (BMI), sum of two skinfolds, and arm muscle area. Multilevel regression models indicate baseline stunting is associated with lower BMI z-scores (B = −0.386; P < 0.001), body fatness (ZSkinfold, B = −0.164; P < 0.001), and arm muscularity (AMAZ, B = −0.580; P < 0.001) in youth across a period of 6 years. When split by sex, there was a stronger relation between baseline stunting and lower skinfold body fat scores among girls (B = −0.244; P < 0.001) than boys (B = −0.080; P = 0.087). In contrast, baseline stunting was associated with lower arm muscularity in both girls (B = −0.498; P < 0.001) and boys (B = −0.646; P < 0.001). The relation between linear growth restriction and indicators of body composition persist into adolescence, providing additional insight into the influence of adverse conditions during growth. Am J Phys Anthropol 153:92-102, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on an analysis of the urban experience of Bolivian migrants in Buenos Aires, the article problematizes habitual ways of thinking about the relations among territory, difference and inequality: the racial ghetto and the poor periphery. The articlepaper highlights the impossibility of understanding these processes on a unidimensional plane, and emphasizes the relevance of intersections of class, nationality, gender and "race" in the structuring and use of urban space. For this purpose, it analyzes not only the position and geographic location of migrants but also the logic of their circulation and social interactions within the space of the city, which both reproduce and challenge the frontiers that structure urban life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revue Tiers Monde is the property of Librairie Armand Colin 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.)

Abstract: Traditional fallow periods in the Bolivian highlands are being shortened in an effort to increase short-term crop yields, with potential long-term impacts on soil microbial communities and their functions. In addition, native vegetation, such as Parasthrephia sp. or Baccharis sp. (both locally known as ‘thola’) are often removed as a fuel for cooking. We evaluated the effects of fallow period and thola on soils in 29 farmers' fields in two municipalities in the Bolivian Altiplano (Umala and Ancoraimes). Soil fungal and bacterial community responses were characterized using 454-pyrosequencing. Soils in Ancoraimes had significantly higher levels of organic matter, nitrogen and other macronutrients compared to Umala. Ancoraimes soils also supported more diverse fungal communities, whereas Umala had more diverse bacterial communities. Unexpectedly, the longer fallow periods were associated with significantly lower fungal diversity in Umala and lower bacterial diversity in Ancoraimes. Fungi assigned to genera Bionectria, Didymella, and Alternaria, and bacteria assigned to genera Paenibacillus, Segetibacter, and Modestobacter decreased in frequency with longer fallow period. The presence of thola was not associated with significantly different overall soil fungal or bacterial diversity, but was associated with higher frequency of some genera, such as Fusarium and Bradyrhizobium. Our results indicate that fallow period has a range of effects on soil communities, and that the removal of thola may impact the dynamics of these communities. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Altiplano region of the South American Andes is marked by an inhospitable climate to which the autochthonous human populations adapted and then developed great ancient civilizations, such as the Tiwanaku culture and the Inca Empire. Since pre-Columbian times, different rulers established themselves around the Titicaca and Poopo Lakes. By the time of the arrival of Spaniards, Aymara and Quechua languages were predominant on the Altiplano under the rule of the Incas, although the occurrence of other spoken languages, such as Puquina and Uruquilla, suggests the existence of different ethnic groups in this region. In this study, we focused on the pre-Columbian history of the autochthonous Altiplano populations, particularly the Uros ethnic group, which claims to directly descend from the first settlers of the Andes, and some linguists suggest they might otherwise be related to Arawak speaking groups from the Amazon. Using phylogeographic, population structure and spatial genetic analyses of Y-chromosome and mtDNA data, we inferred the genetic relationships among Uros populations (Los Uros from Peru, Uru-Chipaya and Uru-Poopo from Bolivia), and compared their haplotype profiles with eight Aymara, nine Quechua and two Arawak (Machiguenga and Yanesha) speaking populations from Peru and Bolivia. Our results indicated that Uros populations stand out among the Altiplano populations, while appearing more closely related to the Aymara and Quechua from Lake Titicaca and surrounding regions than to the Amazon Arawaks. Moreover, the Uros populations from Peru and Bolivia are genetically differentiated from each other, indicating a high heterogeneity in this ethnic group. Finally, our results support the distinctive ancestry for the Uros populations of Peru and Bolivia, which are likely derived from ancient Andean lineages that were partially replaced during more recent farming expansion events and the establishment of complex civilizations in the Andes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have genotyped 46 Ancestry Informative Markers (AIMs) in two of the most populated areas in Bolivia, namely, La Paz (Andean region; n =105), and Chuquisaca (Sub-Andean region; n =73). Using different analytical tools, we inferred admixture proportions of these two American communities by comparing the genetic profiles with those publicly available from the CEPH (Centre d’Etude du Polymorphisme Humain) panel representing three main continental groups (Africa, Europe, and America). By way of simulations, we first evaluated the minimum sample size needed in order to obtain accurate estimates of ancestry proportions. The results indicated that sample sizes above 30 individuals could be large enough to estimate main continental ancestry proportions using the 46 AIMs panel. With the exception of a few individuals, the results also indicated that Bolivians showed a predominantly Native American ancestry with variable levels of European admixture. The proportions of ancestry were statistically different in La Paz and Chuquisaca: the Native American component was 86% and 77% (Mann–Whitney U-test: un-adjusted P-value=2.1×10−5), while the European ancestry was 13% and 21% (Mann–Whitney U-test: un-adjusted P-value=3.6×10−5), respectively. The African ancestry in Bolivians captured by the AIMs analyzed in the present study was below 2%. The inferred ancestry of Bolivians fits well with previous studies undertaken on haplotype data, indicating a major proportion of Native American lineages. The genetic differences observed in these two groups suggest that forensic genetic analysis should be better performed based on local databases built in the main Bolivian areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objetivos: describir la experiencia de la anticoagulación oral con warfarina en pacientes con insuficiencia cardiaca crónica con fracción de eyección disminuida (ICC-FER) y la incidencia de ictus y mortalidad en el Centro Médico Quirúrgico Boliviano Belga durante los años 2004 - 2011. Métodos: estudio descriptivo, transversal en >18 años con ICC-FER sintomática, dividiéndolos en los que presentan ritmo sinusal y fibrilación auricular no valvular (FANV), excluyendo quienes tienen trombos intracavitarios, tromboembolia reciente, prótesis valvular y los que requirieron su implante durante el estudio. Resultados: 46 pacientes con ritmo sinusal y 18 con FANV, con fracción de eyección severamente reducida en ambos grupos (29% y 30% respectivamente), todos con tratamiento diurético y modificadores de enfermedad. Todos los pacientes con FANV recibieron tratamiento antitrombótico (anticoagulantes y/o antiagregantes plaquetarios), el 94% con indicación de anticoagulación según CHA2DS2 VASc, estaban medicados con warfarina. El 67% de los pacientes con ritmo sinusal fue anticoagulado y el 6,5% no. La incidencia de ictus fue de 0,11 en FANV y 0,15 en ritmo sinusal en 3 años de seguimiento, mientras que la mortalidad alcanzó el 40% y el 42% respectivamente en un periodo promedio de 4 años (±1,2). Conclusiones: en ICCFER, se anticoagula a la mayoría de pacientes con FANV, que en este grupo, el riesgo embólico alto. La anticoagulación oral con warfarina en insuficiencia cardiaca crónica con FE severamente comprometida (= 30%) en ritmo sinusal es frecuente, sin reportar complicaciones mayores. La incidencia de ictus fue baja y la mortalidad global fue elevada. Objectives: to describe warfarin use and the incidence of stroke and mortality in chronic hearth failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) at Centro Médico Quirúrgico Boliviano Belga between 2004 and 2011. Methods: descriptive and transversal study in > 18 years with symptomatic ICC-FER, dividing them into those with sinus rhythm and non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF), excluding those with intracavitary thrombus, recent thromboembolism, prosthetic valve and requiring the implant during the study. Results: 46 patients with sinus rhythm and 18 with NVAF. 46 patients with sinus rhythm and 18 with NVAF with severely reduced ejection fraction in both groups (29% and 30% respectively), all with diuretics and disease modifiers. All NVAF patients received antithrombotic therapy (anticoagulant and/or antiplatelet agents), 94% indicating anticoagulation as VASc CHA2DS2 were medicated with warfarin.). All the patients with NVAF received antithrombotics (anticoagulants and/or and antiplatelet drugs), 94% of which required anticoagulation according to CHA2DS2 VASc, they were medicated with warfarin. 67% of patients with sinus rhythm were anticoagulated whilst 6,5% were not. The stroke incidence were of 0,11 in NVAF and 0,15 in sinus rhythm during a 3 year monitoring period, whilst mortality reached 40% and 42% respectively in an average period of 4 years (+1,2). Conclusions: in HFrEF and NVFA most patients where receiving warfarin, that in this group had high embolic risk. Oral anticoagulation with warfarin in chronic heart failure with severely compromised FE (= 30%) in sinus rhythm often, without reporting major complications. The incidence of stroke was low and the overall mortality was high. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines Martín Rejtman's critical documentary work in the context of broader representations of Argentina, especially Buenos Aires, as a multicultural society. It contends that the notion of multiculturalism, as a description of postcolonial social formations, does not properly apply to the Argentine case, and that the construction of an image of Buenos Aires in terms of a harmonious, multiracial coexistence is an injurious misrepresentation. The paper first focuses on Rejtman's new approach to the cultural analysis of immigration in Argentina as it stems from the imposition of ‘curiosity’ and the adoption of an ethnographic perspective. Secondly, it assesses the relationship between this new proposal, the notion of multiculturalism, and its applicability to the Argentine context. Finally, it appraises the connections between the analysis of contemporary Argentina and the significance of the progression from a poetics of fiction to a poetics of documentary in Rejtman'sCopacabana(2006) and his other films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Trayectorias is the property of Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon 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.)

Abstract: The model developed for human parasites by Bottomley et al. (2007) [52] has been adapted to the dynamics of triatomines to better understand the processes of niche invasion, competition among species and coexistence. In Bolivia, both wild and domestic populations of Triatoma infestans exist. Their ecological niches are normally separated and the two populations do not interbreed, behaving as two distinct species. However, it has been suggested that the two populations may compete, highlighting therefore the potential risk of wild populations invading human dwellings. The model revealed the importance of the basic reproduction rates R 0 of triatomine colonies for the risk of invasion. This depends not only on life traits such as survival and fecundity, but also on (1) the density-dependence phenomenon that limits triatomine establishment, (2) on house exposure to infection and (3) on the correlation between house susceptibility to domestic T. infestans and house susceptibility to wild T. infestans. Competition and coexistence amongst the two groups of T. infestans may occur under particular conditions, but are very unlikely. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Copyright of Lien Social et Politiques is the property of Institut National de Recherche Scientifique (INRS) 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.)

Only a few genetic studies have been carried out to date in Bolivia. However, some of the most important (pre)historical enclaves of South America were located in these territories. Thus, the (sub)-Andean region of Bolivia was part of the Inca Empire, the largest state in Pre-Columbian America. We have genotyped the first hypervariable region (HVS-I) of 720 samples representing the main regions in Bolivia, and these data have been analyzed in the context of other pan-American samples (>19,000 HVS-I mtDNAs). Entire mtDNA genome sequencing was also undertaken on selected Native American lineages. Additionally, a panel of 46 Ancestry Informative Markers (AIMs) was genotyped in a sub-set of samples. The vast majority of the Bolivian mtDNAs (98.4%) were found to belong to the main Native American haplogroups (A: 14.3%, B: 52.6%, C: 21.9%, D: 9.6%), with little indication of sub-Saharan and/or European lineages; however, marked patterns of haplogroup frequencies between main regions exist (e.g. haplogroup B: Andean [71%], Sub-Andean [61%], Llanos [32%]). Analysis of entire genomes unraveled the phylogenetic characteristics of three Native haplogroups: the pan-American haplogroup B2b (originated ∼21.4 thousand years ago [kya]), A2ah (∼5.2 kya), and B2o (∼2.6 kya). The data suggest that B2b could have arisen in North California (an origin even in the north most region of the American continent cannot be disregarded), moved southward following the Pacific coastline and crossed Meso-America. Then, it most likely spread into South America following two routes: the Pacific path towards Peru and Bolivia (arriving here at about ∼15.2 kya), and the Amazonian route of Venezuela and Brazil southwards. In contrast to the mtDNA, Ancestry Informative Markers (AIMs) reveal a higher (although geographically variable) European introgression in Bolivians (25%). Bolivia shows a decreasing autosomal molecular diversity pattern along the longitudinal axis, from the Altiplano to the lowlands. Both autosomes and mtDNA revealed a low impact (1–2%) of a sub-Saharan component in Bolivians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the formation of social capital and its political implications within the Bolivian community in Buenos Aires. Through the analysis of news stories and in-depth interviews with key informants, the article identifies two organizational networks. The first one is based on the discourse of class solidarity and is aimed at the union of the immigrant workers. The second one is centered on the discourse of national/ethnical solidarity and promotes the unification of the Bolivian community through nationality-based fraternity ties. These networks have coexisted in tension, leading to distinct patterns of political incorporation within the community. Whereas in the first case, the type of inclusion is more proactive, horizontal and open, in the second, the type of political incorporation tends to be reactive, vertical and closed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the contemporary migration of Bolivian women to Cordoba, Argentina. It seeks to reconstruct the fragments that constitute the personal trajectories of these women and the roles they assume in the migration process, taking into account the images, practices and representations that Bolivian women elaborate and express in regard to their condition as Bolivians, women and migrants. It will show that by recovering the migratory experiences of those women it is possible to identify the strategies that Bolivian families implement in the development and consolidation of the migration project to Córdoba. To this end, a qualitative methodology is chosen, combining participant observation and in-depth interviews with Bolivian migrants, both women and men, who arrived in Córdoba between the second half of the 20th century and the present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Trypanosoma cruzi, the agent of Chagas disease, presents a predominantly clonal structure that has been shaped by recombination events leading to six genetic groups (DTUs, discrete typing units, TcI–TcVI). Several conventional and unconventional genetic exchange events have been described, including hybridization and mitochondrial introgression, which is explored here among Bolivian and Peruvian strains belonging to TcI because recombination events have been previously suspected by means of the MLMT method (multilocus microsatellite typing). We analyzed the variation of one nuclear (Gpi) and one mitochondrial (Nd1) gene among 60 TcI strains and 15 reference strains belonging to the six DTUs. The results clearly showed that one strain isolated from Triatoma infestans in the Cochabamba department (Bolivia) presented a genotype TcI for Gpi and a mitochondrial Nd1 genotype common to the DTUs TcIII, IV, V, and VI; this can be interpreted as a mitochondrial introgression event between distant DTUs. These kinds of events, although probably scarce, may have played an important role in the adaptive evolution of the species. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objectives To analyse the profile of tuberculosis (TB) among Bolivian immigrants, investigate the impact that this population has on the trends of TB and assess equity in access to TB treatment, in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. Methods Descriptive study of the epidemiological profile of TB in four city districts with large Bolivian populations, comparing cases among Brazilians and Bolivians, during the 1998-2008 period was carried out. We used logistic regression to adjust the treatment outcome for potential confounders. Results We identified 2056 new TB cases: 65.7% in Brazilians, 32.1% in Bolivians and 2.2% among other nationalities. Although TB incidence remained stable (high) over the study period, the annual proportion of cases among Bolivians increased from 15.0% to 53.0%. In comparison with the Brazilians, the Bolivians were younger (median age, 24 vs. 40 years; P < 0.0001) and presented a lower unemployment rate (3.1% vs. 11.6%; P < 0.0001), a lower rate of HIV co-infection (1.5% vs. 28.5%; P < 0.001), a higher proportion of individuals receiving supervised treatment (81.5% vs. 62.0%; P < 0.0001) and a higher proportion of cures (71.6% vs. 63.2%; P < 0.0001). After having been adjusted for potential confounder, cure after treatment was not associated with nationality. Conclusions Bolivian immigrants influenced the incidence but not the trends of TB among Brazilians in the study area. We found no significant differences between Bolivians and Brazilians regarding healthcare access or treatment outcome. Guaranteed universal health care access for all, including undocumented individuals, contributes to health equity. Specific intervention strategies are warranted for immigrants with tuberculosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polychlorinated biphenyls are persistent organic pollutants that have been used for decades in several industrial applications. Although production of polychlorinated biphenyls was restricted from the 1970s in most countries, substantial amounts remain in old equipment and buildings and they have been detected in various environmental and biological matrices. The main objective of this study was to analyze predictors of the combined exposure to three non-dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (congeners 138, 153 and 180) in serum and adipose tissue from an adult cohort (n=112) living in the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra (Bolivia) and surrounding towns/villages. A second aim was to identify modifiers that might influence the statistical associations found, using crude, partially-adjusted, and global multiple linear regression models. Main predictors of serum concentrations were occupation and fatty food consumption, while those for adipose tissue concentrations included age, smoking habit, fatty food consumption, and residence. The differences between the two matrices might be derived from their biological meaning, given that adipose tissue concentrations are an indicator of chronic exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls while serum levels are a good predictor of ongoing exposure and the mobilization of polychlorinated biphenyls stored in fatty tissues. Body mass index was found to be an important modifier of these associations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The city of San Carlos de Bariloche since the late nineteenth century has relied attended different migration flows (European and mainly Chilean) that have contributed to its founding settlement. Since the second half of the last century the city not only includes migrants from other provinces but also becomes a destination for Latin American communities. Since the late seventies the Bolivian population settles in the suburbs of the city and since the nineties a bolivian family moves the image of the Virgin of Urkupiña to Bariloche and kicks off the festivities in his honor. Bolivian migrants in San Carlos de Bariloche, in the key of subalternity, produce local identities that are materialize in our object of study: the Marian devotions and specifically the celebration of the Virgin of Urkupiña. This paper analyzes the "place" of Bolivian women in these religious celebrations taking into account, on the one hand, their condition and the multiplicity of identities that cross it and, on the other hand, the women visibility and invisibility in the featured moments of the ritual [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent years have seen a novelty in the long tradition of Bolivian migration to Argentina: an increasing number of Bolivian people settling in the south of the country. In her research, the author has analyzed the case of the Bolivian community in the Ushuaia city, which was still unexplored. In this paper she presents some of these research results, related to Bolivians' migratory experience and the mechanisms behind their settlement patterns. She argues that the presence of Bolivians in Ushuaia is due to a local logic, involving state and regional markets, and to a mechanism of Bolivian migration in Argentina as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Mana (01049313) is the property of Contra Capa Livraria 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.)

Organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are synthetic chemicals that are highly resistant to biodegradation and have proven adverse health effects. The objectives of this study were to determine concentrations of three selected organochlorine pesticides (p,p′-DDT, p,p′-DDE, HCB) and three specific PCB congeners (PCB 138, 153, 180) in adipose tissue and serum samples from an urban adult population (n=112) in the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, and to investigate their relationships within and between the two matrices and with selected socio-demographic characteristics. The percentages of samples positive for these compounds ranged from 40% for PCB 180 to 100% for p,p′-DDE in adipose tissue, and from 21% for HCB to 93% for p,p′-DDE in serum. Median number of residues per sample was five for adipose tissue and three for serum. Geometric mean concentrations indicate a considerable historical and recent exposure to organochlorine pesticides and PCBs in this population. Adipose tissue:serum ratios ranged from 149.3 to 590.3 (wet basis) and from 0.9 to 3.5 (lipid basis). We found positive and statistically significant correlations between adipose tissue and serum concentrations only in p,p′-DDE and HCB. This novel study in Bolivia underlines the need for human biomonitoring to assess exposure to environmental pollutants in South America. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

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

The building of the Andes results from the subduction of the oceanic Nazca plate underneath the South American continent. However, how and why the Andes and their curvature, the Bolivian orocline, formed in the Cenozoic era (65.5?million years (Myr) ago to present), despite subduction continuing since the Mesozoic era (251.0-65.5?Myr ago), is still unknown. Three-dimensional numerical subduction models demonstrate that variations in slab thickness, arising from the Nazca plate's age at the trench, produce a cordilleran morphology consistent with that observed. The age-dependent sinking of the slab in the mantle drives traction towards the trench at the base of the upper plate, causing it to thicken. Thus, subducting older Nazca plate below the Central Andes can explain the locally thickened crust and higher elevations. Here we demonstrate that resultant thickening of the South American plate modifies both shear force gradients and migration rates along the trench to produce a concave margin that matches the Bolivian orocline. Additionally, the varying forcing along the margin allows stress belts to form in the upper-plate interior, explaining the widening of the Central Andes and the different tectonic styles found on their margins, the Eastern and Western Cordilleras. The rise of the Central Andes and orocline formation are directly related to the local increase of Nazca plate age and an age distribution along the margin similar to that found today; the onset of these conditions only occurred in the Eocene epoch. This may explain the enigmatic delay of the Andean orogeny, that is, the formation of the modern Andes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Due to international migration, Chagas disease, endemic in Latin America, has become more common in non-endemic areas. Chronic Chagas disease can cause damage to the digestive system leading to constipation. However, a range of factors influences constipation and a better understanding of the role of non-Chagas related factors is required to improve management of Chagas-related digestive problems. This study explores perceptions of constipation and changes in food and exercise habits amongst Bolivians in Barcelona, Spain. Bolivian migrants attending the Tropical Medicine Unit (Hospital Clínic, Barcelona) were interviewed about their food habits in Spain and Bolivia, migratory experience, work and leisure activities. Chagas seropositive participants also received radiological examinations. Bolivian migrants experienced dietary changes, influenced by work-related factors, which included reductions in quantities of food and liquid consumed. Almost half the participants reported changes in digestive rhythm since arriving in Spain. Constipation, which was common, in some cases was only recounted during interviews. Bolivian migrants’ constipation may be associated with chronic Chagas disease or migration-related dietary changes. Careful questioning using the Rome III criteria is however required to ensure its diagnosis. Radiological studies are also required to confirm the role of Chagas disease and identify potentially serious intestinal damage. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This article explores a culturally sensitive topic, envy, among Bolivian migrants in Spain. Following a constructivist approach to emotions, we examine discourses of envy, as they are shaped by the cultural contexts in which they emerge. Our study uses a sample of 30 transnational households and multi-sited ethnography to illustrate the ways emotions and their effects on sociality serve as a mechanism of social control, especially when the boundaries of such a community have been stretched transnationally. Envy is an important component of a belief system central to understanding the emergence, or lack thereof, of trust and solidarity among migrants and can shape the types of social relations and conflicts between migrants and non-migrant households back in Bolivia. These conflicts have been exacerbated by economic instability, high unemployment rates and precarious wages especially for the undocumented migrant community in Spain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

‘Raising Her Voice’ (RHV) is a global programme from Oxfam GB to promote poor women's rights and capacity to participate effectively in governance at every level: raising women voices, increasing their influence, and making decision-making institutions more accountable to women. The present article is based on the findings of a case study of the Bolivian RHV project, prepared for the mid-term evaluation by Soledad Muñiz and Hannah Beardon. The case study was developed using participatory methods to encourage a wide range of perspectives and deep, collective reflection on the challenges and achievements, to date, of the Cochabamba Platform of Women for Citizenship, and the contribution of RHV to these achievements. The present article describes both the key findings of the case study, and the methods used to capture such a complex change process so deeply embedded into external historical and political processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes gender-agreement variation in the Determiner Phrase (DP) of Afro-Bolivian Spanish (ABS). We claim that this is an instance of crossgenerational change, consisting in the systematic substitution of stigmatized basilectal Afro-Bolivian features with more prestigious Bolivian Spanish ones. In light of recent minimalist models, the variability encountered in the corpus can be accounted for systematically as a by-product of the differential specification of uninterpretable features in a derivation. This study highlights an on-going process of post-bozal Spanish approximation to a more prestigious Spanish variety. Such transition seems to be driven by social factors and is significantly regulated by syntactic constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work analyzes the factors that influence on the impact that FDI may have on the economies of the periphery. Strategies and different kinds of investments made by foreign firms, as well as the characteristics of the receiving economy and the type of policy treatment applied to foreign capital are pointed out. The importance that such treatment be an active one when establishing requirements to foreign firms, and that the policy be coherent and integrated to wider development strategies are emphasized. These observations are applied to a case of study, hydrocarbons in Bolivia since 2006. The existence of a certain degree of autonomy to establish regulating policies, even in an economy with a very vulnerable structural configuration, is confirmed, although with dual effects depending on the variables analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]