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The objective of this work was to evaluate thermal paper (TP) tickets used in Argentina as a potential source of bisphenol A (BPA) that could impact humans and the environment. BPA in TP was measured by HPLC ranging from 11.1 to 30.5 mg BPAg−1. In order to estimate the impact on humans, dermal BPA estimated daily intake was calculated as being 79.3 ± 19.5 μgd−1 for workers and 1.6 ± 0.4 μgd−1 for the general population. To evaluate TP's impact on the environment, BPA migration from TP to water and soil was studied. In the case of water, 99.6% of the BPA tickets content migrated in 30 h, while 78.0% moved into the soil in 96 h. BPA degradation kinetics in soil and water were also carried out; while in soil 61.9% of BPA degraded in 120 h, no degradation was observed up to 120 h in tap or river water. Additionally, ecotoxicological effects of BPA on the earthworm Eisenia andrei, a representative terrestrial indicator, were studied performing bioassays on lethality, avoidance, and reproductive and enzymatic activity. BPA showed to be very toxic to E. andrei (LC50 value in contact paper test of 17 μgcm−2, 95% confidence interval 6–46 μgcm−2, 24 h exposure) and also caused an increase of total cocoons for earthworms exposed to 10 and 50 mg BPA kg−1 soil. Evasion response was observed at a concentration of 50 mg BPA kg−1 soil, while no effect was observed on cholinesterases, carboxylesterases, and glutathione S-transferases activities (1, 10, and 50 mg BPA kg−1 soil). Finally, a simple BPA degradation technology using water peroxide and radish (Raphanus sativus) tissue as catalyst was explored as a simple and domestic potential treatment to avoid BPA migration to the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 1990s, agribusiness expansion in Argentina involved the exponential growth of pesticide use throughout the country. Pesticide exposure has become a widespread problem in rural areas and farming towns, but protests and conflicts about this issue are the exception rather than the norm. Why? Based on archival work, interviews, and ethnographic observations, in this paper, we scrutinize pesticide governance at the subnational scale to elucidate this puzzle, focusing on a) informal arrangements (face-to-face negotiations between pesticide users and people affected by them), b) juridical conflicts (lawsuits against farmers over exposure of people and crops to herbicides), and c) regulatory challenges (when rural populations and environmentalists push for local ordinances to curb pesticide exposure). We find that local cultural codes encourage informal agreements and that social inequalities prevent conflicts from arising in the public sphere. The interventions of social movements and civil society organizations (or lack thereof) and the mobilization of expertise also shape pesticide governance. Our analysis highlights that pesticide governance is context-dependent or situated, and informed by subtle but significant power asymmetries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mendoza city (Argentina) hosted the VIII Latin American Forestry Congress (CONFLAT) and the V Forestry Congress of Argentina (CFA) in 2023, where relevant issues were addressed, such as climate change, degradation, reforestation, management and forest industry, monitoring, environmental services, social issues, and governance, among others. The objective of this Special Issue was to present the main advances in Forestry Science for Latin-America in the context of changing governance and forest livelihoods for people. The fifteen articles emphasize the interdisciplinary nature of the forest management and conservation, and that multiple variables must be considered to achieve sustainability. The articles come from studies across Southern South-America (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay), and the collaboration of researchers of other countries (México, Canada, and Spain). Articles include research in tropical, Mediterranean and temperate Sub-Antarctic forests. Together, these articles provide a snapshot of new forestry research carried out locally and internationally to bring about beneficial ecological and environmental outcomes in a world facing the challenges of sustainable management and conservation amongst the threats and uncertainty of climate change and environmental degradation responsible for extensive loss of biodiversity and environmental services. We believe that this Special Issue will encourage more inter-disciplinary research focusing on management and conservation of forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Cosmocercids are common nematodes that parasitize the digestive tract and lungs of amphibians and reptiles around the world. They are commonly found in leptodactylid and bufonid anurans in South America, primarily in Brazil and Argentina. This paper describes a new species of genus Cosmocerca based on specimens collected in a microhylid from the Dry Chaco ecoregion. Methods: A total of 18 specimens of Elachistocleis haroi were collected in October 2011 in Chaco province and in December 2021 and March 2022 in Formosa province, Argentina, both areas of the Dry Chaco ecoregion. The morphology of the nematodes was studied in detail using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Results: One hundred and fifty-one nematodes were collected from the large intestines of E. haroi. Based on the morphology of the caudal papillae (rosette papillae and plectanes), the presence of two spicules and the absence of caudal alae in males, and the presence of two prodelphic ovaries in females, these specimens were allocated to the genus Cosmocerca. However, they presented unique characteristics that differentiate them from all known species. Cosmocerca wichiorum sp. nov. is similar to C. archeyi, C. australis, C. sardiniae, C. zugi, and C. leytensis by having four pairs of plectanes, but can be easily distinguished from all of them by the type, number, and arrangement of the precloacal (non-plectanes), adcloacal and postcloacal papillae, by the length of the spicules and by its different zoogeographical distribution. Conclusion: This is the 14th species of the genus Cosmocerca described in South America and the first one for the microhylid E. haroi from the Dry Chaco ecoregion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to identify and characterize the potential of green jobs in Argentina, i.e., those workers that would benefit from a transition to a green economy, using occupational green potential scores calculated in US O*NET data for the period 2015–2021. We apply the greenness scores to Argentine household survey data and estimate that between 23 and 25 percent of workers are in green jobs, i.e., have a high green potential. However, to promote and ensure an inclusive and effective green transition, we consider the decent work dimension (through legal informality measures), and find that between 11 and 12 percent of wage earners are in green formal jobs. We then analyze the relationship between the green job indicators and various labor and demographic variables at the individual level. We find that the green potential is relatively greater for men, the elderly, those with very high qualifications, and those in specific sectors such as construction, transportation, mining, and industry. These are the groups that are likely to be the most benefited by the greening of the Argentine economy. The green potential score is positively associated with informality, thus the green transition may be incompatible with decent work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes spatial and temporal changes of aridity in Argentina (1961–2022). The aridity degree, using Climatic Research Unit (CRU) monthly data, was defined through six climate types classified by De Martonne Aridity Index (DMI). Argentina presents a very arid, arid and semiarid region that extends from Puna to Patagonia, alongside two humid and very humid regions: one located in the Chaco-Pampas Plains and Mesopotamia, and another in the Patagonian Andes. Between these regions, there are subhumid areas with marked aridity variations. These structures persist over time, but advances or setbacks were observed in their bordering areas, with significant changes in the Andes (leading to more arid conditions) and the southwestern Pampas Plains (leading to more humid conditions) during the historical period. The contribution of temperature and precipitation changes to these DMI changes was quantified, indicating that precipitation modulated the DMI spatial changes, while temperature intensified or weakened the change magnitudes. The extension variations of the arid and semiarid regions in Argentina were related to three climate variability modes (El Niño – Southern Oscillation [ENSO], Pacific Decadal Oscillation [PDO] and South Atlantic Ocean Dipole [SAOD]). Significant correlations were found with PDO (r < 0) and SAOD (r > 0), which indicate that an increase in the area occupied by arid and semiarid climates are associated with PDO negative phase or SAOD positive phase. Moreover, when these phases occur simultaneously, the expansion of arid and semiarid regions is larger than under the action of an individual forcing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In-work poverty (IWP) is gaining interest in the public agenda. This article is a first contribution to the analysis of IWP dynamics in Latin America, based on the study of the Argentine case. Using one-year interval panel data, the paper analyzes the trigger events that produce entries and exits from IWP, short-term poverty trajectories and the determinants associated to transient and persistent poverty. Drawing on a decomposition analysis of mutually exclusive events, the article shows that labor market events are the most relevant triggers for both exits and entries into IWP. Based on a multinomial logistic regression, the paper concludes that low education, the presence of children in the household, and having a low-quality job are the three main factors explaining persistent-poverty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the conditions under which rewarding compliant taxpayers is an optimal mechanism to improve tax collection. The theoretical model suggests that when auditing contributors and evading are both costly, rewarding tax compliance is an effective strategy to increase the government's profit. I provide empirical evidence from the Argentinian provinces' rewards and tax policy variation. Where the data suggest that theoretical conditions hold, there is a positive effect in the real estate per-capita tax collection ranging from 0.4 to more than 2 standard deviations. This result has important policy implications, mapping the private evasion cost and the price of traditional policy tools as the main determinants of positive incentives' effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As lawmakers produce norms, the underlying normative system is affected showing the intrinsic dynamism of law. Through undertaken actions of legal change, the normative system is continuously modified. In a usual legislative practice, the time for an enacted legal provision to be in force may differ from that of its inclusion to the legal system, or from that in which it produces legal effects. Even more, some provisions can produce effects retroactively in time. In this article we study a simulation of such process through the formalisation of a temporalised logical framework upon which a novel belief revision model tackles the dynamic nature of law. Represented through intervals, the temporalisation of sentences allows differentiating the temporal parameters of norms. In addition, a proposed revision operator allows assessing change to the legal system by including a new temporalised literal while preserving the time-based consistency. This can be achieved either by pushing out conflictive pieces of pre-existing norms or through the modification of intervals in which such norms can be either in force, or produce effects. Finally, the construction of the temporalised revision operator is axiomatically characterised and its rational behavior proved through a corresponding representation theorem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of this research is to analyze techno-productive experiences within the framework of renewable energy projects based on the use and exploitation of solar energy in a region defined by favorable bioclimatic conditions. Following a primarily qualitative method, the research has been based on four case studies of working groups and their experiences. Stakeholders from diverse origin and background, interested in developing their technologies (processes, inputs, components, equipment) for the use of solar energy have managed to enhance the links among such developments, the productive sector and the communities in the territorial area where they carry out their activities. As a possible path of sociotechnical transition, these specific processes materialize energy transition with the progressive change of production and consumption patterns in favor of climate action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our world needs to develop clean energy to reach the target of carbon peak and carbon neutralization. As one of clean energy, wind energy should contribute to energy conservation and emission reduction. Wind power generation is an important field of wind energy application. However, the fluctuation and intermittency of wind can affect the safety of power system. Therefore, prediction of wind power accurately for wind power safety, dispatching, and power grid development is significant. This paper proposes a prediction model of wind power, and predicts the wind power of two wind farms. For the complex wind speed series, the variational modal decomposition (VMD) method is used to reduce its volatility before prediction. And this paper presents an improved method to improve the prediction efficiency when least square support vector machine (LSSVM) predicts stationary series. The prediction result shows that the proposed model improves the prediction of wind power effectively, provides an effective method for wind farm to predict the wind power, and makes contributions to reducing carbon emissions and environmental protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies have shown that energy consumption from economic development leads to an increase in carbon emissions. Emerging economies, as important sources of carbon emissions with high growth potential, play a crucial role in global decarbonisation efforts. However, the spatial pattern and evolution trend of carbon emissions in emerging economies have not been studied in depth. Therefore, this paper uses the improved gravitational model and carbon emission data from 2000 to 2018 to construct a spatial correlation network of carbon emissions in 30 emerging economies around the world, aiming to reveal the spatial characteristics and influencing factors of carbon emissions at the national level. The results show that the spatial network structure of carbon emissions in emerging economies is closely linked, forming a "big network" of interconnection. Amongst them, Argentina, Brazil, Russia, Estonia, etc. are at the centre of the network and play a leading role. Geographical distance, economic development level, population density, and scientific and technological level have a significant impact on the formation of spatial correlation between carbon emissions. Further use of GeoDetector shows that the explanatory power of two-factor interaction on centrality is greater than that of a single factor, indicating that a single economic development cannot well enhance the influence of countries in the carbon emission network, and needs to be combined with factors such as industrial structure and scientific and technological level. These results are helpful to understand the correlation between carbon emissions between countries from the perspective of the whole and part and provide a reference for optimizing the carbon emission network structure in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Reproductive behaviour under natural conditions is hard to record, especially in rare and cryptic species, such as the Casuhatien anole (Pristidactylus casuhatiensis). This medium size lizard is endemic to the Sierras Australes Bonaerenses, a rocky outcrop in the Southern Pampas of Argentina. Methods: During spring and summer from 2018 to 2022, we surveyed five hills at above 600 m altitude, where specimens were known to occur. Every time we detected a courtship or copulation event, we took photographs of the specimens for their individual identification, and recorded the body temperature of the participating individuals as well as air temperature, wind speed and relative humidity. We recorded the duration in minutes of each phase of the event (immobilization, juxtaposition of the cloacae followed by copulation, and finally, restraint and separation) and described the main habitat features of the site where it happened. Results: We detected 12 reproductive events; all of them occurred in October and November, on Funke, Puntudo and Tres Picos hills, mostly between 1300 and 1700 h. The mean duration of each copulation phase was 6 min (95% CI = ± 1.4, n = 10), 4.3 min (95% CI = ± 1.8, n = 10) and 3.8 min (95% CI = ± 3.42, n = 10), respectively. Conclusion: The reproductive activity of the Casuhatien anole is concentrated in the spring, particularly in the early afternoon, following the patterns described for other species of lizards. During these events, the greatest exposure of individuals could make them more vulnerable. This, together with other features related to their reproductive behaviour revealed in this paper may contribute to the planning of conservation actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laparoscopic transcystic common bile duct exploration during laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the treatment of choice for patients with coexisting gallbladder and bile duct stones. Failure of this usually indicates laparoscopic choledocotomy, after which most patients are managed with primary duct closure and less frequently with T-tube placement or bilioenteric anastomosis. The objective of this paper is to describe the indications and complications of T-tube placement after laparoscopic choledocotomy in a consecutive series of single-stage management of 554 patients. Case series analysis of a prospectively collected historical database of all patients treated with T-tube drainage at Cosme Argerich Hospital from July 2008 and December 2020. Surgical indications and postoperative management will be discussed. Five hundred fifty-four patients underwent simultaneous scheduled laparoscopic cholecystectomy and common bile duct exploration during the analyzed period. One hundred thirteen (20.39%) required laparoscopic choledochotomy, after which 54 (48%) were treated with T-tube drainage, 23 for suspicion of incomplete bile duct clearance, 16 for impaired papillary drainage, 13 for inappropriate bile duct wall conditions, and 2 for lateral bile duct injuries. No significant morbidity was related to T-tube drainage. In our setting, and following a strict protocol, T-tube drainage after laparoscopic choledochotomy is a valid alternative to primary duct closure in selected patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anesthetics such as benzocaine, eugenol, and menthol are commonly used in fish in sustainable aquaculture practices. There is growing interest in exploring their beneficial antiparasitic properties. Cheirodon interruptus is a small native freshwater baitfish widely used in Argentina, South America. There is limited literature on the effects of different anesthetic and antiparasitic agents in C. interruptus. Thus, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the anesthetic and antiparasitic effects of benzocaine, eugenol and menthol in C. interruptus. A total of 165 C. interruptus adults were collected from a natural stream of the Salado River basin, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Fish were divided in 15 groups (n = 10) and exposed to different treatments: eugenol 10, 20, 50, 80 and100 mgL−1; benzocaine 20, 50, 80, 110 and140 mgL−1 and menthol 25, 50, 75, 100 and 125 mg L−1. Based on the idea that a good anesthetic induces sedation in less than 180 s and allows recovery in less than 300 s, results indicated that 20 mg L−1 eugenol, 125 mg L−1 menthol and 80 mg L−1 benzocaine meet the requirements for use as good anesthetics in C. interruptus. In addition, their antiparasitic effects were evaluated by assessing differences in the mean abundance of the monogenean Diaphorocleidus sp. Most of concentrations tested showed differences in the mean abundance of Diaphorocleidus sp. Eugenol 20 mg L−1 and benzocaine 80 mg L−1 decreased the parasite mean abundance, whereas menthol 125 mg L−1 showed no significant differences with the controls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previously unknown postharvest rots in Packham's Triumph pear were detected in a batch of long-term cold-stored fruit during 2022 in North Patagonia, Argentina. Rots were characterized according to their symptoms and the causal agent was isolated and identified through cultural and molecular methods. Pathogenicity tests were performed on different pear cultivars both at 20 °C and under storage conditions (0 °C − 95% RH). Koch's postulates were fulfilled by re-isolation of the pathogen. Our results indicated that Phacidiopycnis pyri was the causal agent of postharvest rot in the fruit examined. This would constitute the first report of P. pyri as a causal agent of postharvest decay in Argentina. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental problems on a global scale (such as climate change) are of increasing concern in the scholar. However, it is unclear to what extent society is aware of the severity of these problems. The aim of this study is to advance our knowledge about the environmental perceptions of citizens, with the understanding that citizen participation and action are key to mitigating environmental problems. Specifically, we aim to determine the degree of importance of demographic and sociocultural factors in this perception. To this end, data from 506 questionnaires carried out in Spain and Argentina were analysed. Quantitative data were treated using multivariate analysis based on multiple logistic regression. The results showed that demographic variables, such as location and age, have a greater influence than sociocultural variables, such as profession and sources of environmental information, in the perception of environmental problems. Our findings show that the analysis of environmental perception is a useful tool both for incorporating the point of view of local actors in public policies and for defining effective strategies for action in participatory management. They also show that the different age, occupation and profession of the population must be taken into account and that, to address specific environmental problems, it is necessary to carry out diagnoses focussed on demographic factors, mainly to find out which aspects should be strengthened through programmes and projects aimed at solving environmental problems. It is important to bear in mind that the behaviour of local actors is related to their environmental perception. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change impacts on fishery resources have been widely reported worldwide. Nevertheless, a knowledge gap remains for the warm-temperate Southwest Atlantic Ocean—a global warming hotspot that sustains important industrial and small-scale fisheries. By combining a trait-based framework and long-term landing records, we assessed species' sensitivity to climate change and potential changes in the distribution of important fishery resources (n = 28; i.e., bony fishes, chondrichthyans, crustaceans, and mollusks) in Southern Brazil, Uruguay, and the northern shelf of Argentina. Most species showed moderate or high sensitivity, with mollusks (e.g., sedentary bivalves and snails) being the group with the highest sensitivity, followed by chondrichthyans. Bony fishes showed low and moderate sensitivities, while crustacean sensitivities were species-specific. The stock and/or conservation status overall contributed the most to higher sensitivity. Between 1989 and 2019, species with low and moderate sensitivity dominated regional landings, regardless of the jurisdiction analyzed. A considerable fraction of these landings consisted of species scoring high or very high on an indicator for potential to change their current distribution. These results suggest that although the bulk of past landings were from relatively climate-resilient species, future catches and even entire benthic fisheries may be jeopardized because (1) some exploited species showed high or very high sensitivities and (2) the increase in the relative representation of landings in species whose distribution may change. This paper provides novel results and insights relevant for fisheries management from a region where the effects of climate change have been overlooked, and which lacks a coordinated governance system for climate-resilient fisheries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spectroscopic measurements of the low solar corona are crucial to understanding the mechanisms that heat the corona and accelerate the solar wind, yet the lowest solar radii ( R ⊙ ) of the corona are difficult to observe. Our expedition collected narrow wavelengths of visible light at 530.3, 637.4, and 789.2 nm emitted by Fe xiv, x, and xi ions, respectively, from the total solar eclipse on 2019 July 2 at 20:40 UTC in Rodeo, Argentina with a bespoke 3-channel spectrometer. This paper describes the instrument and data calibration method that enables diagnostics out to ≈ 1.0 R ⊙ above the solar limb within a bright helmet streamer. We find that Fe x and xi lines are dominant through 0.3 R ⊙ , with Fe xiv maintaining a stronger signal at higher elevations. Thermal line width broadening is consistent with 1.5 MK for the cooler Fe x, 2 MK for Fe xi, and 3 MK for the hotter Fe xiv line, which can be interpreted as differing density scale heights within isolated, isothermal flux tubes. The Doppler measurements correspond to bulk plasma motion ranging from −12 to +2.5 km s−1, with Fe xiv moving at nearly an assumed solid body rotation rate throughout 1.0 R ⊙ . After considering coronal rotation, these measurements are likely associated with plasma motion along the dominant longitudinal orientation of the magnetic field at the streamer base within 0.4 R ⊙ . These results show that high-resolution spectroscopy of visible light offers valuable diagnostics of the low corona, and lend insight into the interconnected loop complexity within helmet streamers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we developed an innovative and plural methodology for a socio-cultural assessment of ecosystem services (ES). This methodology was performed using diverse and interdependent tools applied within the framework of ethnoecology and post-normal science, with the aim of identifying ES from the perspective of local communities that inhabit different socio-ecosystems, highlighting the relevance of Indigenous and Local Knowledge (ILK). As examples of how this methodology works, we analyzed a multiple case study performed in three peasant communities of the Dry Chaco eco-region, Argentina. We identified ES in all the categories and their fundamental contributions to the particular way of life in this area. The method is flexible enough to be used in other socio-ecosystems with different environmental and social features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

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

Customer rephasing is one of the most efficient techniques for balancing loads, reducing losses, and improving electricity quality. Traditionally, phase changes were performed by an operator, interrupting the supply during the process. Instead, a more recent approach proposes using phase switching devices that dynamically and imperceptibly transfer the customer load from one phase to another. Although this solution requires an extra investment related to these devices, it preserves the balance over time. This paper presents a new method to determine the minimum number of devices that should be installed and find their optimal allocation. The method is based on genetic algorithms and only uses data from the substation and a fraction of the customers, requiring less than 50% of penetration of smart meters to fix the imbalance problem. A new control algorithm for the switching devices is also proposed. It was designed to reduce the load imbalance while maintaining the number of changes per customer to a minimum, reducing device degradation. The method was validated through simulations using data from Tucumán province, Argentina. With at least 40% of the customers measured, it is possible to allocate the switches to less than 20% of customers and correctly reduce the load imbalance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Argentina, current food and land-use systems are drivers of greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity loss, nutrient outflows, chemical pollution and water stress, while they fail to produce sustainable livelihoods for farmers and herders. Argentina must transition toward more sustainable food and land-use systems to achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and the objectives of the Paris Agreement. Here, we present mid-century food and land-use system pathways to achieve biodiversity, freshwater use, food production and greenhouse gas emission targets, co-developed with the government, research and civil society stakeholders. We used a multi-model approach, integrating outputs from a food system and land-use accounting tool (FABLE calculator), a land-use allocation model (Dinamica EGO) and a spatially explicit conservation prioritization approach (NatureMap) to construct a carbon neutral, actionable food system and land-use scenario that could also lead to the achievement of biodiversity, freshwater use, food production and carbon storage targets by 2050. Such integrated approaches are rare, despite their high value for helping cross-sectoral experts and policymakers cut through complexity to find pathways to achieve multiple sustainability objectives in tandem. This paper presents a nationally designed transferable methodology to: (1) construct a carbon neutral pathway toward 2050, (2) create spatially explicit land-use projections, (3) detect and assess trade-offs between sustainability goals, (4) modify this pathway to foster co-benefits and (5) work toward concurrent attainment of multiple SDGs. Preliminary results suggest Argentina is well suited to meet multiple SDGs, provided businesses, civil society and government agree to several key commitments, including completely halting deforestation, promoting afforestation and reforestation, and increasing agricultural productivity to spare natural lands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies an adjacent accumulation discrete grey model to improve the prediction of the grey model and enhance the utilization of new data. The impact of COVID-19 on the global economy is also discussed. Two cases are discussed to prove the stability of the adjacent accumulation discrete grey model, which helped the studied model attain higher forecasting accuracy. Using the adjacent accumulation discrete grey model, non-renewable energy consumption in G20 countries from 2022 to 2026 is predicted based on their consumption data from 2011 to 2021. It is proven that the adjacent accumulation exhibits sufficient accuracy and precision. Forecasting results obtained in this paper show that energy consumption of all the non-renewable sources other than coal has an increasing trend during the forecasting period, with the USA, Russia, and China being the biggest consumers. Natural gas is the most consumed non-renewable energy source between 2022 and 2026, whereas hydroelectricity is the least consumed. The USA is the biggest consumer of Nuclear energy among the G20 countries, whereas Argentina consumed only 0.1 Exajoules of nuclear energy, placing it at the end of nuclear energy consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Derogenes ruber Lühe, 1900, the type-species of the genus Derogenes Lühe, 1900, is a poorly known derogenid digenean. The original description of this species was not illustrated and aspects of the morphology of the parasite from the type-host remain scarce. Available records of this species were brief and/or lacked illustrations and were based on morphology alone. Additionally, molecular data for Derogenes spp. are warranted to untangle species complexes as they provide a better assessment of interspecific genetic divergence. Methods: Derogenes ruber is redescribed based on newly collected specimens from the gall bladder of its type-host Chelidonichthys lastoviza (Bonnaterre, 1788) collected in the Western Mediterranean off the Algerian coast during 2017–2019 and molecular data are provided using a partial fragment of the nuclear 28S ribosomal RNA gene (28S rRNA), the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) and a fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene. Results: We herein provide a detailed illustrated redescription and morphometric data of D. ruber from its type-host C. lastoviza. We report a new geographical record (off Algeria) for it. Derogenes ruber is also genetically characterised for the first time. Species/lineages of Derogenes were recovered in five strongly supported reciprocally monophyletic clades: (i) D. ruber from C. lastoviza off Algeria; (ii) D. lacustris from Galaxias maculatus (Jenyns) off Argentina; (iii) Lineage "D. varicus DV1" (D. varicus sensu stricto) from fish hosts in the White and Barents seas and the North Sea; (iv) Lineage "D. varicus DV2" from mollusc hosts in the White Sea; and (v) Lineage "D. varicus DV3" from Eumicrotremus fedorovi Mandrytsa. in the Pacific Ocean. Hence, comparison of the newly generated sequences with other available data for Derogenes species supports the distinction of D. ruber confirming its taxonomic status and helping assess interspecific variation. Comparison of D. ruber with the closely related species Derogenes latus revealed overlaps in morphometric data and the validity of the latter species is questioned. Conclusion: The combination of morphological and molecular data provided for D. ruber provides a firm foundation for further investigations of Derogenes spp. Although we do describe herein material of D. ruber from the type-host, given that the occurrence of a single Derogenes species in various hosts has been challenged by molecular data, and both D. lacustris and D. varicus sensu stricto had been genetically proven to occur in various hosts, D. ruber and D. latus may be indeed synonymous. Additional sequencing effort on Derogenes spp. will strengthen systematic comparative studies and evolutionary relationships within the Derogenidae in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: The chilla or grey fox (Lycalopex griseus) is a native species from continental Chile and neighboring areas of Argentina. It was introduced to Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego in 1951 and began to increase its abundance, to the chagrin of local sheep ranchers. Since 1998, its hunting has been authorized. Here we update information on the density, abundance, and activity of this fox in the Chilean sector of Tierra del Fuego Island, to evaluate its population trend since the last census conducted by the Servicio Agrícola y Ganadero (SAG) in 2007. Methods and results: We carried out two fox censuses on a 941-km transect on public roads, divided into eight routes, from October to November (spring) of 2021 and 2022, following the same design used by SAG for the fox assessments carried out from 1999 to 2007. We report a reduction of > 50% in the density and abundance of chilla foxes with respect to the 2007 estimate, which could be attributed to the interference by free-ranging dogs (Canis lupus familiaris), through restricting the use of space by the fox, while transmitting diseases and parasites, and to human hunting pressure and vehicle collisions. Discussion: The chilla fox decline highlights the need for an in-depth study to determine the ecological and socioeconomic impact of this exotic species on the ecosystems of Tierra del Fuego Island and the desirability of its management, if needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fish as bioindicators are a widely used tool for environmental monitoring of freshwater ecosystems worldwide. However, its adaptation to temperate Neotropical streams constitutes a challenge due to the presence of pauperised ichthyofauna with high tolerance to environmental degradation. We designed, evaluated, and validated an Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) that uses fish as bioindicators of the ecological integrity of streams of the Pampa Plain, Argentina. An integral characterization of the environmental conditions (water quality, habitat structure, and riparian condition) and fish assemblages were performed in 17 study sites (natural grasslands, urban, and livestock reaches). The IBI was designed with 10 metrics and showed to be sensitive to different environmental conditions due to significant differences between study sites and land uses. The IBI also showed to be responsive due to its significant associations with water quality, habitat structure variables, and some multimetric indexes. Moreover, when validated against a recently fish database, it demonstrated to be sensitive for use in other temperate streams exposed to similar environmental conditions. An integral environmental assessment as the one designed can lead to optimized strategies for the management and conservation of these fragile ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The items of the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale (Andreassen et al., 2012) were adapted to study the construct in Instagram users. This construct is defined as the tendency to be overly concerned about Instagram, spending so much time and effort on this platform to the point of harming other activities in the individual's life, interpersonal relationships and psychological well-being. Different Item Response Theory (IRT) models was applied for polytomous items in order to determine which one best explains the responses of those evaluated. The six items were translated into Spanish and evaluated by an expert jury. A total of 754 Instagram users from the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area took part in the study (65.8% women). An Exploratory Factor Analysis was performed to verify the unidimensional assumption and the assumption of local independence was corroborated. The results referring to the models fit data allows us to provide evidence that the Grades Response Model (GRM) presents the most adequate parametric structure to shape the subject's responses. All items were adjusted to GRM. Parameters a ranged from 2.02 to 3.45 (Mean = 2.69; SD = 0.49). Parameters b were located within the expected range (-3 to 3) with a minimum θ of -0.51 and a maximum of 2.74. The Ordinal Alpha and Omega were elevated. The Information Function shows a maximum value of 14.26 around a θ of 1.2. This function shows a negative asymmetry, indicating that the scale is more accurate for measuring high levels of the trait. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we compare reparation policies in Australia and Argentina. We analyse the difference between the reparations given by their respective governments to the Argentinian victims of the 'Dirty War' and to the 'Stolen Generations' in Australia. The aim of this paper is to compare the experience of victims in Argentina and Australia in relation to reparations to demonstrate that using only one type of reparations, either material or symbolic, is unsatisfactory for victims and does not repair the harm done. We also argue that the timing and the context in which reparations are offered can play a role in the victims' satisfaction with the governments' reparation policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Leptospirosis, the infectious disease caused by a spirochete bacteria, is a major public health problem worldwide. In Argentina, some regions have climatic and geographical characteristics that favor the habitat of bacteria of the Leptospira genus, whose survival strongly depends on climatic factors, enhanced by climate change, which increase the problems associated with people's health. In order to have a method to predict leptospirosis cases, in this paper, five time series forecasting methods are compared: two parametric (autoregressive integrated moving average and an alternative one that allows covariates, ARIMA and ARIMAX, respectively), two nonparametric (Nadaraya-Watson Kernel estimator, one and two kernels versions, NW-1 K and NW-2 K), and one semiparametric (semi-functional partial linear regression, SFPLR) method. For this, the number of cases of leptospirosis registered from 2009 to 2020 in three important cities of northeastern Argentina is used, as well as hydroclimatic covariates related to the presence of cases. According to the obtained results, there is no method that improves considerably the rest and can be recommended as a unique tool for leptospirosis prediction. However, in general, the NW-2 K method gets a better performance. This work, in addition to using a long-term high-quality time series, enriches the area of applications of statistical models to epidemiological leptospirosis data by the incorporation of hydroclimatic variables, and it is recommended directing further efforts in this line of research, under the context of current climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vicuñas (Vicugna vicugna) were at risk of extinction due to indiscriminate hunting for their fibre in the mid-twentieth century. The conservation of the species included numerous international and regional legal mechanisms, as well as the will and care of local communities. The vicuña was saved, and now it is classified as "Least concern" by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Sustainable harvest of vicuña fibre is achieved by way of the chaku, capture and live-shearing (an ancient practice, now informed by modern knowledge of biology). Although most communities and cooperatives sell raw fibre, prices are falling. The making of artisanal vicuña garments has been identified as an activity that potentially leads to sustainable development in the Andean Altiplano. This paper analyses a key aspect to achieve this goal, a detailed description of the production (including economic and time costs) involved in weaving a shawl. The manual work has been recognized, with an hourly rate and costs calculated. The first action before starting any intervention was a ceremony, in which the family women infused the fibre with the smoke of a local plant, k'oa (Parastrephia spp.). The rituals and traditions are an important part of livelihoods in the Andes. The steps to creating the finished garment were fibre acquisition, dehairing and cleaning the fibre, spinning, twisting, loom weaving, finishing and fringing. The techniques for spinning and weaving are an essential part of the indigenous cultural heritage; no intervention or suggestion was made in that regard. The final cost of the garment was approximately 3,300 US dollars and half of this cost was the dehairing and cleaning of the fibre. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper attempts to model both static and dynamic dependence structures and measure impacts of energy consumptions (both renewable (EC) and non-renewable (REN) energies), economic globalization (GLO), and economic growth (GDP) on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in Argentina over the period 1970–2020. For analyses purpose, the current research deploys the novel static and dynamic copula-based ARIMA-fGARCH with different submodels. The static bivariate copula results show that the growth rates of the pairs EC-CO2 and GDP-CO2 are asymmetrically positive co-movements and have high left tail (extreme) dependencies, implying that the increase in non-renewable energy and economic growth can critically contribute to the environmental degradation, and the decrease in the consumption of non-renewable energy at a high level will consequently reduce the CO2 emissions at the same level. Based on several copula-based dependence measures, we document that between the two factors, the non-renewable energy has a stronger impact than the economic growth regarding the CO2 emissions. On the other hand, the growth rates of both economic globalization and renewable energy symmetrically negatively co-move with the growth rates of the CO2 emissions, but they have no extreme dependencies, indicating that these factors contribute to Argentina's environmental quality, in which the factor of renewable energy has a greater impact. Furthermore, the dynamic copula outcomes show that the (tail) dependencies of CO2 emissions on the non-renewable energy and economic growth are time-varying, while the pairs REN-CO2 and GLO-CO2 possess only dynamic dependencies, but no dynamic tail dependencies. Moreover, through the dynamic copula-based dependence, the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis can be estimated and illustrated explicitly. In addition, we leverage multivariate vine copulas for modelling dependence structures of the five variables simultaneously, which can reveal rich information regarding conditional associations among the relevant variables. Some policy implications are also provided to mitigate CO2 emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A remarkable feature of the Argentinean economy is the widespread use of the US dollar as a measure of value, storage of value and in several high-end markets, as a medium of exchange. The use of this currency for these roles has been adopted by all the income strata in the country. Economists explain this, in what we call the rational narrative, as a rational response to the many uncertainties affecting the economy. On the other hand, sociologists and other social scientists have attributed this fact to a "cultural" bias. The latter is what we call the sociological narrative. These two conflicting narratives dominate the discussion on economic policies, particularly when the country enters in one if its frequent crises. In this paper we assess which of these two narratives is better supported by real-world data. For this, we use as a proxy for the interest in the US dollar the Internet searches for its value on the black market. The idea is that according to the sociological narrative, the interest in the value of the dollar precedes any actual change in the price of the American currency. On the other hand, an implication of the rational narrative is that increases in the value of the dollar (the usual variation in inflation-ridden Argentina) creates incentives to look for convenient purchasing opportunities. Thus, according to the rational narrative, searches should come after changes in the value of the dollar. We run several statistical analyses and find that the actual purchases of dollars precede Internet searches, allowing us to reject the sociological narrative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is concerned with simultaneously regrouping regions and sectors when analyzing the relative sectorial specialization of regions and the relative regional concentration of sectors. An automatic two-mode clustering algorithm is proposed with a view toward a concept of overall localization, corresponding to a discrepancy between an actual two-way contingency table (regions × sectors) and an hypothetical table reflecting independence between regions and sectors. This procedure identifies similar regions (respectively sectors) according to the relative sectorial (respectively regional) structure. This algorithm significantly reduces the size of the original table and obtain an optimal collapsed table with low level of information loss vis-à-vis the degree of overall localization. The properties and results of the algorithm are discussed through two applications, namely Argentina and Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In developing countries, the business environment is more uncertain, so normally, companies must continually seek new ways to compete, based on their innovation capability. This is especially necessary in small businesses that are created as a way of subsistence of the entrepreneur and their family (subsistence small businesses). The innovation of subsistence small businesses is very important in poorer areas of developing countries. Usually, the innovation systems condition the innovation of the companies, but the small size and the peripheral region can condition this effect. The research analyzes the effect of the different typology of sources of knowledge to increase the innovation capability in these businesses, combining regression with partial least squares. The research shows that external and internal sources of knowledge are important to increase innovation capability, and informal sources of knowledge are more important that formal sources, suggesting political actions to improve this process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accreditation in higher education has become omnipresent and, on many occasions, has been used as a synonym for quality assurance. The establishment of accreditation agencies as a worldwide phenomenon, however, is relatively recent in the history of higher education. Through a predominantly qualitative approach, this paper aims to analyze how programs from different academic disciplines perform in terms of the accreditation of graduate programs in Argentina and how different programs respond to the same accreditation process. Additionally, it analyzes the performance of private sector programs. As expected, academic disciplines play a vital role in the accreditation process, programmatic performance, and responses to this quality assurance mechanism while sector may not play a vital role. Surprisingly, soft pure programs perform better than both hard and soft applied programs. The results highlight the importance of considering both the paradigm (hard or soft) and level application (pure or applied) when analyzing the role of academic disciplines in higher education studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The conversion of forests into agricultural lands can be a threat because the forests carbon stored could be a source of emissions. The capacity to improve the predictions on the consequences of land use change depends on the identification of factors that influence carbon pools. We investigated the key driving factors of tree biomass and soil carbon pools in xerophytic forests in northeastern Argentina. Based on analyses of forest structure variables and abiotic factors (topography and soil properties) from 18 mature forests, we evaluated carbon pools using uni- and multivariate (redundancy analysis) methods. Results: The total carbon pool was estimated at 102.4 ± 24.0 Mg ha−1. Soil organic carbon storage is the single largest carbon pool relative to tree biomass, representing 73.1% of total carbon. Tree canopy cover and basal area were positively correlated with biomass carbon pool (r = 0.77 and r = 0.73, p < 0.001, respectively), proving to be significant drivers of carbon storage in this compartment. Slope, soil clay content and cation-exchange capacity had a better explanation for the variability in soil carbon pools, and all showed significant positive correlations with soil carbon pools (r = 0.64, 0.60 and 0.50; p < 0.05, respectively). The vertisols showed a 27.8% higher soil carbon stock than alfisols. Conclusions: The relevance of our study stems from a dearth of information on carbon pools and their drivers in xerophytic forests, and in particular, the importance of this ecosystems' type for Argentina, because they cover 81.9% of native forest area. Basal area and tree canopy cover exert a strong effect on the carbon pool in tree biomass but not in the soil. The results suggests that there is a potentially major SOC accumulation in forests located in slightly sloping areas and soils with higher topsoil clay content, such as vertisols. This could provide an important reference for implementing forestry carbon sink projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insect faunas from the latest Cretaceous are poorly known worldwide. Particularly, in the Southern Hemisphere, there is a gap regarding insect assemblages in the Campanian-Maastrichtian interval. Here we present an insect assemblage from the Maastrichtian Chorrillo Formation, southern Argentina, represented by well-preserved and non-deformed, chitinous microscopic remains including head capsules, wings and scales. Identified clades include Chironomidae dipterans, Coelolepida lepidopterans, and Ephemeroptera. The assemblage taxonomically resembles those of Cenozoic age, rather than other Mesozoic assemblages, in being composed by diverse chironomids and lepidopterans. To the best of our knowledge, present discovery constitutes the first insect body fossils for the Maastrichtian in the Southern Hemisphere, thus filling the gap between well-known Early Cretaceous entomofaunas and those of Paleogene age. The presented evidence shows that modern clades of chironomids were already dominant and diversified by the end of the Cretaceous, in concert with the parallel radiation of aquatic angiosperms which became dominant in freshwater habitats. This exceptional finding encourages the active search of microscopic remains of fossil arthropods in other geological units, which could provide a unique way of enhancing our knowledge on the past diversity of the clade. An insect assemblage gathered from the Chorrillo Formation in Argentina constitutes an important set of insect body fossils for the Maastrichtian interval in the Southern Hemisphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the late 1800s and early 1900s, Argentina was among the ten richest economies in terms of gross domestic product per capita with the United States being the leading economy most of the time. However, Argentina grew less and was less stable than the United States in a period of over 140 years (1875–2018). Structural breaks (1935 and 1975) were identified in the declining ratio of Argentina's gross domestic product per capita long-term trend to that of the United States, as well as in the long-term per capita growth rates of Argentina (1911 and 1975) and the United States (1935). The declining ratio partly reflects that growth in the United States accelerated after 1935 (during the post-1930 Great Depression recovery and the Second World War years) while it decelerated in Argentina after 1975 (in the context of large government deficits, high inflation, the first oil crisis, and the Latin American debt crisis). A Bayesian estimation model suggests that long-term growth was generally higher and less volatile in the United States than in Argentina, with relatively low spillovers from one country to the other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper evaluates whether exposure to natural disasters very early in the life of a person has persistent effects on her human development outcomes in the case of Argentina. Using the microdata of the 2010 National Census of Population and the Disaster Inventory System's (DesInventar) records of the occurrence of natural disasters, we estimate a differences in differences model, exploiting geographical variation (between districts of Argentina) and temporal variation (between birth cohorts) in the occurrence of natural disasters. Fixed effects are considered by cohorts and districts, as well as control variables. We find that exposure to natural disasters during the first year of life significantly reduces the number of years of schooling achieved in 0.03 years and increases the chances of being unemployed when adult. Importantly, we find that the personal experience of a natural disaster goes beyond individual outcomes, increasing the chances of living in a multidimensionally poor household when adult. Exposure to natural disasters during gestation also has significant detrimental impact on these outcomes. In the context of climate change, in which an increase in the frequency and severity in the occurrence of natural disasters is expected, our results are a call of attention, indicating that it is of outmost importance to design and implement public policies towards increasing the country's preparedness and resilience to natural disasters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Rosario, Argentina, a city of more than one million people strategically located on the Paraná River in the heart of a fertile agricultural region, is home to a significant industrial corridor where ongoing urbanization for industry, including that associated with the port complex and agroexport industries, vies for real estate space with peri-urban and urban farming production. The city is also the site of thriving municipal programs seeking to change food production and consumption outcomes through urban and peri-urban agriculture projects rooted in agroecology. This paper identifies the socio-natures critical for the formation and endurance of these agroecology assemblages. Based on interviews with 30 stakeholders in government, civil society, and agricultural production, we describe the integrated approach to environmental, social, and economic sustainability embedded in Rosario's institutional agroecology programs. In particular, we discuss the actors and strategies (which seek to preserve land for agricultural uses), discursive renderings of socio-natures (as valuable biodiverse territories and productive diverse bodies), and the marketing of agroecological materialities (through production for public markets) that form and are formed by these assemblages. We also discuss the power dynamics embedded in sustaining urban and peri-urban agroecological projects through institutional means. This research contributes to literature on agroecology, urban agriculture, and the urban metabolism through providing empirical examples of socio-natural entanglements in urban agroecological assemblages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on ethnographic data collected in three informal communities, one in Argentina, one in México, and one in Ecuador, we address the long-standing question posed by Larissa Lomnitz's and Carol Stack's now-classic studies of how impoverished people not only survive but what strategies they adopt in an attempt to build a dignified life. By focusing on the diversity of strategies by which the urban poor solve the everyday problems of individual and collective reproduction, we move beyond the macro-level analysis of structural constraint and material deprivation. Our findings show a remarkable continuity in the difficulties residents of these informal communities confronted and the problem-solving strategies they resorted to. We found that networks of kin and friends continue to play a crucial role in how poor people not only survive but attempt to get ahead. Additionally, we highlight the role of patronage networks and collective action as central to strategies by which the urban poor cope with scarcity and improve their life chances, while also paying close attention to ways in which they deal with pressing issues of insecurity and violence. The paper shows that poor people's survival strategies are deeply imbricated in routine political processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the tensions between ideals about sociology (and what it ought to be) transmitted during university socialization and the everyday working activities among Argentinean sociologists. It focuses on an extreme case: that of the graduates who, lacking the opportunity or the desire to join the professoriate, became market researchers. The case is extreme because while university training provided these individuals with a set of methodological and analytical skills that proved to be useful (and profitable) when studying consumers and markets, it also encouraged a critical, world-rejecting, view of the discipline which was at odds with their professional activities. Not surprisingly, they encountered a distressing moral puzzle: were they betraying sociology's progressive values, values to which they were seriously committed? Building on E. Hughes' concept of "dirty work", this paper examines how these individuals navigated an occupation that was, at least initially, seen as morally objectionable, and the ways by which they came to imbue it with new and edifying "sociological" value. This article is based on interviews with sociologists working in market research and a socio-historical account of the School of Sociology at the University of Buenos Aires, the nation's most important program, where all our interviewees were trained. This study has implications for understanding situations in which actual professional practices are in sharp contrast with the ideals presented during university socialization, and the identity repair processes that university-trained workers undertake when dealing with deviant careers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is concerned with the dynamics and stability of a flapping flag, with emphasis on the onset of flutter instability. The mathematical model is based on the one derived in a paper by Argentina and Mahadevan (Proc Nat Acad Sci 102:1829–1834, 2005). In that paper, it is reported that the effect of vortex shedding from the trailing edge of the flag, represented by the complex Theodorsen function C, has a stabilizing effect, in the sense that the critical flow speed (where flutter is initiated) is increased significantly when vortex shedding is included. The numerical eigenvalue analyses of the present paper display the opposite effect: the critical flow speed is decreased when the Theodorsen function (i.e., vortex shedding) is included. These predictions are verified by an analytical energy balance analysis, where it is proved that a small imaginary part of the Theodorsen function, C = 1 - i ϵ , 0 < ϵ ≪ 1 , has a destabilizing effect, i.e., the critical flow speed is smaller than by the so-called quasi-steady approximation C = 1 - i 0 . Furthermore, order-of-magnitude considerations show that Coriolis and centrifugal force terms in the equation of motion, previously discarded on the assumption that they are associated with very slow changes across the flag, have to be retained. Numerical results show that these terms have a significant effect on the stability of the flag; specifically, the said destabilizing effect of the vortex shedding is significantly reduced when these terms are retained. The mentioned energy balance analysis illuminates the nature of the flutter oscillations and the 'competition', at the flutter threshold, between the different types of fluid forces acting on the flag. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the current rise in acceptability and legitimacy of and participation in Chabad-Lubavitch by non-Orthodox Argentine Jews, both in Argentina and abroad. The study draws on ethnographic and qualitative interview data among three groups of Argentine Jews: those who live in the USA, those who have lived abroad but repatriated to Argentina, and frequent travelers between Argentina and other countries. The study places the migrants (permanent, transitory, or return) at the heart of the analysis and examines ways in which information about Chabad is shared among transnational networks. The result is greater attendance at Chabad enters and a rise in acceptability of the Chabad-Lubavitch, leading to an enlarged network of participants within the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, both at the center and at the margin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we use five complementary conceptual perspectives to describe, contextualize and explain the work and accomplishments of Rabbi Marshall Meyer (1930–1993), a dynamic American expatriate and educator, public intellectual and human rights activist in Argentina, from the 1960s to the 1980s. They are as follows: internationalism and transnationalism as a trademark of Judaism; the religious mutation of Latin America; exiles and expatriates as innovators of knowledge and agents of transculturation; the supply side of religion and the religious entrepreneur; and personal characteristics and attributes of leadership. Specifically, we analyze some mechanisms that help to explain his impact in Jewish life first in Latin America, and then in the USA, like mediation, transculturalization; the place of hybridization in the development of a Jewish liberation theology; the creation of new human resources through the establishment of the Seminario Rabínico Latinoamericano as a new center for the circulation of new ideas and leaders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]