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This paper presents a study of the San Isidro archaeological site in El Salvador, providing significant insights into the development of Preclassic settlements in the region. Through analysis of ceramic sequences, radiocarbon dating, and excavations, the study traces the site's evolution and its contextual significance within Mesoamerican and Isthmo-Colombian spheres. We report on the discovery of over 50 mounds constructed around 400 b.c., indicating the emergence of a complex social structure at that time. The unearthed artifacts, including jade objects and Bolinas-type figurines, suggest cultural exchange with often distant regions of Mesoamerica and the Isthmo-Colombian area. This research not only contributes to understanding the chronological and geographic development of San Isidro but also highlights the site's role in broader Preclassic Mesoamerican cultural dynamics. Our findings challenge existing perceptions of cultural peripherality and emphasize the need for nuanced regional studies in reconstructing ancient Central American history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

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

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

Copyright of Revista de Fomento Social is the property of ETEA 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.)

Educational travel, and in particular study abroad programs, are generally beneficial to students, but less is known about impacts on the communities in which they are located. This study explores such impacts for a small rural community in Costa Rica that has hosted dozens of ecotourism and study abroad programs. Sixteen interviews were conducted in the community to explore the social and cultural rewards and costs of these programs, including cultural changes such as increases in community members speaking English, availability of drugs and alcohol, appreciation of nature, and adoption of sustainable living practices. We analyze these impacts by examining common programmatic assumptions about study abroad and borrowing biological constructs of symbiosis to diagram the potential trade-offs and costs for the local community – as the basis for developing more mutualistic, decolonized programs in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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A case of a non-fatal crocodile attack on a human was reported on the banks of the Segovia River on the Honduras and Nicaragua border. The 12-year-old girl survived the attack, only with damage to the tibia of her right leg, where she lost part of the muscle tissue due to the bite. It was after the attack that the American crocodile was shot and killed by local people. In this paper, we discuss the possible causes of crocodile attacks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Knowing levels and determinants of partnership acquisition will help inform interventions that try to reduce transmission of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV. Methods: We used population-based, cross-sectional data from 47 Demographic and Health Surveys to calculate rates of partner acquisition among men and women (15–49 years), and identified socio-demographic correlates for partner acquisition. Partner acquisition rates were estimated as the total number of acquisitions divided by the person-time in the period covered by the survey. For each survey and by sex, we estimated age-specific partner acquisition rates and used age-adjusted piecewise exponential survival models to explore whether there was any association between wealth, HIV status and partner status with partner acquisition rates. Results: Across countries, the median partner acquisition rates were 30/100 person-years for men (interquartile range 21–45) and 13/100 person-years for women (interquartile range 6–18). There were substantial variations in partner acquisition rates by age. Associations between wealth and partner acquisition rates varied across countries. People with a cohabiting partner were less likely to acquire a new one, and this effect was stronger for women than men and varied substantially between countries. Women living with HIV had higher partner acquisition rates than HIV-negative women but this association was less apparent for men. At a population level, partner acquisition rates were correlated with HIV incidence. Conclusions: Partner acquisition rates are variable and are associated with important correlates of STIs and thus could be used to identify groups at high risk of STIs. How people acquire new sexual partners is an important determinant of sexually transmitted infections (STI) transmission, including HIV. This analysis uses a new way of measuring partner acquisition and found that this new measure was related to people's age, sex, wealth, partnership status and HIV status. This measure could be used to help identify population groups at high risk of STIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

In 1983, the world ʼs first rehabilitation centre for torture victims opened in Copenhagen. Individual Chilean activists in European exile had already set up smaller psychosocial centres before. In the dictatorships of the Cono Sur and Central America, but also in other parts of the world, local human rights activists had also begun to join theory and practice of their struggle for liberation with the psychosocial care of survivors of socio-political traumatization processes. Liberation psychology, which also reached the founders of the first European centres through international solidarity, played a key role in this. The essay traces this intertwined history of liberation struggles, human rights work, international solidarity and the founding of therapy centres. From the very beginning, the fight against torture focused on the individual and social rehabilitation of survivors as well as the criminal prosecution of perpetrators. Today, however, many of the centres that have since been founded in numerous German cities have swapped this orientation for a self-image as pure care facilities. Additional political commitment focuses at best on supporting traumatized refugees in Germany. The authors therefore call for a revitalization of international solidarity partisanship in German psychosocial centres and for reconstructing their self-image of being part of the international human rights movement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We discuss key health challenges currently faced by countries in the Central America and Dominican Republic region after the COVID-19 pandemic. We highlight the influence of socioeconomic determinants for the challenging public health dynamics observed and the crucial roles that regional cooperation and health economic research can have for tackling such challenges. We present a descriptive overview of the current situation of public finances and its effect on government capacity to improve social expenditure. We also discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis on social dynamics and living conditions in the region. Our analysis suggests that the interplay between all these factors is likely to have important consequences for health systems and population health in the post-pandemic period. Previous examples of successful cross-country cooperation in the region indicate the great potential that these initiatives have for supporting health system resilience against current challenges. Technical cooperation must be informed by (currently unavailable) research evidence that can guide decision making, especially health economic research to support national health resource allocation policies. Areas identified as priorities for applied health economic research include both macro and microeconomic analyses. Central America and the Dominican Republic face significant health challenges post-pandemic. Our article emphasizes the great potential that regional technical cooperation, informed by further health economic research, has to improve public policies and health governance in the region. • Central America and the Dominican Republic were particularly vulnerable to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which further aggravated the region's structural problems and exposed the weaknesses and gaps within health and social protections systems. • We show the detrimental impacts of the pandemic on public finances and on government capacity to increase social expenditure in the Central America and Dominican Republic region. We also illustrate how the interplay of factors including constrained domestic fiscal space for health, rising inflation and food insecurity, aggravated poverty and inequalities, and increased migration flows poses substantial risks for health systems and population health in the post-pandemic period. • Previous examples of successful cross-country cooperation in the region illustrate the great potential that these initiatives have for supporting health system resilience against current challenges. Such cooperation must be informed by research evidence that can robustly guide decision making in particular health economic research to support national health resource allocation policies, including both macro (eg, health expenditure productivity) and microeconomic (eg, health technology assessment) analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Recent research conducted in southern Sonora, Mexico provides an opportunity to revisit debates about interaction between Mesoamerica and the North American Southwest (NAS). In the borderland between these traditions, communities show few signs of cultural amalgamation, instead exhibiting either an avoidance of overt identity markers or an emphasis on more local connections. This pattern contrasts with most discussions of Mesoamerican influence on the NAS that focus on regionally atypical centers of foreign goods consumption or evidence of foreign religious traditions in distant localities. By recentering on local contexts where cultural amalgamation is expected but minimal, we raise important questions about why more distant groups found Mesoamerican societies to be worthy of emulation. The results suggest researchers should devote equal attention to cases in which distinct identities are erased or suppressed as they do to cases in which social boundaries are maintained or created anew. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Revista de Fomento Social is the property of ETEA 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.)

Tropical cyclones pose a major risk to mangroves, yet the evolution of risk in response to altered cyclone activity under climate change remains largely unexplored. Analyzing 1886 tropical cyclones (1980–2020), we found that mangrove ecosystems were most prone to major cyclones (Category 3–5), and that intense cyclones (Category 4–5) contributed 97% of the global risk of damage. Risk hotspots were found in mangroves bordering the Gulf of Mexico/Caribbean Sea, the South Indian Ocean, and the Northwest Pacific. With warming of 2°C, the risk changes were projected to be modest (+3%) at the global scale but substantial and divergent at the regional level. Risk in North America (including Central America) and Oceania was predicted to increase and decrease by more than 10%, respectively. Our results identify regions where cyclone‐activity‐induced ecosystem changes may be expected and where mangrove management needs to prioritize cyclone resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The issue of word classes has a long-standing tradition in the European history of the language sciences. Amongst scholars of Otopamean languages there is a rather clear agreement that little positive evidence for the existence of a proper class of adjectives is to be found in this very language family. Such analyses are not at all rare for Mesoamerican languages. The paper will focus on the representation of this discussion in old colonial and postcolonial grammars, dictionaries and texts about the Pamean subgroup – works which mostly stem from the context of missionary writers in the first place. Specifically, it will try to illustrate the indecisiveness and sometimes seemingly hesitant treatment of how to deal with the European concept of 'adjectives' in those languages – even in postcolonial times. We will argue that the critical points brought up in the recent theoretical and descriptive discussion reflect problems that authors in the history up to the 20th century had with this very category (like overlaps with certain verb types or with nouns, according to adjective classes). With varying breadth and depth, the sources taken into account concern Pamean, namely Northern, Southern and Central Pame. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Purpose: In this paper, the authors suggest that Central Americans can use entrepreneurship to solve economic uncertainty in their home country and that entrepreneurship can contribute to reducing the number of undocumented migrants to the USA. Design/methodology/approach: The authors first illustrate the context of Central American illegal migration to the USA from a transitional entrepreneurship perspective, the authors address the economic drivers of illegal migration from Central America, which results in marginalization in the USA. Second, the authors build a theoretical model that suggests that Central Americans can improve their entrepreneurial abilities through the entrepreneurial cognitive adjustment mechanism. Findings: Central Americans at risk of illegally migrating to the USA have high entrepreneurial aptitudes. Entrepreneurship can help them avoid the economic uncertainty that drives Central Americans to illegally migrate to the USA and become part of a marginalized community of undocumented immigrants. This conceptual paper introduces an entrepreneurial cognitive adjustment mechanism as a tool for Central Americans to reshape their personalities and increase their entrepreneurial abilities in their home countries. In particular, entrepreneurial intentions reshape the personality characteristics of individuals (in terms of high agreeableness and openness to experiences, as well as low neuroticism) through the entrepreneurial cognitive adjustment mechanism, which consists of reflective action in sensemaking, cognitive frameworks in pattern recognition and coping in positive affect. Originality/value: This paper studies Central Americans at risk of illegal migration using the lens of transitional entrepreneurship, which advances the understanding of the antecedents to marginalized immigrant communities in the USA and suggests a possible solution for this phenomenon. Besides, the authors build a cognitive mechanism to facilitate the transitional process starting from entrepreneurial intention to reshaping individuals' personality, which further opens individuals' minds to entrepreneurial opportunities. Since entrepreneurial intention applies the same way to all entrepreneurs, the authors' aim of constructing the entrepreneurial intention unfolding process will go beyond transitional entrepreneurship and contribute to intention-action knowledge generation (Donaldson et al., 2021). Moreover, the conceptual study contributes to public policy such that international and local agencies can better utilize resources and implement long-term solutions to the drivers of illegal migration from Central America to the USA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thousands of ballcourts are known throughout Mesoamerica, as they are usually a main component of public architecture at mostly high-ranking archaeological sites. These buildings appear in different designs and layouts and were deeply tied to politics, religion, sacred belief, ritual, ceremonies, and sport. Considering that the construction of public buildings followed well-established architectural standards in accordance with social norms and religious concepts, I hypothesize that ballcourts were designed using closed polygon layouts with lengths and areas that displayed significant worldview numbers and time counts. Analysis of the layouts of 28 ballcourts from 17 archaeological sites indicates that Mesoamericans intentionally plotted short- and long-term annual and ritual calendric counts, and lunar and Venus synodic cycles. It is concluded that these buildings hosted public events to commemorate the completion or beginning of a new time cycle and to honor the related deities for whom they were built. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents new maps of the topographic and geophysical setting and seismicity in the region of the Gulf of Panama. The spatial analysis is based on the comparative analysis of the datasets on geoid, free-air gravity anomaly, topography and earthquakes. The cartographic framework is developed using the Generic Mapping Tools (GMT) scripting toolset. Seismic activity in the Central America is high due to the complex geologic setting, tectonic activity and lithosphere plate subduction. The data include the Earth Gravitational Model (EGM2008), the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO) and gravity grids. The seismicity data were collected from the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) catalogue on 1970-2021. The variations in data were compared to analyse correlations between the geophysical, seismic and topographic parameters. Free-air gravity, geoid and topographic data derived from the high-resolution datasets were used to investigate their effects on the main seismic sources in the region. The comparison of the maps showed that the distribution of the shallow earthquakes in the Pacific segment of Panama coincides with negative free-air anomalies and lower geoid values. The results revealed high values of geoid in the high mountainous regions of Panama (Cordilliera de Talamanca, southern coast of Peninsula de Azuero and eastern Panama, 77.5-78.5°W), which correspond to the topographic roughness in the highlands. Negative values of geoid are found over the Caribbean Sea basin (-4 to 0 m). The analyses of seismicity showed 1740 earthquake events varying by magnitudes from 2.9 to 7.8 at the depths up to 225 m (near the west coast of Colombia). A high concentration of the earthquakes is in the western region of the Panama's shelf waters (~82-83.5°W), and on the border with Colombia (~77-78.5°W). High gravity anomalies (over 220 mGal) are found in the mountainous regions which match the geodynamic processes associated with the Earth structure and geodetic and geophysical effects. The regions of the high seismicity were defined in the Gulf of Chiriqui and eastern part of the Gulf of Panama. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Roads severely affect the health of ecosystems across the globe by fragmenting and diminishing habitats, reducing population connectivity, and increasing animal mortality. Wildlife underpasses allow for increased road permeability–the ability for animals to safely cross the road. Despite growing success in other regions, little is known about underpass usage in Central America. In this study, I monitored two dry circular culverts and two unfenced tunnels with barbed wire partially blocking their entrances on Route 606 in Guacimal, Costa Rica, from 14 November to 6 December 2021 using 15 camera traps to assess which species used them to cross. Twelve species used the culverts and tunnels for a total of 108 individual crossings. The tunnels were used, in descending order, by agouti (Dasyprocta punctata), common opossum (Didelphis marsupialis), dog (Canis familiaris), nine-banded armadillo (Dasyous novemcinctus), cat (Felis catus), Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus), ocelot (Leopardus pardalis), squirrel (Sciurus variegatoides), northern tamandua (Tamandua mexicana), and coati (Nasua narica). The circular tunnel, Tunnel 1, was used more frequently and by a greater diversity of species than observed in the square tunnel, Tunnel 2. The two smaller culverts were used by common opossum (Didelphis marsupialis), cat (Felis catus), rat opossum (Micoureus alstoni), and Watson’s climbing rat (Tylomus watsoni). Culvert 2 was used more frequently; however, Culvert 1 was used by a greater diversity of species. This study highlights wildlife underpasses as a critical strategy for biological conservation in Costa Rica through improved road safety and habitat connectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I describe seasonal changes in the distribution of Least Terns (Sternula antillarum) along the Atlantic and Caribbean coasts based on banding recoveries and data submitted to eBird and WikiAves. Human disturbance of nesting sites and habitat loss has caused declines in most populations, necessitating focused conservation activities. Yet little is known about where these birds occur away from their breeding colonies, or what survival threats they may face. Limited observations during the non-breeding season in the Caribbean and along the Atlantic coasts of Central and South America are typically assumed to be individuals from breeding colonies along the east and Gulf coasts of the U.S. and along the Missouri and Mississippi rivers and their tributaries. However, existence of nesting sites throughout the Caribbean, along the Atlantic coast of Central America, and along the north coast of South America indicate a more complicated distributional picture. Most of the limited band recoveries obtained south of the U.S. are of birds killed during hunting activities. Future research attention, especially including banding at South American, Central American, and Caribbean nesting sites, and efforts during October–April to locate and identify marked birds, is necessary to develop a full life cycle conservation strategy for this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Teoría y Praxis is the property of Editorial Universidad Don Bosco 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 Teoría y Praxis is the property of Editorial Universidad Don Bosco 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.)

Research at the Selin Farm site in northeastern Honduras examined changing cultural landscapes in a region whose prehistory is poorly understood. Low-impact field methods and radiocarbon dates reveal how this cultural landscape changed in response to shifting priorities among its inhabitants from a.d. 300–1000. We found evidence for rapid accumulation of deposits beginning around a.d. 600, when the site nearly doubled in size over the span of just decades, before retracting again within a few centuries. Although it was caught up in some of the broader social and political changes that began around a.d. 600 throughout northern Honduras and southern Mesoamerica, the longevity of this site suggests stability of the cultural and ecological systems in which it was embedded until the final centuries of occupation. Well-preserved, long-term deposits make Selin Farm an ideal location in which to explore entangled processes of environmental and social change in the little-known small-scale societies of Central America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus) is one of the most easily observed North American raptors during migration, yet little is known about its distribution during the nonbreeding season. To better understand the winter distribution of Broad-winged Hawks by age, we compiled 2164 Broad-winged Hawk sightings with age data and 25,797 sightings without age data reported to eBird during the nonbreeding period from 2000–2020. The mean latitude of adult birds was significantly farther south than the mean latitude of immatures, with broad overlap in the distribution of both age classes from the United States through South America. The distribution of birds that were not aged overlapped the distribution of both age classes. A higher proportion of immatures was observed in the United States through Central America, with a mean latitude of 15.69°N, whereas adults were concentrated in Central and South America (with a mean latitude of 9.93°N). When only birds wintering south of the United States were analyzed, immatures were still found farther north than adults, although the latitude difference was less. The winter age class distribution for Broad-winged Hawks could result from short-stopping behavior occurring more often in immatures than adults. Further research is needed to understand how geographic, sex, and age class groups may differ in winter distributions and the implications of these patterns. Citizen science data from eBird proved useful in examining broad-scale patterns in Broad-winged Hawk winter distribution and is a valuable resource to scientists evaluating avian distributions. Buteo platypterus es una de las rapaces norteamericanas más fáciles de observar durante la migración, pero se sabe poco sobre su distribución durante la temporada no reproductiva. Para comprender mejor la distribución invernal por edad de esta especie, recopilamos 2164 avistamientos de B. platypterus con datos de edad y 25,797 avistamientos sin datos de edad reportados a eBird durante el período no reproductivo de 2000–2020. La latitud media de las aves adultas se ubicó significativamente más al sur que la latitud media de las aves inmaduras, con una amplia superposición en la distribución de ambas clases de edad desde los Estados Unidos hasta América del Sur. La distribución de las aves sin datos de edad se superpuso con la distribución de ambas clases de edad. Se observó una mayor proporción de inmaduros en Estados Unidos y a lo largo de América Central, con una latitud media de 15.69°N, mientras que los adultos se concentraron en América Central y del Sur (con una latitud media de 9.93°N). Cuando solo se analizaron las aves que invernaban al sur de los Estados Unidos, los inmaduros aún se encontraron más al norte que los adultos, aunque la diferencia de latitud fue menor. La distribución de clases de edad durante el invierno para B. platypterus podría deberse a un comportamiento de parada corta que ocurre con más frecuencia en los inmaduros que en los adultos. Se necesita más investigación para comprender cómo los grupos geográficos, de sexo y de clase de edad pueden diferir en las distribuciones de invierno y las implicaciones de estos patrones. Los datos de ciencia ciudadana de eBird demostraron ser útiles para examinar patrones a gran escala en la distribución invernal de B. platypterus y son un recurso valioso para los científicos que evalúan las distribuciones de las aves. [Traducción del equipo editorial] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The famous Maya blue, a nanostructured hybrid organic–inorganic material, has been the subject of numerous studies since its discovery in 1931. These mainly focused on mural paintings, manuscripts, cultural artifacts from ancient Mesoamerica, and notable examples of syncretic art produced in early colonial times in New Spain as a result of the convergence of Mesoamerican and European traditions. This article reports on the identification of Maya blue in the wall painting programs of four mendicant monasteries founded in Southern and Central Mexico during the sixteenth century. It discusses the pictorial effects, painting mixtures, and artistic inventiveness of indigenous artists who expressed themselves through the quality of color and the meanings of materials by using Maya blue in Christian images. This article proposes that Maya blue reappeared in the palette of local artists in the second half of the sixteenth century, as a traditional technology that integrated the complex worldview of Mesoamerican cultures and their knowledge of its extraction, production, and use in the art of painting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The article presents the author's experience of working with a select group of companies dedicated to building more ethical and sustainable partnerships with their botanical ingredient suppliers through the Sustainable Herbs Program. It mentions that growing turmeric and other spices alongside coffee offers additional income to smallholders, provides field jobs during the slow season for coffee, and diversified income to coffee farmers to become more resilient in the changing environment.

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Copyright of Secuencia: Revista de Historia y Ciencias Sociales is the property of Instituto de Investigaciones - Dr. Jose M. Luis Mora 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 Secuencia: Revista de Historia y Ciencias Sociales is the property of Instituto de Investigaciones - Dr. Jose M. Luis Mora 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.)

Floods constitute one of the most damaging natural hazards in the world. Seasonal and extraordinary rainfall recurrently trigger different types of floods in Costa Rica. An integrated and efficient flood risk management requires comprehensive understanding on the flood driving variables. This study analyzes and classifies the 82 Costa Rican municipalities in terms of hazard, exposure, and vulnerability to floods. Then, an index for flood risk is designed to comprehend the risk driver's role (hazard, exposure, and vulnerability) at a local level. The present method provides a flood risk index on a municipal scale done through a statistical validation of different sources of municipal-level data. Higher flood risk values mostly occur in municipalities located in extensive flatlands, medium to large areas in both the Pacific and Caribbean basins, as well as borderlands and coastal regions. The results can promote flood risk assessment plans in developing countries or regions where baseline information is limited. This approach has been absent in most of the national flood risk policies, specifically the plans analyzing the likelihood of short, mid, and long-term decline of risk conditions influencing flood disasters. • Floods constitute the most damaging natural hazard in Costa Rica. • Flood hazard, exposure, and vulnerability indexes were created. • The flood risk index was created at a municipal scale for Costa Rica. • Higher flood risk values mostly occur in flat borderlands and coastal regions. • These results promote flood risk assessments in regions with limited data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food systems are under pressure to produce more food of higher quality while reducing the pressure on natural resources. Currently, land degradation is widespread, especially in areas with smallholder farming. Agricultural extension may help farmers to adopt sustainable practices. However, adoption rates of interventions are often low in smallholder farming. This paper carries out an ex-ante analysis to determine to what extent the perception of soil characteristics (land cover, slope, soil organic matter, surface stoniness, and texture) and soil variability (how much acid or basic is the soil, i.e., pH level, and level of electric conductivity-EC) limit adoption with the final goal to design better policies to crop productivity. Differences in the perception of soil characteristics and variability between farmers and agricultural specialists, may result in situations where technological packages arrive at farms that are not likely to adopt or do not arrive at farmers that are likely to adopt. This paper studies differences in perception of soil characteristics and soil variability between agricultural specialists and farmers. Smallholder farmers in Central America producing beans were found to have different perceptions of soil characteristics relative to agricultural specialists. In addition, soil variability was considerable. As a result, it is concluded that soil perception and soil variability are likely causes of low adoption rates. Reducing the information gap with respect to the real needs of farmers will make policies more effective, resulting in higher adoption rates of new technologies and increased productivity. • Reducing the information gap with respect to the real needs of farmers will make policies more effective. • Strategies that do not consider farmers' perceptions are unlikely to be effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Black Cherry (Prunus serotina Ehrh.) is a broadleaved tree species native to Northern- and Central-America which was introduced in many other parts of the world, especially in European countries. In many places it has been classified as an invasive species and its management is subject to hotly debates. This review provides an overview of the existing knowledge on the ecology and management of this species in its native and non-native range, with special focus on Europe. Based on the reviewed literature, Black Cherry is a fast-growing and light-demanding forest gap specialist, which tolerates most soil conditions. Depending on the forest site, the species has an either positive or negative influence on soil conditions and nutrient cycling. It is able to alter the forest species composition and site conditions in its non-native range, necessitating control measures in nature conservation areas. However, the elimination of this species has been unsuccessful. Instead, the silvicultural integration of Black Cherry may provide a cost- and labor-effective alternative with additional benefits for forest owners. As a specialist for disturbed forest sites, the future importance of Black Cherry might increase under a changing climate, not only as an intermediate species in secondary succession, but also as a timber species comparable to other non-native tree species in Europe. • Black Cherry (Prunus serotina Ehrh.) has an either positive or negative influence on soil conditions and nutrient cycling depending on the forest site. • Integration into silvicultural practices is a cost- and labour-effective alternative to control measures. • Black Cherry is able to alter species composition and site conditions demanding its control in nature conservation areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

Copyright of Revista de Fomento Social is the property of ETEA 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.)

Historical hydrological changes and the environmental characteristics of northern Middle America have promoted diversification and determined the distribution of fishes in the Grijalva and Usumacinta river basins of Mexico. In several taxa with wide distributions, cryptic diversity has been identified through molecular and morphological analyses. This study evaluated the intraspecific morphological variation of Dorosoma anale Meek, 1904 and Dorosoma petenense (Günther, 1867) along the Grijalva and Usumacinta river basins through geometric morphometric and linear biometric analyses. Little intraspecific differentiation was detected for either species. However, differences were identified between populations in the Grijalva basin and those from the upper Usumacinta River basins with respect to body height, head size, pelvic fin position, and anal fin size. The phenotypic expression of these attributes appears to be closely related to habitat type and geographic isolation. The morphological differences within D. petenense support the molecular hypothesis of two lineages existing in the Usumacinta River basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses news articles covering the clashes between the migrant caravan and border authorities at the Mexico–United States border in American and Central American print media outlets. On the 26th of November 2018, the migrant caravan, who had walked from Central America towards the United States, was stopped by American authorities with the use of rubber bullets and tear gas. This paper examines the language used in newspapers to address the issue, as well as the actors involved with it. This is carried out through analysis in terms of transitivity and vocabulary. The results show an overall depiction of the clashes as a cause–effect event in which the migrants took actions first. This put the actions taken by the border authorities as adequate and expected given what caused them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]