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Simple Summary: This study was conducted to estimate the rate of Salmonella spp. isolation from cage papers, located in the bottom of canaries' cages and those of other exotic pet birds, in the 2015 Argentinean canary breeder championship. Furthermore, we determined the antimicrobial resistance profile of the isolates for antibiotics and commercial disinfectants. One pool of 258 cage paper pools was positive for Salmonella spp. (0.4%). Two strains of Salmonella serotype Glostrup were isolated, which were only resistant to sulfonamides and erythromycin and sensitive to alkali-based product PL301 AS. Although the rate of Salmonella spp. isolation from cage papers in an Argentinean canary breeder championship is low, this is the first study conducted in Argentina on Salmonella spp. isolation from these materials of pet birds. However, Salmonella ser. Glostrup isolated strains could be a source of human Salmonella outbreaks, and they show high resistance to disinfecting products. Birds, including canaries and other birds, have become increasingly popular as pets. Bird fairs, where breeders gather and show their production in a championship setting, present a setting for possible Salmonella spp. contamination and transmission. Therefore, this study estimated the rate of Salmonella spp. isolation from cage papers, located in the bottom of cages of exotic pet birds, including canaries. Collected Salmonella isolates were used to determine the antimicrobial resistance profile to 52 antibiotics and 17 commercial disinfectants, based on pure or a mixture of acids, alcohols, aldehydes, alkalis, halogens, peroxygen, and quaternary ammonium compounds. The samples consisted of 774 cage papers taken in the 2015 Argentinean canary breeder championship, pooling three cage papers into one sterile sampling bag. Only one pool of the cage papers was positive for Salmonella spp. (0.4%), which belonged to the sample from three frill canary cages. Two strains of Salmonella serotype Glostrup were isolated, which were only resistant to sulfonamides and erythromycin and sensitive to alkali-based product PL301 AS. Although the rate of Salmonella spp. isolation from cage papers in an Argentinean canary breeder championship is low, it should not be discounted because Salmonella ser. Glostrup can be a source of human Salmonella outbreaks and they show high resistance to disinfecting products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This discussion focuses on one aspect of Farber's work: the birth of the tango (this issue). The tango was created as a fusion of African and European immigrant culture in Argentina between the second half of the nineteenth century and the first twenty years of the twentieth century. The tango was one of the tools used by immigrants to socialize the pain of the loss of common roots, the lack of identity, and the sense of loneliness. The author reflects on the overlaps between tango and relational psychoanalysis, and muses on the impact of the loss of hugs and embraces in this worldwide pandemic caused by Covid and the collective trauma that it entails. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Definition of passive envelope indexes and caracterization of libraries in La Plata. • Environmental monitoring: achievement of preventive conservation indexes. • Correlation between passive envelope indexes and preventive conservation indexes. • Determination of the most influential passive envelope indexes for the achievement of preventive conservation indexes. Abstract The common approach for libraries to preserve their paper-based collections from irreversible deterioration is by controlling quantitative parameters, such as temperature and relative humidity. Variations of these parameters for preventive conservation can be expressed by the "performance index" (PI) and the "amplitude index" (AI). Building envelope is the first filter of the external climate, buffering the external weather fluctuations and maintaining the building's indoor climate stable. Its shape, window areas and envelope materials are the most influential parameters. As they capture the relationship of a few geometric and physical variables with the building's performance, the envelope characteristics can be expressed as certain passive envelope indexes. This paper studies the relationship of certain passive envelope indexes and the preventive conservation indexes for books for several libraries and archives located in La Plata, Argentina. The results show the impact of every passive envelope index upon the preventive conservation indexes. The compactness, heaviness, adjacency to spaces and adjacency to ground have a positive linear correlation meanwhile transparency and global transmittance are parameters with a negative correlation. In general, the most influential parameter is the relative area adjacent to other spaces, followed by global transmittance, transparency, heaviness, relative area adjacent to ground and compactness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Using sentiment analysis (SA), this study aims to examine the impact of COVID-19 on mental health and virtual learning experiences among 1,125 students at a public Argentinean faculty. Design/methodology/approach: A study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, surveying 1,125 students to gather their opinions. The survey data was analysed using text mining tools and SA. SA was used to extract the students' emotions, views and feelings computationally and identify co-occurrences and patterns in related words. The study also examines educational policies implemented after the pandemic. Findings: The prevalent emotions expressed in the comments were trust, sadness, anticipation and fear. A combination of trust and fear resulted in submission. Negative comments often included the words "virtual", "virtual classroom", "virtual classes" and "professor". Two significant issues were identified: teachers' inexperience with virtual classes and inadequate server infrastructure, leading to frequent crashes. The most effective educational policies addressed vital issues related to the "virtual classroom". Practical implications: Text mining and SA are valuable tools for decision-making during uncertain times, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. They can also provide insights to recover quality assurance processes at universities impacted by health concerns or external shocks. Originality/value: The paper makes two main contributions: it conducts a SA to gain insights from comments and analyses the relationship between emotions and sentiments to identify optimal educational policies. The study pioneers exploring the link between emotions, policies and the pandemic at a public university in Argentina. This area of research still needs to be explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lactation is a crucial reproductive stage in eutherian mammals and the most energetically and nutritionally expensive part of the life cycle. However, data on lactation parameters in cetaceans remain scattered and incomplete. In this paper, we present novel information on the nutritional compositions and fatty acid (FA) profiles of the milks of two small odontocete species that inhabit coastal waters of the southwest Atlantic Ocean: the endangered Franciscana dolphin (Pontoporia blainvillei) and the Burmeister's porpoise (Phocoena spinipinnis). Milk samples were collected from the fresh carcasses of two lactating females stranded in Argentina. The milk profiles of both species were consistent with existing knowledge on odontocetes worldwide, being characterised by low proportions of carbohydrates and high proportions of proteins and lipids. The FA profiles exhibited a predominance of long-chain FAs (≥18 C), with monounsaturated FAs representing nearly 50% of the total FAs. In both species, the main FAs were 18:1n9 and 16:0, which are common FAs in coastal prey species in this region. These findings are particularly relevant for the conservation of Franciscana dolphins, which are at risk of extinction throughout their distribution range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of a study on the isotopic ecology of guanacos in central western Argentina. We examine the historical population ecology of guanacos using stable isotope analysis of bone collagen from pre-Hispanic and modern guanaco populations (n = 129), considering variability in two ecoregions: the Monte hot desert and the Andean-Patagonian cold desert. Our study addresses the consistency of guanaco diets over time, evaluating palaeoecology to provide information for conservation of this taxon. We found significant differences in isotopic niche size between modern and archaeological guanacos. When analyzed by ecoregion, there were significant differences in niche size through time, indicating that guanacos had distinctive dietary habits and occupied different ecological niches across the ecoregions. Comparing Standard Ellipse Areas (SEA) through time and across space, we observed that the archaeological SEA for guanacos is smaller than its modern counterpart in the Andean-Patagonia ecoregion. Conversely, in Monte, the archaeological SEA is larger than the one established for modern samples. The contrast between pre-Hispanic and modern populations highlight the impact of human activity and conservation efforts on the distribution and ecology of guanacos. These findings have important implications for understanding guanaco ecology with consequences for conservation policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of stable isotope analyses allows a diachronic characterisation of species habitat and feeding behaviour, information of utmost importance for zooarchaeological research. In South America, the former distribution of the guanaco (Lama guanicoe) encompassed a much larger territory than the current one. Within the Argentinean Great Chaco, only a small native population persists in Northwestern Córdoba province, Central Argentina, where it was once widely distributed. In this paper, we present the first set of dentin and collagen δ13C and δ15N values for this relict population (N = 18) along with archaeological data of guanaco specimens (N = 19) dated to the Middle and Late Holocene from the nearby Ongamira valley. Neither deciduous and permanent teeth nor males and females show marked differences within the modern samples. Both modern and archaeological guanaco δ13C values indicate a mixed diet of C3 and, to a lesser extent, C4 plants. Conversely, the δ15N values exhibit distinct signals between the Arid and the Mountain Chaco subregions. The diet breadth of the archaeological guanacos suggests the use of transitional or ecotonal environments, also reflected in the size of their isotopic niche as opposed to modern guanacos. Regarding the timing of the species retraction in the region, there is no evidence of a shift in its habitat during the period between ~4700 and 190014C years BP. We suggest their retraction probably occurred later than previously proposed in regional zooarchaeological models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we study the relationships between plants and extinct megafauna by examining the characteristics of the vegetation in the central region of Argentina (i.e. Espinal, Monte, and Chaco phytogeographic regions). First, we study the size, shape, quantity, and characteristics of fruits and seeds. We also evaluate the presence of mechanical (spinescence and wood density) and chemical (secondary metabolic compounds) defenses against high rates of herbivory. Complementarily, we assess the importance these plants had for human populations, using archeological, ethnographic, and current data. A high percentage of the analyzed plants met the criteria proposed for fruits and seeds dispersed by megafauna, together with a high frequency of spinescence, high density woods, and secondary metabolites. We propose that these traits cannot be explained by the herbivory pressure of extant fauna in the area, but rather developed in interaction with currently extinct fauna. We suggest that Pleistocene megafaunal extinction had important consequences in the region due to their role as ecosystem engineers and to vegetation's characteristics, which were probably strongly shaped by megafauna activities. Among these consequences, we discuss the loss of certain interactions between these animals and vegetation, such as loss of seed dispersal mechanisms, shrub invasion, and increased susceptibility of vegetation to fire. Other effects for hunter-gatherer groups were the generation of highly regulated mobility patterns and the formation of barriers for the dispersal of prey. Finally, we also discuss the importance of these plants for human populations as food, construction material, medicines and firewood. Likewise, the role of humans as "heirs" of the megafauna in the propagation of tree and shrub species is highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peronism deployed, especially since the 1950s, a set of devices for the attention and care of children in Argentina, not only through schools but also through other institutions, such as development societies, cooperatives, the Eva Perón Foundation, sports clubs, among others. The new social order was central to the rhetoric of the government, and it gave children a preeminent role, as is visible in the phrase "in the New Argentina the only privileged are the children". This paper focuses on Vacaciones útiles, a film made in 1948 that shows how educational cinema reflects a view of childhood and also how public policies aimed at it. This short film was part of a larger project called Cine Escuela Argentino, a Commission of the National Council of Education for the production of film material to be shown in schools and other public institutions. What particular view did Peronism have on childhood in it? To what extent can this film be thought of as an educational cinema or as a school cinema? In which ways do films like Vacaciones útiles or public policies like Cine Escuela Argentino show the figure of the State as author? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Argentina has a history of tumultuous agreements with the International Monetary Fund. While the IMF has provided essential economic support, their loan agreements have often caused further economic issues that most profoundly impact the middle and working class, such as high inflation and poverty rates. This has created much frustration among the people, and they have taken these frustrations into music, protesting the damage and harm that is produced by the IMF's involvement in Argentina. These protest songs can be analyzed through Jeneve Brooks' EMM-framing theory, with EMM standing for emotive, moral, and mnemonic, to understand how the IMF is negatively represented and how the songs can influence the public's opinion on the IMF. This paper makes use of this theoretical framework to analyze three examples of Argentine protest songs against the IMF: "Estoy tocando fondo" by Viuda e Hijas de Roque Enroll,"F.M.I. (Sufre Sudamérica)" by Fun People, and "Sinceramente militamos" by La Cámpora. This analysis provides insight into the increasing reactiveness of the Argentine people against the IMF, which was witnessed in 2021 and 2022 when protests broke out over negotiations between the IMF and the Argentine government even though an agreement had yet to be made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The characteristics of South American biomass burning (BB) aerosols transported over northern and central Argentina were investigated from July to December 2019. This period was chosen due to the high aerosol optical depth values found in the region and because simultaneously intensive biomass burning took place over the Amazon. More specifically, a combination of remote sensing observations with simulated air parcel back trajectories was used to link the optical and physical properties of three BB aerosol events that affected Pilar Observatory (PO, Argentina, 31°41′S, 63°53′W, 338 m above sea level), with low-level atmospheric circulation patterns and with types of vegetation burned in specific fire regions. The lidar observations at the PO site were used for the first time to characterize the vertical extent and structure of BB aerosol plumes as well as their connection with the planetary boundary layer, and dust particles. Based mainly on the air-parcel trajectories, a local transport regime and a long transport regime were identified. We found that in all the BB aerosol event cases studied in this paper, light-absorbing fine-mode aerosols were detected, resulting mainly from a mixture of aging smoke and dust particles. In the remote transport regime, the main sources of the BB aerosols reaching PO were associated with Amazonian rainforest wildfires. These aerosols were transported into northern and central Argentina within a strong low-level jet circulation. During the local transport regime, the BB aerosols were linked with closer fires related to tropical forests, cropland, grassland, and scrub/shrubland vegetation types in southeastern South America. Moreover, aerosols carried by the remote transport regime were associated with a high aerosol loading and enhanced aging and relatively smaller particle sizes, while aerosols associated with the local transport pattern were consistently less affected by the aging effect and showed larger sizes and low aerosol loading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper attempts to study the dynamics and influencing factors of China-Argentina cooperation in the multilateral framework from a multidimensional theoretical perspective, in order to reveal the external thrust and internal logic of the development of Sino-Argentine relations. The four theories discussed in the paper are not opposed but complementary to each other. Together, they explain the factors that drive and hinder Sino-Argentine cooperation at the multilateral level. This article also presents a study of Sino-Argentine cooperation practices at three different levels of multilateral platforms, namely the UN General Assembly and Security Council, the G20 and the China-CELAC Forum. Cooperation between China and Argentina in multilateral mechanisms not only helps communication, understanding and coordination of positions between China and Argentina on major international issues, but also contributes to jointly enhancing the voice and influence of developing countries in international affairs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heritage has been widely discussed in Latin America in general, and in Argentina in particular, in the last two decades. There have been debates about heritage within academic circles, especially in the social sciences and humanities, it has been a concern of state public administration, linked to tourism development, and it is frequently mentioned in the media. Furthermore, heritage has become an arena of dispute and struggle of subordinate groups who are in the process of regaining their identities and cultural ways, achieving social visibility, and making their voices heard. This paper explores the relationship between heritage and Original Peoples in Argentina from the indigenous point of view. Throughout this article, readers will find different indigenous voices explaining what they consider Indigenous Peoples' main patrimony, what type of relations they establish with it, and how heritage is involved in their current projects, claims, and struggles, especially over their ancestral territories. As shown in this paper, Indigenous Peoples in Argentina seek to recover their heritage to re-establish the order and balance of the territorial forces and to demonstrate their pre-existence: that is, that they were in certain places before the formation of the modern nation-state and, therefore, that they have rights over these lands. In addition, claims and disputes over heritage are favoring the re-emergence and strengthening of indigenous spirituality and cultural practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To estimate the long-term and short-term effects on cigarette demand in Argentina based on changes in cigarette price and income per person >14 years old. Method Public data from the Ministry of Economics and Production were analysed based on monthly time series data between 1994 and 2010. The econometric analysis used cigarette consumption per person >14 years of age as the dependent variable and the real income per person >14 years old and the real average price of cigarettes as independent variables. Empirical analyses were done to verify the order of integration of the variables, to test for cointegration to capture the long-term effects and to capture the short-term dynamics of the variables. Results The demand for cigarettes in Argentina was affected by changes in real income and the real average price of cigarettes. The long-term income elasticity was equal to 0.43, while the own-price elasticity was equal to −0.31, indicating a 10% increase in the growth of real income led to an increase in cigarette consumption of 4.3% and a 10% increase in the price produced a fall of 3.1% in cigarette consumption. The vector error correction model estimated that the short-term income elasticity was 0.25 and the short-term own-price elasticity of cigarette demand was −0.15. A simulation exercise showed that increasing the price of cigarettes by 110% would maximise revenues and result in a potentially large decrease in total cigarette consumption. Conclusion Econometric analyses of cigarette consumption and their relationship with cigarette price and income can provide valuable information for developing cigarette price policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Central Western Argentina (CWA), the incorporation of cultigens by hunter-gatherer populations has been much discussed. This paper explores the relationship between population dynamics, subsistence change, and burial patterns driven by the process of land use intensification and increasing reliance on maize. We hypothesize that territorial behavior emerged in the context of population growth and competition for resources with a high probability of failure, as expected in an arid environment. To evaluate this hypothesis, we explore four lines of inquiry in southern Mendoza (CWA): 1) the frequency of radiocarbon dates to estimate population dynamics; 2) the Juvenile Index as a fertility rate proxy; 3) the stable isotopes on human bone (δ 13C co , δ 15N, δ 13C ca) to reconstruct diet; and 4) burial patterns as an estimate of territorial control. Our results partially support our hypothesis: During an early stage, when maize started to appear in the diet, the population was increasing, and cemeteries emerged along with some signs of violence. The hypothesis is not supported in a second period, when maize consumption and population were highest, but large cemeteries disappeared. In light of this evidence, the effect of maize on human societies was not uniform and irrevocable, and the adoption of maize by human foragers contributed to a new and diverse set of human-environment relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite significant progress has been made towards crop yield prediction with remote sensing, there exist knowledge gaps on (1) the impacts of temporal resolution of imaging frequencies on yield prediction, (2) transferability of the models among different genotypes and test sites, and (3) translation of these research developments to crop breeding that benefit farmers. Existing research predominantly provides an on-site perspective, frequently missing the complexities of real-world applications. The objectives of this paper are to investigate the transferability and generalization capabilities of yield prediction models for crop breeding across test sites located in North and South Americas. Toward that goal, we tested different machine learning techniques including Random Forest Regressor (RF), Gradient Boosting Regression (GB), and Deep Neural Networks (DNN) for soybean yield prediction with experiments conducted in different climate and growth conditions. A novel transfer learning approach was proposed for genotype selection and categorizing soybean yield for screening high-yield varieties. Furthermore, we studied the effect of temporal resolution on yield prediction, focusing on the critical development stages and optimal aerial survey frequencies for precise yield prediction using large 31,404 sample data. Results demonstrated that the combined dataset of Argentina and United States representing different climate regimes provided the highest performance with an R2 of 0.76 using RF and GB algorithms. The classification approach was proven to be most useful for crop breeding as demonstrated by accurately identifying the high-yielding genotypes. Increasing temporal sampling of key phenological stages significantly improved yield prediction. Although transfer learning yielded promising outcomes across trials within Argentina the efficacy of transferring models from Argentina to the United States was limited, attributed to significant seasonal and climate variations. This study pioneered the use of transfer learning for model adaptability in real-world breeding scenarios, training and transferring models within the South and North Americas, providing actionable insights and strategies for the breeding community, aiming to facilitate improved decision-making for agricultural productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What is the impact of large swings in economic policy on the risk-return trade-off faced by i nvestors? What is the impact of changes in policy regimes on investment strategies? In this paper we study the impact on returns of switches between periods of market-friendly economic policies and periods of populist policies. To quantify the impact of policy instability, we use data from Argentina--a country that has experienced frequent and very large regime changes--and find that the risk-return for individual assets and minimum variance portfolios are quite different across regimes. We then develop a dynamic model to understand optimal portfolios when investors are cognizant that regimes can change. We find that when portfolios are unrestricted, it is optimal for investors to take a large amount of risk. On the other hand, when portfolios are restricted to include only long positions, a real asset (real estate) dominates financial assets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Salado and Verde streams constitute the two main seasonally available freshwater courses that flow into the Atlantic coast of the Río Negro province (continental Patagonia, Argentina, 42° South). This would have favored their use in the past as corridors for human circulation between the coast and the interior. This paper presents the results of the technomorphological and geochemical analyses of the obsidian artifacts recovered in the area to constrain mobility. The results allow us to propose the existence of toolkit reconditioning or replacement activities, and the identification of different sources of provenance of the obsidians (Sacanana, Telsen, and Portada Covunco, distant up to 800 km from the study area), reinforcing the hypothesis of a coast–inland circulation, with the possible existence of circuits of exchange of this raw material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to characterise the modifications caused by the Pampas fox (Lycalopex gymnocercus) to the bones and teeth of its prey in the Espinal and Dry Chaco environments, in central Argentina. Plant remains, invertebrate remains, and vertebrate bones and teeth were recovered from a set of more than 180 faeces. From an actualistic perspective, we evaluated the taphonomic signature of this predator in the remains of snakes, birds and mammals recovered in its faeces. We achieved a high rate of taxonomical identification and recovered remains of exotic and native fauna, such as Ovis aries and Lagostomus maximus, respectively. The most remarkable aspects recorded in this taphonomic study were a high frequency of breakage, a low frequency of tooth marks (only observed in large prey), and a high frequency and intensity of digestion damage. The information generated in this study contributes to the evaluations of accumulating agents in archaeological and palaeontological sites of South America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Finochietto thoracic retractor is a familiar instrument to most surgeons. The contributions to surgery of its inventor, Argentinean surgeon Enrique Finochietto and his brother, Ricardo Finochietto, extend far beyond a single instrument. This paper reviews their careers and legacy. Both brothers were part of an international network of elite surgeons. Their contributions are reflected in the number of instruments and eponyms associated with their name. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Anatomy is considered critical to understanding the size and shape of the different systems of animals belonging to the same group or individuals that are close in the phylogenetic scale. In the case of the Franciscana dolphin or Pontoporia blainvillei, the digestive apparatus shows some differential characteristics compared to other dolphins or other marine mammals. In the present work, the authors try to demonstrate whether these characteristics are conditioned by the animal's own diet or if they have more to do with certain phylogenetic adaptations. Considering that the Franciscana dolphin is an endangered species, any work that could facilitate better knowledge of these individuals has a high social, ecological, and scientific value because it will help in their care and conservation, and this is of utmost importance to implement effective management strategies for this species. The Franciscana (also known as the La Plata River Dolphin) is a small dolphin that lives in the coastal waters of Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina. This species is considered the most endangered marine mammal in the western South Atlantic Ocean. Anatomic dissection of the digestive system of 19 animals of different ages, including 2 neonates, 12 juveniles, and 5 adults, was performed. Parameters related to length, breadth, weight, and diameter of the digestive viscera were considered in each case. Our results show that the Franciscana dolphin presents differential characteristics in relation to several parts of the digestive system, including, specifically, the tongue, the teeth, the stomach, and the small intestine. Thus, this paper add precious information to the actual knowledge of this vulnerable marine mammal species in order to improve conservation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has produced controversies, and its mode of concrete social existence is strongly assembled in multiple ways of world-making that mobilize particular human-non-human relations. This paper analyzes the ways in which the people of the Andean valleys of northwestern Argentina understand and live the pandemic, in the partial coexistence of ways of understanding the body, the person, and wellbeing. On the one hand, we identify the so-called traditional way of life, which implies a relational sociality; on the other hand, the Pentecostal way of life, which promotes an interpretative current under an apocalyptic key. In sum, we are interested in thinking about the coexistence and assembly between ways of living suffering and well-being in the context of the pandemic, associated with expanded and relational socialities and with ways of imagining and living the "end of the world" as a specific manifestation of the Pentecostal tradition. Thus, the article proposes to overcome the perspective of COVID-19 as a given and universal phenomenon that produces different interpretations or cultural fictions, and consider it as a component in a wide network of human and non-human agencies, forming a scenario of epistemic plurality. Resumen: La pandemia de COVID-19 ha producido controversias variadas y su modo de existencia social se encuentra fuertemente ensamblado en múltiples formas de hacer mundo que movilizan particulares relaciones entre humanos-no humanos. Este trabajo analiza los modos en que la gente de los valles andinos del noroeste argentino entiende y vive la pandemia, teniendo en cuenta las formas de entender el cuerpo, la persona y el bienestar. Considera tanto el modo de vida identificado como tradicional, que implica una socialidad relacional, y el del pentecostalismo, que fomenta una corriente interpretativa bajo una clave apocalíptica. En suma, se propone pensar la convivencia y ensamblaje entre formas de vivir el padecimiento y el bienestar en el contexto de la pandemia, asociados con socialidades ampliadas y relacionales y con modos de imaginar y vivir el "fin del mundo" como manifestación específica de la tradición pentecostal. De este modo, se entiende al COVID-19 más que como un fenómeno dado y universal que produce diferentes interpretaciones o ficciones culturales, como un componente en una red amplia de agenciamientos entre humanos y no humanos, conformando un escenario de pluralidad epistémica. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What are the main characteristics of sectors that take advantage of the real exchange rate stimulus after a large and long-lasting devaluation? We aim to answer this question by analyzing the development of export sectors in Argentina during 2003–2008, after the crisis and large devaluation of 2002. This six-year period shows the highest number of sectors with export surge episodes from 1980 to 2015. We find, first, that the probability of export surge episodes increased 2.5% by each standard deviation of the higher labor intensity index during the large and long-lasting devaluation period because non-tradable costs prevail in their production function. Second, we show that export surges are more likely to occur in sectors related to already competitive sectors (mainly upstream sectors). Finally, the new export volumes in those sectors show persistent dynamics despite the end of the period of currency competitiveness, a signal of trade hysteresis. • This paper aims to unpack the connection between RER levels and the take-off and development of export sectors in a developing economy. • We found a positive effect of RER on the probability of export surge episodes by taking advantage of the theoretical channel through which the RER should affect export performance. • Labor-intensive sectors showed a higher probability of an export surge episode during the stable and competitive RER period (2003–2008). • We were also able to establish the relevance of productive linkages to already competitive sectors on the probability of an export surge episode during the RER stimulus. In particular, we found evidence that sectors supplying inputs to already competitive industries (upstream linkage) are more likely to achieve export surges. • We evaluated the subsequent performance of the sectors that had an export surge episode during 2003–2008 once the exchange rate stimulus ended. We find evidence of persistence in their export levels compared to the rest of the export sectors, favoring the hypothesis of sunk costs or learning by exporting effects that generate hysteresis in trade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interplay of digital technologies and inequalities are increasingly discussed in contemporary research, mostly focusing on different forms of digital divides and often addressed as a 'problem' that societies should face. Hence, digital education and its governance becomes a major arena for addressing inequalities. In this paper, we offer a cross-country and multi-voiced perspective on how socio-digital inequalities are problematized in digital education policy in three world regions – Latin America, Africa and Europe – studying cases through policy documents in Argentina, Mexico, South Africa, Botswana, Germany and Sweden. Our analysis shows how differences and similarities between digital education policy are rooted in various sociotechnical imaginaries that go beyond the national as they are highly situated in spatial–temporal contexts and rooted in historical trajectories. Our contribution aims at a further exploration of the entanglements of educational technology and in/equalities through global conditions and local (hi)stories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The destiny of the electric vehicle (EV) marketplace will depend upon the behaviour of potential buyers and on how emerging markets allow EVs to be perceived as a mobility solution to the externalities generated by internal combustion (IC) vehicles. To this end it is important to ascertain the role played by psychological factors, along with instrumental attributes, especially among younger adults (future purchasers) in not yet mature markets. Our paper analyses and models the propensity to purchase an EV with respect to an equivalent IC vehicle. It contributes to the existing literature investigating younger adults' behaviour in an emerging market, focusing on the role of attitudes and perceptions. A stated preferences survey, built on real commercial scenarios (Renault ZOE vs Renault Clio), was designed and disseminated at the University of Cordoba (Argentina). Respondent behaviour was modelled within the random utility paradigm. First, heterogeneity among users was investigated through mixed multinomial logit formulation; The role of psycho-attitudinal factors was then explored through the specification of hybrid choice models with latent variables. Estimation results indicate the significant role of attitudes and perceptions in emerging markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weather radars with dual-polarization capabilities enable the study of various characteristics of hydrometeors, including their size, shape, and orientation. Radar polarimetric measurements, coupled with Doppler information, allow for analysis in the spectral domain. This analysis can be leveraged to reveal valuable insight into the microphysics and kinematics of hydrometeors in precipitation systems. This paper uses spectral polarimetry to investigate precipitation microphysics and kinematics in storm environments observed during the RELAMPAGO field experiment in Argentina. This study uses range height indicator (RHI) scan measurements from a C-Band polarimetric Doppler weather radar deployed during the field campaign. In this work, the impact of storm dynamics on hydrometeors is studied, including the size sorting of hydrometeors due to vertical wind shear. In addition, particle microphysical processes because of aggregation and growth of ice crystals in anvil clouds, as well as graupel formation resulting from the riming of ice crystals and dendrites are also analyzed here. The presence of different particle size distributions because of the mixing of hydrometeors in a sheared environment and resulting size sorting has been reported using spectral differential reflectivity (sZdr) slope. Spectral reflectivity (sZh) and sZdr have also been used to understand the signature of ice crystal aggregation in an anvil cloud. The regions of pristine ice crystals are identified from vertical profiles of spectral polarimetric variables in anvil cloud because of sZh < 0 dB and sZdr values around 2 dB. It is also found that the growth process of these ice crystals causes a skewed bimodal sZh spectrum due to the presence of both pristine ice crystals and dry snow. Next, graupel formation due to riming has been studied and it is found that the riming process produces sZh values of about 10 dB and corresponding sZdr values of 1 dB. This positive sZdr indicates the presence of needle/columnar secondary ice particles formed by ice multiplication processes in the riming zones. Lastly, the temporal evolution of a storm is investigated by analyzing changes in hydrometeor types with time and their influence on the spectral polarimetric variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper tackles the broader question of why inequality along global value chains (GVCs) tends to remain unchallenged despite the successful upgrading and insertion of firms operating in the world‐system's periphery. Because the reduction and reproduction of inequalities are both intimately connected to power relations along GVCs, such relations are at the core of my analysis. Conceptually, my theorization of power builds on recent work by Dallas, Ponte and Sturgeon, which has sought to more systematically theorize and account for the multidimensional nature of power, and complements it with key insights drawn from World‐Systems theory. Empirically, this paper analyses the biodiesel GVC between Argentina and the European Union, a case in which the successful economic upgrading and enhanced competitiveness of biodiesel producers in Argentina fail to overturn their subordinated position vis‐à‐vis European producers and traders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the author's perspective on how indigenous people of the Argentinean Chaco used fetishization of ID papers, which have been previously denied to them, to accept their past alienation from citizenship rights. The author examines the oddities of ID-paper fetishism in the Chaco through the concept of state fetishism. Moreover, he focuses on the historical as well as the present experiences of the Western Toba and the Wichi on ID-papers.

Background: Transition from communications (abstracts) of an Argentinean congress and their publication as full papers was analyzed. No similar report was found for clinical laboratory in Latin America. Methods: A total of 388 communications from five congresses were identified, and searches were performed on the internet to find the publications. Pairs were established (1 communication, 1 publication), and characteristics were analyzed. Results: In total, 10.8% of the communications were published. Mean time elapsed was 2±1.0 years . A total of 62% of the publications appeared in Argentinean journals and 38% in foreign journals (5 in Spanish, 11 in English). Mean author number was 4.8±2.4 for communications and 5.1±2.3 for publications. In total, 59.5% of the publications changed the number and order of authors. Clinical Chemistry was the main topic (45.4% for communications, 38.1% for publications), followed by Microbiology (21.1%, 23.8%). Universities participated in 217 communications (55.9%) and 32 publications (76.2%), while other institutions participated in 171 communications (44.1%) and 10 publications (23.8%). Conclusions: Publication index was lower than for other congresses. Time elapsed was consistent with others. Preference for Argentinean journals may indicate a focus on local readers but also limitations in language skills. Variations in authorship arise from modifications of individual participation in the final work. More publications from all institutions are desirable. Differences of content were below those reported by others. Clin Chem Lab Med 2008;46:1568–74. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assesses the performance of the economy in the River Plate area in Argentina from the 1820s to the 1860s. Expansion of the rural economy; Micro- and macroeconomic consequences of inflationary financing; Contemporary financial and monetary circumstances; Buenos Aires' implementation of a 40-year process of dealing with inconvertible paper money.

The pulp mill conflict between Argentina and Uruguay is a topical environmental local-global dispute including various time-space levels (local-regional-national-global). It is also a politico-economic battle among business, civil society and governments in the two South American countries. This article highlights the widely analysed Argentine and Uruguayan perspectives, but it also brings to the fore the Finnish case (of mass media, the global Finnish paper industry, Finnish NGOs and the government). The article seeks to come to an understanding of the characteristics of the conflict as portrayed by the media in Finland and, critically, to examine the effects of the stereotypical Finnish image — 'iconic model' — on Argentina and Uruguay.The article is a study of the discussions in the Finnish mass media, mainly in Helsingin Sanomat (HS), the key national newspaper, and in the television coverage of the Finnish Broadcasting Company, YLE.The analysis shows that the Finnish media, too, have created stereotypes that harden attitudes and make conflict resolution more difficult. What is virtually absent in the Finnish media is a democratic multicultural learning culture that fosters and itself is fostered through a more transnational and interdisciplinary perspective. The global and national media have an increasingly important task in such situations of cultural conflict resolution, situations which are also attached to the recent discussions of corporate social responsibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forty-two dikaryotic and 42 monokaryotic isolates, and 34 pairings were examined by horizontal polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) for six enzymatic activities, viz. EST, 6PGD, IDH, MDH, SHDH and SOD. 44 bands were analysed. Numerical analysis of the isoenzymatic patterns was undertaken and compared with those from morphological characters. The analysis of six enzymatic systems showed the existence of four monomorphic systems (IDH, MDH, SHDH and SOD). The sterease system (EST) appears to be polymorphic in Polyporus ciliatus and in populations of P. tenuiculus from Argentina, being monomorphic in the remaining species studied. The 6PGD system is polymorphic in P. tucumanensis and monomorphic in the other species. Predominance of monomorphic enzymes and a clear distribution of the electromorphs among the species, indicates that isoenzymatic analysis is a good taxonomic tool within Polyporus. The low intraspecific variability allowed the use of interspecific differences to separate species. Numerical analysis showed a good correlation between morphological and molecular characters. In the isoenzymatic phenogram the similarity index is high only among very close species, showing a stressed separation of species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen, seen as a promising secondary renewable energy carrier, can becompressed or liquefied as well as chemically bound to enable a more economic storage and transportation. All conditioned hydrogen options obtain specific advantages and disadvantages. Thus, this paper assess the energy efficiency and the cost of a green hydrogen supply from well to tank exemplified for fuel cell heavy-duty vehicles in Germany related to the years 2030 and 2050. Therefore, compressed gaseous hydrogen, liquid hydrogen, liquid organic hydrogen carriers, methanol and ammonia are considered and different hydrogen production regions in North and Central Germany, as well as an import from Tunisia and Argentina (Patagonia) are assumed. The assessment shows that a hydrogen supply chain in its state of aggregation as finally demanded is the lowest cost option leading to 700 bar compressed gaseous hydrogen filling costs of 5 € 2020 /kg H2 in 2030 and 4 € 2020 /kg H2 in 2050 and liquid hydrogen filling costs around 7 € 2020 /kg H2 in 2030 and 6 € 2020 /kg H2 in 2050. • Well to tank analysis for a hydrogen supply of filling stations. • Gaseous hydrogen supply chains are the lowest cost options for gaseous filling. • Liquid hydrogen supply chains show the lowest supply costs for liquid filling. • LOHC obtain high supply costs, especially for long transportation distances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the behaviour of credit rating agencies (CRAs) during the ebbing 'pink tide'. It claims that the actions of S&P Global, Moody's and Fitch contributed to dismantling left-wing regimes in Latin America, to the benefit of their right-wing competitors. The methodology draws on case studies of Brazil and Argentina, where the governments of Dilma Rousseff and Cristina Fernández de Kirchner were replaced by those of Michel Temer and Mauricio Macri, respectively. The research is based on sovereign ratings, reports and press releases the agencies issued during those transitions, which are analysed in the light of critical theories of their modus operandi and confronted with the political processes unfolding in both countries. This allows us to draw conclusions that are consistent with the presented argument, thereby contributing to advance the research agenda around the CRAs and to shed light on Brazil and Argentina's recent critical presidential transitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the temporal evolution of streamflow for different rivers in Argentina based on information quantifiers such as statistical complexity and permutation entropy. The main objective is to identify key details of the dynamics of the analyzed time series to differentiate the degrees of randomness and chaos. The permutation entropy is used with the probability distribution of ordinal patterns and the Jensen–Shannon divergence to calculate the disequilibrium and the statistical complexity. Daily streamflow series at different river stations were analyzed to classify the different hydrological systems. The complexity-entropy causality plane (CECP) and the representation of the Shannon entropy and Fisher information measure (FIM) show that the daily discharge series could be approximately represented with Gaussian noise, but the variances highlight the difficulty of modeling a series of natural phenomena. An analysis of stations downstream from the Yacyretá dam shows that the operation affects the randomness of the daily discharge series at hydrometric stations near the dam. When the station is further downstream, however, this effect is attenuated. Furthermore, the size of the basin plays a relevant role in modulating the process. Large catchments have smaller values for entropy, and the signal is less noisy due to integration over larger time scales. In contrast, small and mountainous basins present a rapid response that influences the behavior of daily discharge while presenting a higher entropy and lower complexity. The results obtained in the present study characterize the behavior of the daily discharge series in Argentine rivers and provide key information for hydrological modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the 20th century, there has been an ongoing agricultural expansion and global warming, two of the main determinants influencing biodiversity changes in Argentina. The red hocicudo mouse (Oxymycterus rufus) inhabits subtropical grasslands and riparian habitats and has increased its abundance in recent years in central Argentina agroecosystems. This paper describes the long‐term temporal changes in O. rufus abundance in Exaltación de la Cruz department, Buenos Aires province, Argentina, in relation to weather fluctuations and landscape features, as well as analyzes the spatio‐temporal structure of captures of animals. We used generalized liner models, semivariograms, the Mantel test, and autocorrelation functions for the analysis of rodent data obtained from trappings conducted between 1984 and 2014. O. rufus showed an increase in abundance across the years of study, with its distribution depending on landscape features, such as habitat types and the distance to floodplains. Capture rates showed a spatio‐temporal aggregation, suggesting expansion from previously occupied sites. O. rufus was more abundant at lower minimum temperatures in summer, higher precipitation in spring and summer, and lower precipitations in winter. Weather conditions affected O. rufus abundance, but there was local variation that differed from global patterns of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to develop and to, subsequently, validate a Spanish version of the Short Work-Family Enrichment Scale (sp-wfes-6). Using cross-sectional (n = 438) and multi-wave (n = 103) data from a sample of workers with different backgrounds, this paper conducted a thorough examination of the psychometric properties of the sp-wfes-6 in terms of its internal consistency, test-retest reliability, dimensionality, factor invariance, gender invariance, convergent validity, discriminant validity, and predictive validity. The results from the cfa revealed that the sp-wfes-6 comprised two factors and that this two-factor structure remained statistically invariant across gender and sample. Furthermore, both factors reported adequate levels of internal consistency, test-retest reliability, convergent validity, discriminant validity and predictive validity. Altogether, the findings of this study demonstrated that the spwfes-6 is a reliable and valid instrument to measure work-family enrichment in Argentina and, possibly, in other Spanish-speaking countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The therapeutic alliance (TA) has been shown to be a predictor of psychotherapy treatment success. In the case of psychotherapy with children, there is a dearth of information on TA's role. The aims of the paper are: (1) To estimate the therapist effects on children TA; (2) to investigate if therapists' TA predicts children's TA; (3) to analyze if children's age and sex predict children's TA; (4) to evaluate if the therapist's characteristics predict children's TA. Methods: The sample consisted of 77 children undergoing psychotherapy in Argentina, and the therapists (N = 29) providing services to those children. The assessment tools utilized for the study included the Therapy Alliance Scale for Children and the Personal Style of the Therapist Questionnaire (PST‐Q). Results: Findings indicated that 2% of the children's TA was explained by the therapists (ICC = 0.02), while 17% of the therapists' TA was explained by the therapists (ICC = 0.17). Therapists' TA predicted children's TA. Children's age and sex did not have an effect on their own TA. Moreover, therapists with more experience achieved higher scores of children's TA. Finally, the Operative dimension of the PST had a negative effect on children's TA (i.e., therapists who prefer more spontaneous interventions over structured ones may experience higher levels of therapeutic alliance with child patients). Conclusion: We found a positive effect of the therapist's TA on children's TA, especially in the preference for using more spontaneous intervention techniques. We discuss the implications of the findings on the training of psychotherapists who provide services to children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the implications of the conformation of formal burial areas in the southernmost limit of agricultural dispersion in South America. Previous research proposed the development of cemeteries or formal burial areas due to specialization in using specific habitats and the development of territorial ownership. From a paleoecological background, we hypothesize that hunter‐gatherers intensified resource exploitation and develop territoriality in population growth and pressure over resources. The expectation is that formal burial areas emerged in this context to legitimize the ties with the territory and ensure exclusive access to the land and its resources. To evaluate this hypothesis, we analyzed a mortuary context from southern Mendoza (Central Western Argentina), named Ojo de Agua, by describing the site's characteristics, burial modality, presence of grave goods, age at death profile, and evidence of violence. This site has two main conditions for handling our hypothesis: (1) the chronology and spatial localization coincide with the temporal and geographic dispersion of pre‐Hispanic cultigens; (2) systematic procedures during fieldwork led us to access a significant amount of information not available in other mortuary contexts of the area. Our results point to Ojo de Agua as a cemetery that emerged in the frame of increasing territoriality and conflict with neighboring groups and permitted us to improve our knowledge about the dynamic relationship between human population, environment, and cultural responses in the context of intensification and contact with food production. These results deepen recent studies in the same line but with a greater resolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The medical literature has shown that populations under high stress have a lower sex ratio at birth (i.e. number of males for every 100 females). In this paper, I examine the relationship between income, as a source of economic stress, and the sex ratio at a subnational level for the 1895–2010 period. For this, I use census microdata from Argentina -a developing country that experienced rapid growth at the end of the 19th century and stagnated in recent decades- and I estimate from a two-way fixed effects model that exploits the wide temporal and geographic variability in income. The results show that as per capita income increases, the sex ratio at birth also increases. In particular, for every US$ 1,000 increase in per capita income, the sex ratio increases between 0.3 and 0.6 points. These findings make it possible to quantify the lost boys (i.e. those boys who were not born due to high economic stress on their parents) and constitute a call for attention in favor of the implementation of prenatal care policies -especially in periods of stagnation or income decline- to maintain a more balanced sex ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Argentina has a wide availability of renewable resources, which provides important advantages for the hydrogen vector incorporation. The province of Córdoba is an excellent model case for the study of the rapid incorporation of hydrogen as fuel, to replace 20% V/V of natural gas consumed in vehicular use. This does not involve major changes in infrastructure or modifications to the vehicles. This paper computes and analyzes the levelized cost of hydrogen with the emissions associated for each part of the complete hydrogen supply chain. Two different production sources were used: renewable energies sources and the Argentine electrical grid; and two production pathways: in situ and centralized production. Comparing the same volume of proposed hydrogen compressed natural gas and current CNG, a cost decrease in the majority of the scenarios and a CO 2 eq emission reduction ranging from 19.5 to 8.2% are achieved, even if the hydrogen is produced using the carbon-intensive grid electricity. • The Production of hydrogen to replace part of the CNG used in vehicles is proposed. • Levelized cost of hydrogen and the emissions associated was assessed. • The study includes the entire supply chain from production to the filling station. • The use of HCNG results in a reduction of emissions in all the studied scenarios. • The new fuel is economically favorable, becoming relevant for rapid energy transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the articulation of race, class, gender, and politics in erotic magazines during the Argentine and Peruvian destapes in the transition from dictatorial to democratic rule at the turn to the 1980s. We argue that porn, as a genre, was not limited to a niche of readers seeking to use the magazines only for erotic purposes. In Peru, porn was one of the main agents in the opposition to military rule, and it only became a separate, autonomous genre devoid of politics with the coming of democracy. The emergence of magazines focused mostly on eroticism developed as editors attempted to lure readers among recent migrants from the Sierra who lived in the pueblos jóvenes (squatter settlements) in Lima. In this context, the audience demanded pictures of local women to replace foreign white female nudes. In Argentina porn became a crucial aspect of democratic politics, understood as a tool to overcome inhibitions, develop a self-exploration, and undermine traditional mores while fostering democracy. Driven by an impulse to emulate the alleged open-mindedness of Europe and the US, Argentine porn cemented white middle-class identity at a time of economic decline. In this context, Argentine erotic magazines praised sexual experimentation as courageous and gave voice to women, gays, and lesbians. Our approach combines social, political, and cultural history focusing on how the readership shaped magazines and at times achieved significant editorial changes. Through the study of porn we offer new insights regarding the transition to democracy in late Cold War Latin America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migrants' home gardens may be created from elements of both old and new landscapes. We assume that medicinal plant assemblages in migrants' gardens are shaped by plant diversity and availability, therapeutic needs, and heritagization processes. Which of the factors prevail: those related to biodiversity and ecology, epidemiology, or heritage and memory? In this paper we offer new knowledge on the garden landscapes of the Global South. The research was conducted in the Atlantic Forest in Argentina. We surveyed 120 home gardens: 60 of transborder Paraguayan migrants, and 60 of transcontinental Europeans who arrived in Misiones, Argentina before WW2 and their descendants. We compared the richness, composition, medicinal uses, and the relationships of garden plants (via plant networks) between these groups, taking into account everyday scales and the transnational scale. Paraguayans cultivated and protected 137 species, predominantly native, and people of European origin 119 spp., native and exotic in similar proportions. The similarity in plant composition (68%) and the consensus in the medicinal use of plants (62%) were high between the migrant groups. Plant network analysis revealed many overlaps in assemblages of plants, but certain particularities of each group remained because of cultural expressions and therapeutic needs. This high level of similarity suggests that plant diversity, both native and allochthonous, shared concepts of illness, and the flux of knowledge between these groups was more significant than heritagization practices in shaping home gardens' medicinal plant assemblages. People of Paraguayan and European origins do not make an active effort to convert their home gardens into heritage. Medicinal plants are connected to the lived emplacement--intimate daily practices--rather than to ethnic identity strategies. Nevertheless, the plant assemblages in gardens have been shaped by ecology, colonial legacy, nostalgia, and transfer of knowledge; therefore migrants' home gardens can be considered heritage in a broad sense. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: The Funga of the Patagonian Nothofagus forests is being studied since the late 19th century, but despite many efforts is still far from being completely known. The aim of this paper is to present detailed descriptions and data on geographical distribution of some genera and species of mitosporic ascomycetes that constitute new records for Argentina and for the Neotropical Region. M&M: Bark and woody debris from native Nothofagaceae were collected and studied. Reproductive structures were hand-sectioned and examined following traditional mycological techniques. Results: Six species of mitosporic ascomycetes were identified: Avettaea salvadorae, Bactrodesmium atrum, Dwiroopa ramya, Gilmaniella multiporosa, Monodictys paradoxa and Pycnopeziza quisquiliaris. Full descriptions, comments on identification and data on distribution and habitat of each species are provided, along with photographs illustrating diagnostic features. Conclusions: Two genera, Dwiroopa and Pycnopeziza, and one species, M. paradoxa, are registered for the first time in the Neotropical Region, two other species are first recorded in South America (B. atrum and G. multiporosa). This constitutes the second record of A. salvadorae in the continent, thus expanding its area of distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The igneous rocks of Cerro Cacheuta are considered a typical expression of the Permian-Triassic magmatism within the Andes Precordillera of Mendoza, Argentina. In particular, the southwestern margin of this hilltop is characterised by intermediate volcanic and felsic intrusives from the Choiyoi Group, one of the most extensive volcano-sedimentary suites of southern South America. The Choiyoi magmatism is widely associated with dramatic tectonic and environmental changes in the Gondwana supercontinent. Therefore, a better characterisation of the igneous facies of Cerro Cacheuta is critical to understand the evolution of Gondwana and recognise the multiple events that occurred towards the end of the Permian. This paper presents new data about the mineralogy, petrography, and geochemistry of the plutonic and volcanic units of Cerro Cacheuta, which enables authors to draw additional conclusions about the genesis and evolution of the magmatism in the region. Microscope observations indicate that the volcanic rocks are largely consistent with intermediate facies dominated by a porphyry texture with plagioclase and sanidine phenocrystals within a trachytic groundmass. Coetaneous breccias of possible hydrothermal origin and geodes with cryptocrystalline silica, limonite, and quartz are also recognised in outcrops. Geochemical analysis suggests that the lavas would likely correspond to andesites from a calc-alkaline magmatic arc. Furthermore, trace elements show enrichment in LREE/HREE, a slight negative anomaly in Eu, and concentration ratios compatible with crustal extension during the initial stages of the Choiyoi Group. Based on their chemical similarities, the monzonites of the Boca del Río Pluton would correlate with the lower section of the Choiyoi Group, of Permian age. In contrast, granites of the Cacheuta Pluton show a signature typically recognised in units from the Triassic and, therefore, would be comparable to the upper member of the Choiyoi Group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rachiplusia nu (Guenée) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae, Plusiinae) is a defoliator of soybean (Glycine max L., Fabaceae), sunflower (Helianthus annuus L., Asteraceae), alfalfa (Medicago sativa L., Fabaceae), and horticultural crops in temperate southern South America; however, there is little genetic information available about this pest insect. Recently, concerns about this insect have increased because of its suspected resistance to Bt soybean and its spread to tropical regions. To better understand pest dynamics, and therefore implement suitable management strategies, a thorough knowledge of the genetic variability and spatial structuring of populations is required. In this paper, R. nu larvae were sampled from various crops and locations in central Argentina (where the pest is endemic) to assess diversity and population structure through mtDNA sequence analysis. In addition to the analysis of the standard cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) 'barcode' fragment, a new set of primers was developed to explore genetic variation in the cytochrome b (Cytb) gene. COI and Cytb concatenated sequences revealed an overall high haplotype diversity (mean ± SD = 0.798 ± 0.037) and low nucleotide diversity (0.00137 ± 0.00013). The haplotype network showed a total of 19 haplotypes, separated by at most five mutational steps. A main central haplotype and four additional frequent haplotypes (accounting for 80% of the specimens examined) were distributed across populations with no obvious pattern related to host plant or geographic origin. Analysis of molecular variance further supported a weak population structure, where genetic variation within populations was the main source of total variation (ca. 96%). Pairwise comparisons showed only minor genetic differentiation among some of the populations studied. Implications of these findings in the context of R. nu control are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is based on the research related to regional integration attempts in Latin America and their effect on the economic development of Latin American countries. Recent analyses clarify that the US’ intervention in the politics of Latin America has been the main obstacle of the regional integration process. Most importantly, political fragmentation of the countries in the region affects the success of the organizations that are formed for the regional integration. This is especially visible in the political processes of the countries such as economic crises in Argentina, political instability in Venezuela and increasing migration to the US from Latin American countries. Notable studies reveal that despite the regional integration efforts, the economic benefits to the region has been limited compared to the benefit of the global economic powers. Different from the current literature, this paper focuses on the internal dynamics of Latin American countries. In this respect, this paper investigates the effect of the regional integration attempts for the economic development of the countries in Latin America. In this regard, the rational state behaviour was found as an important element to explain in relation to the Latin American integration attempts. With a liberal intergovernmentalist perspective, this paper aims to reveal the success of regional integration attempts in Latin America with the cases of Latin American Free Trade Association (LAFTA), Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) and Andean Community (CAN). The main argument of this paper is that increasing economic cooperation and creating a reconstruction model with a financial assistance to the less developed countries in the region have led to a regional economic development in cohesion with the policies of the regional powers of Latin America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on how therapeutic culture is used to reshape the experiences of motherhood. Through childbirth supportive groups, raising children counselling and doulas' emotional support among other activities, women learn to build their experiences as mothers in terms of personal growth, self-development and spiritual healing. Here, I examine these notions and the creation of new normative ideals that link an experience of personal growth with the experience of motherhood. The article is part of an ongoing qualitative study on the experience of mothers who practice "attachment parenting" and "respectful parenting" in Buenos Aires. This style of parenting involves "full-term breastfeeding", co-sleeping, baby-led weaning, baby wearing, among the main practices. This paper contributes to understanding the growing prominence of therapeutic discourses in everyday life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a court case involving the Pulp Mills on the River Uruguay. The case was brought before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on April 20, 2010 when Argentina instituted proceedings against Uruguay for alleged breaches of the provisions of the Statute of the River Uruguay, arising out of the proposal of Uruguay to put up two pulp mills on the river. Argentina argued that the procedure followed by Uruguay in authorizing the establishment of the pulp mills violated the Statute. The decision of the ICJ on the case is presented.