scholarly journals Intensive silvopastoral systems with Leucaena leucocephala in Latin America

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 259-266
Author(s):  
Julián Chará ◽  
Julián Rivera ◽  
Rolando Barahona ◽  
Enrique Murgueitio ◽  
Zoraida Calle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Habitat Complexity ◽  
Environmental Services ◽  
Silvopastoral Systems ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Fodder Shrubs ◽  
Below Ground ◽  
Livestock Products ◽  
Change Mitigation

Plenary paper presented at the International Leucaena Conference, 1‒3 November 2018, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.Leucaena leucocephala has played a key role in the development of sustainable cattle ranching in Latin America. This species is the backbone of the so-called Intensive Silvopastoral Systems (ISPS) that combine high-density cultivation of leucaena as fodder shrubs (4,000–40,000 plants/ha) with grasses and trees. The layers of vegetation added by shrubs and trees increase the system’s capacity for transforming solar energy into biomass and enhance habitat complexity. Although part of the biomass is transformed into livestock products, a significant amount is deposited as litter on the soil and, along with the nitrogen fixed by leucaena and other trees, has positive effects on soil properties and grass production. The increased complexity of the system has measurable effects on biodiversity. ISPS with leucaena support more species of birds, ants, dung beetles and woody plants than conventional pasture monocultures, contribute to landscape-scale connectivity and provide environmental services. They also enhance animal welfare through reduced heat stress and improved availability and quality of fodder resources. ISPS contribute to climate change mitigation by improving above- and below-ground carbon sequestration and by cutting down greenhouse gas emissions per units of dry matter consumed and cattle product. Although these systems have been successfully implemented in Colombia, Mexico and other countries, their adoption is still limited in relation to the area suitable for their introduction.

scholarly journals The COVID-19 pandemic: A call to action for health systems in Latin America to strengthen quality of care

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Garcia Elorrio Ezequiel ◽  
Arrieta Jafet ◽  
Arce Hugo ◽  
Delgado Pedro ◽  
Malik Ana Maria ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Quality Of Care ◽  
Health Systems ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Influential Factors ◽  
System Level ◽  
Call To Action ◽  
Public Health Emergencies ◽  
Positive Effects

Abstract The Covid-19 and other recent pandemics has highlighted existing weakness in health systems across the Latin-America and the Caribbean (LAC) region to effectively prepare for and respond to Public Health Emergencies. It has been stated that quality of care will be among the most influential factors on Covid 19 mortality rates and low systems performance is the common case in these countries. More comprehensive and system level strategies are required to address the challenges. These must focus on redesigning and strengthening health systems to make them more resilient to the changing needs of populations and based on quality improvement methods that have shown rigorously evaluated positive effects in previous local and regional experiences. A call to action is being made by the Latin American Consortium for Quality, Patient Safety and Innovation (CLICSS) and they provide specific recommendations for decision makers.

scholarly journals Is Helping Really Helping? Health-Related Quality of Life after TBI Predicting Caregiver Depression Symptom Trajectories in Latin America

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 1247
Author(s):  
Chimdindu Ohayagha ◽  
Paul B. Perrin ◽  
Annahir N. Cariello ◽  
Juan Carlos Arango-Lasprilla
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Latin America ◽  
Depression Symptom ◽  
Caregiver Depression ◽  
Symptom Trajectories ◽  
Related Quality ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Caregiver Mental Health

Previous research connecting health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in people with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and caregiver mental health has primarily been conducted cross-sectionally in the U.S. and Western Europe. This study, therefore, examined how HRQoL in individuals immediately after their TBI predicts longitudinal caregiver depression symptom trajectories in Latin America. A sample of 109 patients with an acute TBI and 109 caregivers (total n = 218) was recruited from three hospitals in Mexico City, Mexico, and in Cali and Neiva, Colombia. TBI patients reported their HRQoL while they were still in hospital, and caregivers reported their depression symptoms at the same time and at 2 and 4 months later. Hierarchal linear models (HLM) found that caregiver depression symptom scores decreased over time, and lower patient mental health and pain-related quality of life at baseline (higher pain) predicted higher overall caregiver depression symptom trajectories across the three time points. These findings suggest that in Latin America, there is an identifiable relationship between psychological and pain-related symptoms after TBI and caregiver depression symptom outcomes. The results highlight the importance of early detection of caregiver mental health needs based in part upon patient HRQoL and a culturally informed approach to rehabilitation services for Latin American TBI caregivers.

scholarly journals Non-Pharmacologic Interventions for Caregivers of People With Dementia in Latin America: A Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 275-276
Author(s):  
Jose Aravena ◽  
Jean Gajardo ◽  
Laura Gitlin
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Latin America ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Randomized Clinical Trials ◽  
Social Inequalities ◽  
Neuropsychiatric Symptoms ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
Person With Dementia

Abstract In a scenario of increasing longevity and social inequalities, Latin-America is an important contributor to the worldwide dementia burden. Caregivers’ health is fundamental to maintain the person with dementia quality of life. However, caregiving is a culturally sensible role that requires tailored solutions. The aim is to synthesize the evidence about non-pharmacologic interventions targeted to caregivers of people with dementia in Latin-American contexts. A comprehensive review of interventions in caregivers and persons with dementia in Latin-American countries was conducted using MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, and Scopus with studies published until January 27th, 2020. Randomized clinical trials of non-pharmacologic interventions targeted to caregivers of people with dementia or dyads where included. Qualitative synthesis of the evidence was presented and analyzed. Overall, 9 pilot RCT were included for the final analysis (6 Brazil, 1 Colombia, 1 Mexico, 1 Perú). The biggest study recruited 69 caregivers and the smallest 13 dyads, with follow-up range of 3-6 months. 5 control groups received at least some other non-standard care type of intervention. 8 were targeted exclusively to caregivers (4 group intervention, 3 individual, and 1 combined) and 1 multicomponent intervention. Most frequent measured outcomes were caregiver’s burden, anxiety, depressive symptoms, and quality of life, and person with dementia neuropsychiatric symptoms. Individual interventions report better results in caregiver parameters such as burden and depressive symptoms and person with dementia neuropsychiatric symptoms. Group interventions presented mixed results. Nevertheless, the quality of evidence was low. There is a critical need to study interventions for caregivers in Latin-American contexts.

scholarly journals Minimal Effects, Maximum Panic: Social Media and Democracy in Latin America

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 205630512098445
Author(s):  
Eugenia Mitchelstein ◽  
Mora Matassi ◽  
Pablo J. Boczkowski
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Latin America ◽  
Social Engagement ◽  
Hate Speech ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Electronic Government ◽  
Qualitative Assessment ◽  
Common Denominator ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Positive Effects

In face of public discourses about the negative effects that social media might have on democracy in Latin America, this article provides a qualitative assessment of existing scholarship about the uses, actors, and effects of platforms for democratic life. Our findings suggest that, first, campaigning, collective action, and electronic government are the main political uses of platforms. Second, politicians and office holders, social movements, news producers, and citizens are the main actors who utilize them for political purposes. Third, there are two main positive effects of these platforms for the democratic process—enabling social engagement and information diffusion—and two main negative ones—the presence of disinformation, and the spread of extremism and hate speech. A common denominator across positive and negative effects is that platforms appear to have minimal effects that amplify pre-existing patterns rather than create them de novo.

scholarly journals Globalization and educational inequality during the 18th to 20th centuries: Latin America in global comparison

2010 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 279-305 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joerg Baten ◽  
Christina Mumme
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Latin America ◽  
Strong Evidence ◽  
Educational Inequality ◽  
Gdp Per Capita ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Global Comparison ◽  
Per Capita ◽  
The Rich

AbstractThis paper explores the inequality of numeracy and education by studying school years and numeracy of the rich and poor, as well as of tall and short individuals. To estimate numeracy, the age-heaping method is used for the 18th to early 20th centuries. Testing the hypothesis that globalization might have increased the inequality of education, we find evidence that 19th century globalization actually increased inequality in Latin America, but 20th century globalization had positive effects by reducing educational inequality in a broader sample of developing countries. Moreover, we find strong evidence for Kuznets’s inverted U hypothesis, that is, rising educational inequality with GDP per capita in the period until 1913 and the opposite after 1945.

scholarly journals A Comparison of the Effect of Two Types of Whole Body Vibration Platforms on Fibromyalgia. A Randomized Controlled Trial

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 3007
Author(s):  
José Antonio Mingorance ◽  
Pedro Montoya ◽  
José García Vivas Miranda ◽  
Inmaculada Riquelme
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Motor Function ◽  
Whole Body Vibration ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Body Vibration ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Therapy Program

Whole body vibration has been proven to improve the health status of patients with fibromyalgia, providing an activation of the neuromuscular spindles, which are responsible for muscle contraction. The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of two types of whole body vibrating platforms (vertical and rotational) during a 12-week training program. Sixty fibromyalgia patients (90% were women) were randomly assigned to one of the following groups: group A (n = 20), who performed the vibration training with a vertical platform; group B (n = 20), who did rotational platform training; or a control group C (n = 20), who did not do any training. Sensitivity measures (pressure pain and vibration thresholds), quality of life (Quality of Life Index), motor function tasks (Berg Scale, six-minute walking test, isometric back muscle strength), and static and dynamic balance (Romberg test and gait analysis) were assessed before, immediately after, and three months after the therapy program. Although both types of vibration appeared to have beneficial effects with respect to the control group, the training was more effective with the rotational than with vertical platform in some parameters, such as vibration thresholds (p < 0.001), motor function tasks (p < 0.001), mediolateral sway (p < 0.001), and gait speed (p < 0.05). Nevertheless, improvements disappeared in the follow-up in both types of vibration. Our study points out greater benefits with the use of rotational rather than vertical whole body vibration. The use of the rotational modality is recommended in the standard therapy program for patients with fibromyalgia. Due to the fact that the positive effects of both types of vibration disappeared during the follow-up, continuous or intermittent use is recommended.

scholarly journals Personal Strengths and Health Related Quality of Life in Dementia Caregivers from Latin America

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen K. Trapp ◽  
Paul B. Perrin ◽  
Richa Aggarwal ◽  
Silvina Victoria Peralta ◽  
Miriam E. Stolfi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Latin America ◽  
Sense Of Coherence ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Health Related Quality ◽  
Dementia Caregivers ◽  
Personal Strengths ◽  
Related Quality ◽  
Health Related

The research literature has begun to demonstrate associations between personal strengths and enhanced psychosocial functioning of dementia caregivers, but these relationships have not been examined in the context of dementia caregivers in Latin America. The present study examined whether personal strengths, including resilience, optimism, and sense of coherence, were associated with mental and physical health related quality of life (HRQOL) in 130 dementia caregivers in Mexico and Argentina. Structural equation modeling found that the personal strengths collectively accounted for 58.4% of the variance in caregiver mental HRQOL, and resilience, sense of coherence, and optimism each had unique effects. In comparison, the personal strengths together accounted for 8.9% of the variance in caregiver physical HRQOL, and only sense of coherence yielded a unique effect. These results underscore the need to construct and disseminate empirically supported interventions based in part on important personal strengths, particularly sense of coherence, for this underrepresented group.

scholarly journals DIASPORA NETWORKS, NON-ECONOMIC REMITTANCES AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT: EVIDENCE FROM SOME ECONOMIES IN LATIN AMERICA

2015 ◽  
Vol 20 (01) ◽  
pp. 1550005 ◽  
Author(s):  
NIR KSHETRI ◽  
DIANA ROJAS-TORRES ◽  
MARLENY CARDONA ACEVEDO
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Latin America ◽  
Host Country ◽  
Home Country ◽  
Entrepreneurial Activity ◽  
Entrepreneurship Development ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Primary Focus ◽  
Diaspora Networks

Diaspora networks' non-economic remittances in the forms of social, political, cultural and technical contributions to their homeland play important roles in entrepreneurship and economic development. In this paper, we examine the effects of such remittances on entrepreneurship development in economies in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). We analyze how factors such as migrants' skills and education and characteristics of the host country are likely to affect non-economic remittances and their contribution to entrepreneurship and economic development. We offer some examples of initiatives taken in the home country and the host country to maximize the potential non-economic remittances and their impacts on entrepreneurship development in the home country. A key lesson and take-away that we can gain from entrepreneurially successful efforts of some economies is that the primary focus of diaspora policies need to be centered on utilizing various forms of non-economic remittances in stimulating the quantity and quality of entrepreneurial activity.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document