Genre Originality of Novel by M. Vargas Llosa “Green House”

The genre nature of the novel “Green House” by the Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa is analyzed in the article. Special attention is paid to three approaches to the definition of the genre: “Green House” as a total novel, as a chivalric novel and as an Indianist novel. Definitions of each genre under consideration are given. The relevance of the study is due to the fact that the prevailing approaches to defining the genre of the “Green House” in contemporary Latin American studies is analyzed in the paper. In the course of the work seven stable characteristics of the total novel are distinguished: a radically realistic author’s intention, a clear structural organization of the text, compositional and semantic unity, the consciousness of the infinity of language, the comprehensiveness of the novel, nonlinearity of narration, and the use of dialogue as a structure-forming device. The question of the presence in the novel “Green House” of signs of a chivalric romance is considered. The results of a comparative analysis of the “Green House” and the Catalan novel “Tyrant White” are presented. A comparison of the structure of the “Green House” and the generalized structure of the Indianist novel is given, the key features of this genre are analyzed. It is concluded that in the case of the “Green House” it is impossible to come to genre definiteness. The authors dwell on the fact that “Green House” is a work of fiction that combines elements of different genres, without any other restrictions in interpretations, except for those directly rejected by the text.

Beyond the “Yellowstone Model:” The Origins of National Parks in Brazil and Argentina

Book Review Kaltmeier, Olaf. National Parks from North to South: An Entangled History of Conservation and Colonization in Argentina. Inter-American Studies 34. Trier; New Orleans: WVT Wissenschaftlicher Verlag Trier; University of New Orleans Press, 2021. Freitas, Frederico. Nationalizing Nature: Iguazu Falls and National Parks at the Brazil-Argentina Border. Latin American Studies 122. Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 2021.

High Altitude Pregnancies and Vascular Dysfunction: Observations From Latin American Studies

An estimated human population of 170 million inhabit at high-altitude (HA, above 2,500 m). The potential pathological effects of HA hypobaric hypoxia during gestation have been the focus of several researchers around the world. The studies based on the Himalayan and Central/South American mountains are particularly interesting as these areas account for nearly 70% of the HA world population. At present, studies in human and animal models revealed important alterations in fetal development and growth at HA. Moreover, vascular responses to chronic hypobaria in the pregnant mother and her fetus may induce marked cardiovascular impairments during pregnancy or in the neonatal period. In addition, recent studies have shown potential long-lasting postnatal effects that may increase cardiovascular risk in individuals gestated under chronic hypobaria. Hence, the maternal and fetal adaptive responses to hypoxia, influenced by HA ancestry, are vital for a better developmental and cardiovascular outcome of the offspring. This mini-review exposes and discusses the main determinants of vascular dysfunction due to developmental hypoxia at HA, such as the Andean Mountains, at the maternal and fetal/neonatal levels. Although significant advances have been made from Latin American studies, this area still needs further investigations to reveal the mechanisms involved in vascular dysfunction, to estimate complications of pregnancy and postnatal life adequately, and most importantly, to determine potential treatments to prevent or treat the pathological effects of being developed under chronic hypobaric hypoxia.

Continuidad de negocio, análisis de la exposición al riesgo de ataques cibernéticos en empresas micro y pequeñas de la región Atlautla, Ozumba y Amecameca

El estudio cuantitativo de diseño descriptivo-correlacional se realizó a partir de datos recolectados en la investigación anual 2020 de la Red de Estudios Latinoamericanos en Administración y Negocios (Relayn) de una muestra de 401 directivos de micro y pequeñas empresas de los municipios de Atlautla, Ozumba y Amecameca Estado México, con el objetivo de ponderar su exposición al riesgo de ataques cibernéticos medido a través de la relación entre la incorporación tecnológica y la implementación de software de seguridad informática con la intención de inferir su impacto en la continuidad de negocio. Se encontró una relación directa entre las variables de estudio, con r = 0.725. AbstractThis quantitative research of descriptive-correlational design was performed with data recollected during the annual investigation of Latin American Studies Network in Business and Administration (Relayn) in 2020 from a sample consisting of 401 micro and small business directors from the municipality of Atlautla, Ozumba and Amecameca, Mexico State with the objective of weighing vulnerability of cybernetic attacks measured by the relationship between incorporation of technology and implementation of computer security software with the intention of inferring the impact it has on a businesses continuity. A direct relationship was found among study variables, with r = 0.725.

Corporate governance and firm performance: does sovereign rating matter?

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the impact of sovereign rating and corporate governance on performance of Latin American companies between 2004 and 2018. Design/methodology/approach This study performed a multilevel regression with fixed and random coefficients for 823 companies and verified the impacts of country, firm and time levels on the performance variation. The study alternated return on assets and Tobin’ Q as dependent variables and measured governance using the following variables: board size, chief executive officer/chairman duality, CEO/board member duality, dummy for the chairman as a former CEO, audit committee, independence and expertise of the audit committee. Findings Latin American companies performed better when their respective countries have a better sovereign rating and when they adopt better board of directors and audit committee mechanisms. Sovereign rating assumes distinct roles depending on the presence or absence of governance variables. Rating and governance may be substitute mechanisms to protect investors. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first to investigate the impacts of sovereign rating on firm performance in the Latin American scenario. The use of governance metrics – for example, the audit committee expertise and the dummy for chairman as a former CEO – is innovative in Latin American studies.