Latin American (latin + american)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Terms modified by Latin American

  • latin american country
  • latin american government
  • latin american population

  • Selected Abstracts


    What Determines Cross-Country Access to Antiretroviral Treatment?

    DEVELOPMENT POLICY REVIEW, Issue 3 2006
    Nicoli Nattrass
    Despite the recent international effort to expand access to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in developing countries, its coverage still varies significantly from country to country and is strongly correlated with per capita income. However, regional and political variables are also important. Cross-country regressions indicate that, controlling for political and economic characteristics and the scale of the HIV epidemic, Latin American and African countries have better coverage than predicted. Whereas the level of HIV prevalence was a significantly (negative) factor when accounting for HAART coverage in June 2004, this effect had disappeared by December 2004. The improvement appears to have benefited democratic countries in particular. [source]


    Optimal Policy for Financial Market Liberalizations: Decentralization and Capital Flow Reversals

    GERMAN ECONOMIC REVIEW, Issue 1 2000
    Theo S. Eicher
    Financial market liberalizations are an integral part of economic development. While initial booms in investment and output are commonly seen as signs of successful deregulation, they often reverse at a later stage as international capital flows turn negative and economic growth slows markedly. Such reversals of fortunes have commonly been attributed to incorrect policies that supposedly followed the initial, appropriate measures. It is unclear, however, if capital flow reversals are actually the result of policy reversals, or if they occur as part of the normal transition when financial liberalization is accompanied by a single suboptimal policy. The later hypothesis has not been explored in the theoretical literature We construct a general equilibrium growth model of a small open economy, in which capital flow reversals are the result of a single, suboptimal policy imposed at the beginning of the financial liberalization. We show how improper taxation of foreign borrowing initially leads to strong growth fuelled by an investment boom and foreign borrowing. Still along the transition, however, the model predicts that capital flows must reverse endogenously at a later stage, as the debt burden rises and the country-specific risk premium increases. Our data on the Latin American and East Asian countries provide strong support for our hypothesis. [source]


    Life expectancy and welfare in Latin America and the Caribbean

    HEALTH ECONOMICS, Issue S1 2009
    *Article first published online: 17 MAR 200, Rodrigo R. Soares
    Abstract This paper analyses the recent evolution of life expectancy in Latin American and Caribbean countries, and evaluates how much it has contributed to the overall improvements in welfare. We argue that increases in life expectancy between 1960 and 2000, which were largely independent of income, represented gains in welfare comparable to the ones derived from income growth. For countries in the region, estimates of welfare improvements accounting for health increase the numbers obtained from income alone by 40% on average. The available evidence suggests that improvements in public health infrastructure , such as provision of treated water and sewerage services , and large-scale immunization programs may have been the key factors behind the mortality reductions observed in the period. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


    Child temperament in three U.S. cultural groups,

    INFANT MENTAL HEALTH JOURNAL, Issue 5 2009
    Marc H. Bornstein
    Temperament among children (N = 111 20-month-olds) from three cultural backgrounds in the United States (Latin American, Japanese American, and European American) was investigated. In accord with a biobehavioral universalist perspective on the expression of early temperament, few significant group differences in child temperament were found, regardless of cultural background; however, factors associated with maternal reports of child temperament differed by cultural group. The findings provide insight into the nature of child temperament generally and temperament of children in immigrant families specifically as well as parenting in immigrant families. [source]


    The Significance of the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks for United States-Bound Migration in the Western Hemisphere

    INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION REVIEW, Issue 1 2002
    Christopher Mitchell
    The economic and political effects of the September 11 terrorist attacks weakened Latin American and Caribbean economies, reduced employment among Western Hemisphere immigrants living in the United States, and hindered new migrants' access to U.S. territory. Thus, the 9/11 events probably increased long-term motivations for northward migration in the hemisphere, while discouraging and postponing international population movement in the short run. In addition, the terrorist assaults dealt a sharp setback to a promising dialogue on immigration policies between the United States and Mexico. Those discussions had appeared to herald constructive new policies towards migration into the U.S. from Mexico and possibly other nations in the hemisphere. A series of significant international migrant flows in South and Central America and in the Caribbean, not involving the United States, are unfortunately beyond the scope of this brief essay. I will first describe the consequences of the September 11 assaults for U.S.-bound migration in the hemisphere, before turning to consider future social, economic and policy paths. [source]


    Forecasting domestic liquidity during a crisis: what works best?

    JOURNAL OF FORECASTING, Issue 6 2007
    Winston R. MooreArticle first published online: 3 JUL 200
    Abstract The 1990s were a turbulent time for Latin American and Caribbean countries. During this period, the region suffered from no less than 16 banking crises. One the most important determinants of the severity of banking a crisis is commercial bank liquidity. Banking systems that are relatively liquid are better able to deal with the large deposit withdrawals which tend to accompany bank runs. This study provides an assessment of whether behavioural models, linear time series or nonlinear time series models are better able to account for liquidity dynamics during a crisis.,,Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


    Foreign exchange pressures in Latin America: Does debt matter?

    JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, Issue 5 2008
    Alex Mandilaras
    Abstract Latin American countries have been in the eye of economic and financial storms several times in recent years. Advice from the International Monetary Fund has consistently highlighted the need for sound fiscal policies and lower debt levels. But is public debt relevant? Following a brief discussion of the theoretical issues involved, this paper examines empirically the relationship between public indebtedness and pressures in the foreign exchange market. Alternative measures are used to capture the latter and the analysis controls for a de facto classification of exchange rate regimes. Estimations of static and dynamic panels for 28 Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries report substantial fiscal effects. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


    Frente Amplio and the Crafting of a Social Democratic Alternative in Uruguay

    LATIN AMERICAN POLITICS AND SOCIETY, Issue 4 2007
    Juan Pablo Luna
    ABSTRACT This study of Uruguay's Frente Amplio explores four central questions for the analysis of the "new Latin American left." How did a leftist alternative emerge and grow inside an institutionalized party system? How do the socioeconomic and political factors that enabled the rise of the left in Uruguay differ from those observed in other Latin American cases? How did Frente Amplio adapt itself to profit from the opportunities that arose during the 1990s? What are the implications of the previous factors for governmental action by the FA? In answering these questions, this study integrates an analysis of the sociological and political-institutional opportunity structures consolidated during the 1990s with one of strategic partisan adaptation processes. This perspective is useful for explaining how, by 2004, Frente Amplio had built a dual support base from its historical constituency and a socially heterogeneous group alienated from traditional parties due to economic and political discontent. [source]


    Nonlinear Alternatives to Unit Root Tests and Public Finances Sustainability: Some Evidence from Latin American and Caribbean Countries,

    OXFORD BULLETIN OF ECONOMICS & STATISTICS, Issue 5 2008
    Georgios Chortareas
    Abstract We analyse the sustainability of government debt for Latin American and Caribbean countries employing unit-root tests with nonlinear alternative hypotheses and examine the robustness of our results against those from unit-root tests with breaks and threshold nonlinearities. We show that, in general support for sustainability substantially improves when nonlinear mean reversion is taken into account. We also find that the results obtained from applying various tests with nonlinear alternatives, although broadly consistent, are not identical. This suggests that reliance on a single unit-root test for assessing fiscal policy sustainability may be misleading. [source]


    ECONOMIC RESTRUCTURING AND URBAN FOOD ACCESS IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

    ANNALS OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL PRACTICE, Issue 1 2009
    Howard Rosing
    The article describes how economic restructuring in the Dominican Republic during the 1980s and 1990s established the basis for urban food access challenges during the 2000s. Primarily based on research in Santiago, the second largest Dominican city, the article provides insights into how export-oriented development strategies, expanding trade liberalization, domestic political struggles, and patriarchal relations influenced access to food for low-income residents. During the early 2000s, many Santiago residents were engaged in an elaborate, androcentric exchange network that linked gendered income-generating strategies to credit-bearing food merchants who were, in turn, conjoined to a sequence of brokers all of whom were eventually linked to domestic and international producers by credit relations. Analysis of these findings illustrates how and why this exchange network existed, the importance of credit relations to its maintenance, and the ways in which government and U.S. food policies influenced urban provisioning patterns among the most economically and socially vulnerable population of Santiago. I argue that the rapidly changing social and spatial configurations of Latin American and Caribbean cities calls for innovative applied anthropological research into the processes that structure access to food resources by food insecure groups. By focusing on household food procurement in conjunction with exchange relations for a key staple, the article highlights practices and policies that enable and constrain food access for such groups. The article provides empirical data relevant to scholars and practitioners concerned with understanding the structural origins of the present-day food crisis in developing countries. [source]


    Preservation of Muscular and Elastic Artery Distensibility After an Intercontinental Cryoconserved Exchange: Theoretical Advances in Arterial Homograft Generation and Utilization

    ARTIFICIAL ORGANS, Issue 8 2009
    Daniel Bia
    Abstract While the situation of tissue donation and transplantation differs between Latin American and European countries, a common problem is tissue deficiency. Hence, at present, there is a pressing need to generate alternatives so as to increase the possibilities of obtaining the requested materials. Consequently, it would be of significant interest to establish an intercontinental network for tissue exchange, to improve international cooperation, and to help patients that need tissue transplantation, and to evaluate the feasibility of using an intercontinental network for the exchange of cryopreserved arteries (cryografts), preserving the arterial distensibility and ensuring a reduced native artery,cryograft biomechanical mismatch. Distensibility was studied in ovine arteries divided into three groups: intact (in vivo tests, conscious animals), fresh control (in vitro tests immediately after the artery excision, Uruguay), and cryografts (in vitro tests of cryopreserved-transported-defrosted arteries, Spain). Histological studies were performed so as to analyze changes in the endothelial layer and elastic components. The comparison between fresh control and cryografts showed that neither the cryopreservation nor the exchange network impaired the distensibility, despite the expected histological changes found in the cryografts. The comparison between intact and cryografts showed that the cryografts would be capable of ensuring a reduced biomechanical mismatch. The cryopreservation and the intercontinental network designed for artery exchange preserved the arterial distensibility. It could be possible to transfer cryografts between Latin America and Europe to be used in cardiovascular surgeries and/or for tissue banking reprocessing, with basic biomechanical properties similar to those of the fresh and/or native arteries. [source]


    A non-sense mutation in the corneodesmosin gene in a Mexican family with hypotrichosis simplex of the scalp

    BRITISH JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 6 2005
    N.O. Dávalos
    Summary Background, Hypotrichosis simplex of the scalp (HSS; MIM 146520) is a rare autosomal dominant form of non-syndromic alopecia that affects men and women equally. Up to now, only a small number of families with HSS have been reported. The affected individuals experience a diffuse progressing hair loss from childhood to adulthood that is confined to the scalp. Recently, HSS has been mapped to the short arm of chromosome 6 (6p21.3), allowing mutations in the corneodesmosin gene (CDSN) to be identified as the cause of the disorder. To date, two stop mutations have been found in three unrelated families with HSS of different ethnic origin. Objectives, To describe the first HSS-family with Latin American (Mexican) background comprising 6 generations and to identify a mutation in the CDSN gene. Patients/Methods, The patients were examined by a clinician and blood samples were taken. After DNA extraction, sequencing analysis of the CDSN gene and restriction enzyme analysis with PsuI were performed. Results, By direct sequencing of the two exons of the CDSN gene, a nonsense mutation was identified in the index patient in exon 2, resulting in a premature stop codon (Y239X). The mutation cosegregates perfectly in the family with the disease and was not found in 300 control chromosomes using a restriction enzyme analysis with PsuI. Conclusions, A nonsense mutation was identified in the first family with HSS of Latin American ethnical background. Our data provide molecular genetic evidence for a 3rd stop mutation in exon 2 of the CDSN gene being responsible for HSS. All to date known nonsense mutations responsible 3 for HSS are clustered in a region of 40 amino acids which is in accordance with a dominant negative effect conferred by aggregates of truncated CDSN proteins. [source]


    Comparison of the effects of treatment of peri-implant infection in animal and human studies: systematic review and meta-analysis

    CLINICAL ORAL IMPLANTS RESEARCH, Issue 2 2010
    Clovis Mariano Faggion Jr
    Abstract Objective: The main objective of this systematic review is to compare the effects of treatment of peri-implant infection between animal and human studies. Material and methods: A literature search was conducted using the Medline, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature databases up to and including May 2008. In addition, bibliographies of systematic reviews on peri-implant diseases were searched manually. Non-surgical and surgical treatments of peri-implantitis/mucositis in animal models or human studies were compared. Meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the difference between the reported treatment effects in animal and human studies. Changes in probing pocket depth (PPD) and probing attachment level (PAL) from baseline measurements were used as measures of outcome. Single-level and multilevel meta-regression analysis was performed by taking into account the different follow-up times of the studies included. Results: The single-level and multilevel random-effects meta-analysis showed that the difference in PPD reduction [0.31 mm, 95% confidence interval (CI): ,0.27, 0.88] and in PAL gain (0.21 mm, 95% CI: ,0.47, 0.88) between animal and human studies was not statistically significant. The random-effects meta-regression suggested that studies with longer follow-up times revealed greater PPD reduction (0.25 mm per month, 95% CI: 0.14, 0.35). However, when the different follow-up times were taken into account, these differences became greater. Substantial heterogeneity between studies was found in the meta-analyses (I2=97.6% for animal studies and 99.9% for human studies). Conclusion: There was great heterogeneity between human and animal studies in terms of study designs and treatment procedures. Therefore, the results from this meta-analysis should be interpreted with caution. Heterogeneity between studies and its causes merit further investigations. To cite this article: Faggion CM Jr, Chambrone L, Gondim V, Schmitter M, Tu Y-K. Comparison of the effects of treatment of peri-implant infection in animal and human studies: systematic review and meta-analysis. Clin. Oral Impl. Res. 21, 2010; 137,147. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0501.2009.01753.x [source]


    A comparison of American and international prototypes of successful managers

    JOURNAL OF LEADERSHIP STUDIES, Issue 1 2009
    Melenie J. Lankau
    In the present study, similarities and differences between prototypes of successful managers were examined across four cultural groups: Americans, Europeans, Asians, and Latin Americans. Managers from the hospitality industry (N = 366) used an 84,item attribute inventory to rate a successful middle manager. In addition, Americans' stereotypes of ethnic managers were compared with prototypes held by managers from those ethnic cultures. Specifically, American managers' perceptions of Asian and Hispanic managers were compared against Asian and Hispanic/Latin American managers' prototypes. A high level of correspondence in prototype characteristics was found across the four cultural groups. In addition, American-defined ethnic manager stereotypes also contained profiles similar to cultural prototypes. However, important differences were also detected on many managerial characteristics. Implications of the findings for cross-cultural congruence and areas for future research are discussed. [source]


    Molecular and epidemiological characteristics of blood-borne virus infections among recent immigrants in Spain

    JOURNAL OF MEDICAL VIROLOGY, Issue 12 2006
    Carlos Toro
    Abstract The increased immigration from developing regions to Western countries raises public health concerns related to blood-borne viruses. The prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV) infections among recent immigrants attending several Spanish diagnostic centers in years 2002 and 2003 was examined. Genetic characterization of viral subtypes and its relationship with distinct at-risk populations was carried out. A total of 1,303 immigrants were identified. They originated in Latin America (46.9%), Sub-Saharan Africa (23.7%), Eastern Europe (9.4%), and the Maghreb (9.2%). Seroprevalence rates were as follows: HIV-1 4.2%, HBV 4.1%, HCV 2.9%, and HTLV-1 0.8%. All patients with HIV-1 non-B subtypes, HBV genotypes E and A3, and HCV genotype 4 were sub-Saharan Africans, and had been infected mainly through heterosexual contacts. In contrast, Latin American homo/bisexual men carried HIV-1 subtype B most likely acquired after their arrival to Spain. In conclusion, while Sub-Saharan Africans carry wide diverse genetic variants of blood-borne viruses, the absence of high-risk practices in most cases could limit the spread of these variants. In contrast, Latin Americans with high-risk sexual practices may be a particularly vulnerable collective to acquire blood-borne viruses in the receptor country. J. Med. Virol. 78:1599,1608, 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


    Latin America's Neocaudillismo: Ex-Presidents and Newcomers Running for President, and Winning

    LATIN AMERICAN POLITICS AND SOCIETY, Issue 3 2008
    Javier Corrales
    ABSTRACT Latin Americans have been voting for a surprisingly large number of ex-presidents and newcomers in presidential elections since the late 1980s. This article looks at both the demand and supply sides of this phenomenon by focusing on economic anxieties and party crises as the key independent variables. Sometimes the relationship between these variables is linear: economic anxieties combined with party crises lead to rising ex-presidents and newcomers. At other times the relationship is symbiotic: the rise of ex-presidents leads to party crises, economic and political anxieties, and thus the rise of newcomers. This article concludes that the abundance of ex-presidents and newcomers in elections,essentially, the new face of Latin America's caudillismo,does not bode well for democracy because it accelerates de-institutionalization and polarizes the electorate. [source]


    Religious Activity and Political Participation: The Brazilian and Chilean Cases

    LATIN AMERICAN POLITICS AND SOCIETY, Issue 1 2005
    Eric Patterson
    Scholars debate whether the recent conversion of millions of Latin Americans to evangelical Protestantism bodes well for democratic participation or reinforces authoritarian culture and practices. Using a resource model, this study examines the link between participation in religious organizations, political engagement, and political participation in Brazil and Chile. Survey data indicate that religious organizations, particularly Protestant ones, can provide skills that members can transfer to political activity; and that different religions can result in different politics. [source]


    In Search of a Balanced Relationship: China, Latin America, and the United States

    ASIAN POLITICS AND POLICY, Issue 1 2009
    William Ratliff
    This study focuses on the four stages of Chinese relations with Latin America between 1949 and mid-2008. Ties during the 1950s were limited but directed toward a broad cross-section of individual Latin Americans. This was abruptly reversed during the Sino-Soviet dispute of the 1960s by militant advocacy of guerrilla warfare in Latin America. From the early 1970s until the death of Mao Zedong, militant Maoism was blended with a renewed opening of relations, now to military and civilian Latin governments. The final period began with Deng Xiaoping and his reforms and continues to today. This study focuses on Sino-Latin political and economic relations in general and links to the radical governments of Cuba and Venezuela in particular and weighs the impact of this expansion on Sino-U.S. relations. It concludes with comments on how China's presence may affect political and economic developments in Latin America itself and how to hone productive cooperation among China, the United States, and Latin nations. [source]


    Beyond Rainforests: Urbanisation and Emigration among Lowland Indigenous Societies in Latin America

    BULLETIN OF LATIN AMERICAN RESEARCH, Issue 2 2007
    KENDRA McSWEENEY
    Indigenous societies across lowland Latin America have recently made impressive political and territorial gains by emphasising their stewardship of and attachment to particular rural landscapes. But surprising new censal and microdemographic evidence shows that these groups have simultaneously been developing a presence in domestic and foreign metropolises. Cities offer employment and advanced education opportunities as well as escape from rural conflicts. We suggest that the dynamics and outcomes of these migrations are distinct from those of other rural Latin Americans. By outlining specific areas in which migration, politics, and territory appear to be interlinked, we seek to stimulate research that engages with these processes and their implications for indigenous advocacy and migration theory. [source]


    Family obligation and the academic motivation of adolescents from asian, latin american, and european backgrounds

    NEW DIRECTIONS FOR CHILD & ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT, Issue 94 2001
    Andrew J. Fuligni
    A sense of obligation to the family is associated with a greater belief in the importance and usefulness of education and accounts for the tendency of Asian and Latin American adolescents to have greater academic motivation than their equally achieving peers with European backgrounds. [source]