Brazil Research Articles

Breast Cancer Screening in Latin America: The Challenge to Move from Opportunistic to Organized-Systematic Screening

Background: Breast cancer is the leading cause of death from cancer among women in Latin America. Most Latin American countries started national mammogram screening programs a decade ago. The implementation level and effects of screening programs in Latin America have not been evaluated. Aim: To evaluate the association between screening programs implementation and breast cancer mortality in selected North American and European countries compared to a group of Latin American countries with national screening programs. Methods: The study applied an ecological design with secondary data from official national and international sources. Join point regression analysis was conducted to describe the trends in mortality rates in a group of five Latin American countries (Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica and Mexico) with five Non-Latin American countries (Canada, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom and the United States of America). The association between screening and mortality rates was explored using correlation and linear regression. National cancer plans were assessed to describe screening strategies among selected countries. Results: A significant reduction in standardized breast cancer mortality rates was observed in all Non-Latin American countries with an Average Annual Percent Change (AAPC) of -2.00 (p<.05, 95%CI [-3.33, -0.70]) for the period 2010-2020. In contrast, Latin American countries reported a significant increase in the AAPC of +1.38 (p<.05, 95%CI [0.86,1.76]) in breast cancer mortality rates for the period 2010-2020. For Latin American countries, with screening rates below 50%, there was no correlation between screening and mortality rates for the period 1985-2020 (r = -0.17, p = .78). For non-Latin American countries, with screening rates over 70%, the linear regression model explained significantly 55% of the variance in mortality rates (R2aj =.55, F (5,14) = 5.69, p = .005), with a negative and significant effect of mammogram screening on mortality rates (β = -0.14, p = .01). The National Plans analysis revealed an opportunistic screening model for Latin American countries and an organized-systematic model in Non-Latin American countries. Conclusion: There is an association between the level of implementation of screening programs and mortality rates from breast cancer. Latin American countries should transform their opportunistic strategy into an organized-systematic model.

Comunidade internacional de práticas: aprendendo com experiências de desenvolvimento comunitário e de terapia ocupacional social

Abstract Introduction Increasingly, occupational therapists and scientists across the globe are calling for a shift away from individualised western medical approaches, to working with communities and collectives, and in the social field. This signals the growing motivation to engage in socially responsive and transformative practices that address political structures and oppressive colonial systems. Objective The purpose of our Community of Practice (CoP) was to explore and describe the epistemologies, vocabularies, and understandings that underpin community development and social occupational therapy within diverse global contexts to advance theoretical perspectives and practices. Method As a CoP of occupational therapy and science scholars situated in four countries (Australia, Brazil, Canada, and South Africa), we met virtually bi-monthly from March 2020 to January 2023. Scholarly work involved critical narrative literature reviews, reflexive presentations, group dialogues, and individual and collective reflections and analyses. Results Individual narratives, four thematic threads, and a selection of vocabularies and epistemologies are presented. The thematic threads were: Connecting and making space for decolonial praxis, Questioning the disconnect between occupational therapy practice and contexts, Examining vocabularies that shape contextually relevant practice, and Engaging a reflexive stance to work towards equity, justice and social rights. Conclusions Generating knowledge that supports ways of knowing, being and doing reflective of multiple languages, sciences, and contexts will strengthen occupational therapy. Maintaining the pluriversal and resisting ‘one size fits all’ approaches to human occupation/everyday life is essential. This paper offers practitioners a catalyst for initiating decolonising praxis for learning across global contexts.

Human resources practices and employee motivation in the hospitality industry: A cross-cultural research

Purpose –This study conducted a comparative analysis between hotels located in Brazil and England on human resource practices and employee motivation, using the cultural dimensions developed by Hofstede (1980) and the conservation of resources theory. Design/Methodology/Approach – Questionnaires were completed by 154 hotels, 96 and 58 dyads of human resources managers and frontline employees from Brazil and England, respectively, corresponding to a total of 308 respondents. Importance-performance analysis was used to examine the data collected through independent t-tests. Findings – The results showed that Brazilian managers considered training as the most important human resources practice, while information sharing had the best performance in their hotels. English managers ranked employment security with the highest importance and performance ratings. Brazilian frontline employees ranked intrinsic motivation with the highest importance and performance ratings, while English frontline employees ranked extrinsic motivation with the highest importance and performance ratings. Originality of the research – This research extended previous studies using the conservation of resources theory and also developed competitive strategies targeted to specific cultures. Another contribution was the comparative study between hotel employees (managers and frontline) from two countries (Brazil and England), applying the importance-performance analysis.

«Будущее образования, мышления и навыков» на VIII Форуме молодых ученых БРИКС: философско-антропологическое осмысление

The article presents an analytical review of the section “The Future of Education, Mindset and Skillset” of the VIII BRICS Young Scientists Forum (31 July — 2 August 2023, Gkeberha, South Africa). The programme of this Forum section includes such sub-themes as application of new and convergent technologies in education, new educational tools for overcoming local socio-economic barriers, as well as leadership and entrepreneurial thinking for navigating the ever-changing future. The Forum in general and this section in particular brought together young scientists from five countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) representing both technical and humanitarian scientific fields. The author identifies three key markers in the reports on the education made by young scientists from the BRICS countries and provides their philosophical and anthropological understanding.

PS-P12-7: IDENTIFYING THE EVIDENCE-POLICY GAP IN TASK-SHARING WITH COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS FOR MANAGEMENT OF HYPERTENSION: A MIXED-METHOD STUDY

Objective: Few studies are addressing the evidence-policy gap in task-sharing with community health workers (CHWs) to manage hypertension. We aimed to identify the gap by 1) performing a scoping review of peer-reviewed journals and 2) conducting in-depth interviews with key informants who have been involved in national CHW programs. Design and Methods: We searched PubMed for studies published from 2010–2021 following the PRISMA extension for scooping review guideline. We included all type of studies on task-sharing with CHWs for hypertension management. We extracted data on types, places, and the frequency of CHWs’ activities and other relevant indicators. The primary outcomes were changes in systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), BP control, and medication adherence. In the corresponding countries, key informants with policy and implementation experience in national CHW programs were identified and interviewed. Result: A single reviewer screened 2,316 records, of which 166 were assessed for eligibility, and 85 were included in the final review. There were 29 randomized controlled trials, 2 quasi-experimental trials, 11 pre-post studies, 2 prospective cohorts, 19 cross-sectional studies, and 22 qualitative studies. CHWs performed health education and BP measurement in 80% (60/75) and 63% (47/75) of studies, respectively. 89% (33/37) used digital BP device. Patients’ home (64%, 47/71) was used the most with a median of one visit per month, followed by public space (11%, 8/71) and home/clinic (6%, 4/71). One CHW was responsible for an average of 116 participant with the range from 3 to 612. Significant reduction in SBP was seen in 56% (9/16) of the included trials. Eight informants from six countries (Brazil, India, Iran, Liberia, Thailand, Zimbabwe) participated in in-depth interviews. Brazil, India, Iran, Thailand, and Zimbabwe involved CHWs in health education, whereas only Thailand and Iran involved in BP measurement and both use manual BP devices. In these five countries, one CHW was responsible for an average of 1,250 people with the range from 250 to 3,000 in a national program. Conclusion: Despite clinically relevant BP reduction in CHW programs, there was suboptimal translation of this evidence into policy. The size of the population served per CHW and the type of BP device differed between research studies and national programs. Global health partners (i.e. those who generate evidence) and local governments need to work together to bridge the gap between evidence and policy. Figure 1: Forest plot of difference in systolic and diastolic blood pressure change in included studies.

The Effect of Working Capital Management on the Performance of the Textile Firms: Evidence from Fragile Five Countries (FFCs)

An effective working capital can contribute to achieving the firm’s financial profitability, increasing the value of companies, creating a short-term financing source, continuing their activities and increasing their sustainability. This study examines the effect of working capital management on firm performances (ROA and TOBIN's Q) of firms operating in the textile industry in 4 countries (Brazil, India, Indonesia and Turkey) called the Fragile Five countries between 2010 and 2020. In the estimation of the coefficients of the panel regression models determined in this study, the Driscoll-Kraay estimator, which is robust against the problems of unobserved heterogeneity, autocorrelation, varying variance and cross-section dependence, was used. In the general evaluation of the panel data analysis estimation results, it is seen that the effect of working capital management on financial performance differs significantly depending on the selected performance variable. All of these results show that successful and effective working capital management in the textile sector depends on taking into account the differences in economic conditions, differences in capital markets, financial market performance and daily working habits, and evaluating each component of working capital separately.

Developing a Scale Using Item Response Theory of the Self-Resilience in Taekwondo Players

The purpose of this study was to identify the ego-resiliency of Taekwondo athletes and to develop a scale measuring such skills. We collected preliminary data using an open-ended online survey targeting Taekwondo athletes from nine countries (South Korea, China, Malaysia, United States, Spain, France, Brazil, United Kingdom, and Taiwan) who participated in international competitions between 2019 and 2020. We extracted participants' ego-resiliency from 48 survey responses, guided by expert meetings and a thorough literature review. We verified our Taekwondo ego-resiliency scale's construct validity using 741 survey responses. We utilized V coefficients, parallel analysis, an exploratory structural equation model, maximum likelihood, confirmatory factor analysis, and multi-group confirmatory factor analysis for data analysis. We identified four core ego-resiliency types: "empathy," "coach support," "care," and "parent support/effort". Our final measure, which demonstrated evidence of reliability and validity, comprises 18 items spanning 4 factors, with each item rated on a 3-point Likert scale.

The role of the core competence and core resource features of a sharing economy on the achievement of SDGs 2030

Globally, sustainable development goals (SDGs), which need to be achieved using the sharing economy, are the focus of many recent studies. This article investigates the impact of sharing economy features such as core competence and resources on achieving SDGs in the tourism industry in the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa). It examines the mediating impact of distinctive competitive advantage between the core competence and core resource features of a sharing economy, and achievement of the SDGs. The study also examines the moderating role of institutional support on the nexus of distinctive competitive advantage and achievement of SDGs in the BRICS countries. Questionnaires are used to collect primary data and Smart-PLS is used to analyse the data. The results indicate that the core competence and core resource features have a positive association with the achievement of SDGs, and that distinctive competitive advantage significantly mediates the association between core competence, core resources, and achievement of the SDGs. The outcomes reveal that institutional support significantly moderates the nexus of distinctive competitive advantage and achievement of SDGs. The research provides guidelines for regulators establishing policies related to the achievement of SDGs using the sharing economy.

Critical Review: Regulatory Differences Among Countries Expose the Permissiveness in the Use of Hazardous Pesticides in Brazil

This critical review warns of differences in pesticide registration and approval among major agricultural nations and classifications based solely on acute toxicity, which masks the risk of exposure to unapproved hazardous pesticides. It presents (a) the approval status of active pesticide ingredients (AI) in Brazil (BR) compared to other agricultural nations (e.g. European Union, USA and China); (b) the toxicological reclassification scenario of commercial pesticides in BR, and (c) the toxicological category of commercial pesticides in BR, with AI not approved for use in the three analyzed nations. A list of approved and not approved AI for use in Brazilian agriculture was compiled from the ANVISA website, and a comparison of the approval status among the agricultural countries was performed. Additionally, the number of commercial pesticides in classes/categories was compared before and after the toxicological reclassification from the ANVISA toxicological reclassification list. Among AI approved in BR, approximately 46.6% are “not approved” for use in at least one analysed nation. In addition, 43 pesticides (22,6%) were identified as approved in BR and not approved for use in two of the three nations. It is also noteworthy that nine pesticides (4,7%) are not approved for use in any of the three nations compared. Category 5, currently incorporated (product unlikely to cause acute harm), is the one that most absorbed products previously classified in Classes I (extremely toxic), II (highly toxic), and III (moderately toxic) (46.9%). Most formulations containing not approved active ingredients are classified in Categories 4 (slightly toxic) and 5 in BR. The negative effects that agrochemicals bring to the nation, such as on human health, or in wildlife, polluting water sources, and promoting a global problem by producing contaminated food, do not outweigh the economic benefits obtained by agribusiness.

Relevance of the Uruguay and Doha Rounds in the Evolution of International Agricultural Trade: The Case Study of Latin American Countries and Continental Products

This article describes the evolution of the regulation of agricultural trade and analyses key aspects of the negotiations of the Uruguay and Doha Rounds, in which the least developed countries managed to make the final outcome of the negotiations conditional on progress in the liberalisation of agricultural trade. Four Latin American countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay) participated in the lobbying groups set up in both Rounds with the aim of defending their interests against the agricultural and protectionist policies of developed countries. Using specialised databases on international trade, this paper describes the consequences of these negotiations for the foreign agricultural trade of the countries that actively participated in them, with particular reference to the evolution of European and Latin American trade balances. The results of the research show how Latin American countries have become one of the world’s main exporters of oilseeds and sugar, accounting for a third and a quarter of world exports, respectively. In contrast to the deterioration of the European trade balance, during the period analysed the aggregate trade surplus of Latin American countries increased from USD 4458.75 to 49,656.52 million.

Molecular characterization of Ehrlichia canis and Babesia vogeli reveals multiple genogroups associated with clinical traits in dogs from urban areas of Colombia

Ehrlichia canis and Babesia vogeli are vector-borne pathogens that infect blood cells and produce the diseases Canine Monocytic Ehrlichiosis (CME) and Babesiosis in dogs. Considering the lack of studies on these pathogens in Colombia, this study aims to determine the molecular prevalence and genetic characterization of E. canis and Babesia spp., in dogs from the Metropolitan Area of Bucaramanga (MAB), Santander, a region with one of the greatest pet densities in Colombia. One hundred eighty-five dogs were surveyed and analyzed through molecular, clinical, and hematological approaches. The molecular detection of E. canis and Babesia spp., was performed by conventional PCR targeting the dsb and 18S rRNA genes, respectively. To identify genogroups, E. canis positive samples underwent a hemi-nested PCR of the trp36 gene, and the PCR products were subsequently sequenced. Molecular analyses showed a prevalence of 13% (24/185; CI 95%, 8.1 – 18.0%) and 1.09% (2/185; CI 95,% -0.43 – 2.6%) for E. canis and B. vogeli respectively, as well as the presence of the genogroups US (USA), BR (Brazil), and CR (Costa Rica), in 62.5, 16.6, and 16.6% of E. canis positive samples, respectively. Values of hematocrit, hemoglobin, platelets, erythrocytes, white blood cell (WBC) count, lymphocytes, and eosinophils showed significant differences between animals infected with the different genogroups of E. canis (p< 0.05). In contrast, hematocrit values, hemoglobin, platelets, red blood cells, and creatine kinase MB isoenzyme (CK-MB) were lower in B. vogeli positive animals. Statistical analysis indicated that E. canis infection was associated with specific socioeconomic sectors as well as with some household features (p< 0.05). In conclusion, our results present evidence of the circulation of multiple genogroups of E. canis in the MAB, which is associated with different geographical origins and clinical traits. Epidemiological analyses suggest a need to increase molecular surveillance and prevention campaigns especially in lower socioeconomic sectors.

Using Red List Indices to monitor extinction risk at national scales

AbstractThe Red List Index (RLI) measures change in the aggregate extinction risk of species. It is a key indicator for tracking progress toward nine of the Aichi and many proposed post‐2020 Global Biodiversity Framework Targets. Here, we consider two formulations of the RLI used for reporting biodiversity trends at national scales. Disaggregated global RLIs measure changing national contributions to global extinction risk and are currently based on five taxonomic groups, while national RLIs measure changing national extinction risk and are based on taxonomic groups assessed multiple times in country. For 74% of nations, the disaggregated global RLI is currently based on three or fewer taxonomic groups. Meanwhile, national RLIs from selected pilot countries Finland, South Africa, and Brazil are computed from twelve, eight, and nine taxonomic groups, respectively. The national RLI and the disaggregated global RLI measure different aspects of biodiversity, in that the former detects national trends in populations of species for which each country is responsible while the latter provides standardized comparisons of nations' contributions to the global extinction risk of the same species groups. As governments commit to the post‐2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, we encourage them to monitor a standard set of taxonomic groups representing different biomes using both RLI formulations to ensure effective target tracking and accurate feedback on their conservation investments.

Clinical characteristics of 662 patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors receiving antitumoral therapy

Pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasia constitute an important subentity of the gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms accounting for up to 15% of all neuroendocrine neoplasm. Prognosis and oncological behavior of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs) is extremely heterogenous and dependent on the specific tumor stage and differentiation. However, systematic data on the specific epidemiology of pNET are scarce. We identified 662 patients with pNET within the Oncology Dynamics database (IQVIA). Patients were derived from 4 European countries (Germany, France, UK, Spain), 3 Asian countries (Japan, China, South Korea) and 2 South American countries (Mexico and Brazil) and with regard to major patient and tumor related characteristics including patients' age, sex, tumor stage, tumor grading, and differentiation. The mean age of the study cohort was 62 years (SD 12 years) with 53.9.1% of all patients being male. The majority of patients had an Eastern co-operative of Oncology Group 1 performance status (63.3%). The most common Union international contre le cancer tumor stage was stage IV (85%) with liver metastases (89.0%) representing the most common site of extra-pancreatic tumor manifestation. The majority of all patients displayed well or moderate tumor differentiation (9.6% of patients had a Ki-67 expression below 2%. 67.6% of pNET patients had a Ki-67 expression between 2 and 20% and 22.8% of patients showed an expression above 20%). At time point of diagnoses, 93.1% of patients were classified as inoperable. Of note, 93.9 % of patients received systemic anti-tumoral therapy in palliative intention, while treatment was administered in 1.4 % of cases in neoadjuvant and in 4.7% of cases in in an adjuvant setting. Biological therapy was applied to 39.4% of patients, followed by targeted therapies (31.4%) and chemotherapy. Pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasia are diagnosed in advanced tumor stages, globally. Systemic treatment was the most commonly used treatment modality. Such data may help to better understand the specific epidemiology of pNET worldwide.

Employment law and its contribution to labour market segmentation in Latin America

AbstractThis article examines legal segmentation in five Latin American countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico and Uruguay) by drawing on the employment regulation typology developed by Dingeldey et al. (2022), based on three functions – standard‐setting, privileging and equalizing. The author distinguishes between three factors of inequality and precarity: lack of coverage (namely of self‐employed workers), discrimination and the circumvention of standards. Lack of enforcement, together with an unfavourable economic environment, results in informality. The analysis identifies different forms and levels of protection under standard and non‐standard employment, as well as compensatory rules and other regulations seeking to eliminate inequality.

Introduction

The papers in this Edition of the Journal comprise six ‘general papers’ and six in the COVID-19 section. Together, the papers clearly illustrate our theme Perspectives, stakeholders, and competences. While the papers comprising the general part of this Edition represent a diverse range of countries (Brazil, Iran, Spain, Turkey), there are some common themes. One cluster of papers is concerned with student outcomes or the professional competence of teacher trainees. The other cluster is interested in aspects of university strategy, whether financial or related to the university mission. The papers challenge us to consider the benefits of stakeholder engagement and multiple perspectives on policies, strategies, student or professional outcomes with their respective definitions, and specific educational interventions. Consequently, the methodologies and methods are appropriately diverse, involving bibliometric analysis, qualitative analysis (grounded theory, content, and textual analysis) the use of digital tools and statistics. From a theoretical lens, we encounter concepts such as parallax, historical and contemporary worldviews on education and the various philosophies on the nature of the university. Within a socio-political framework, we are introduced to the nuances of national government policies and their country-based impact that is shaped by local cultural traditions in education and attitude. Despite the range of topic, context and methods, each paper demonstrates a commitment to improving educational practice, research and student or staff experience.

The Political Imaginary, or the Democratic Transformation Domain

Abstract Cornelius Castoriadis’ entire work is shot through with reflections on the political imaginary, but it is rarely named explicitly and is not considered as a central, stand-alone, privileged idea within the social imaginary. This is why it is important to develop this idea in the domain of philosophy of politics. Moreover, for each contemporary democratic movement it is crucial to understand what “Political Imaginary” exactly is, to develop an effective change in politics in itself, as some Latin American countries (Brazil, Colombia and Chile) show us. In these countries, there are contemporary socio-historical examples of what is an effective transformation in the political imaginary domain. They allow us to enrich the meta-theoretical reflection through the historical identification of the political imaginary carried out by peculiar instituting movements that generated important transformations in the social self-representation and in the practice of collective power in the countries where they took place.

Efficacy of central bank intervention in the foreign exchange market of the BRICS countries

Central bank intervention plays a major role in managing exchange rate volatility. In comparison to advanced economies, emerging market economies are generally active in the forex market as excessive volatility of the local currency persists. The BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) are the major emerging economies influencing the international financial system. The paper empirically investigates the efficacy of central bank intervention in the case of the BRICS countries. It has been observed that intervention generally did not impact the exchange rate level; however, it reduced the volatility of the exchange rate. Furthermore, interventions in spot and derivatives markets are equally effective in containing exchange rate volatility, except in South Africa. It has been identified that sovereign yield spread impacts the exchange rate returns in China and South Africa and impacts the volatility in the returns in Brazil and Russia.

Niobium, Critical Metal, and Progeny of the Mantle

Abstract Niobium is a critical metal in high demand because of technological advances and the supply risk created by the fact that over 90% of its production is by a single country (Brazil). In this paper, we review the geology of the deposits that are currently being mined and other potentially economic deposits as well as develop models for their genesis. With the exception of the Lovozero deposit (Russia), which is hosted by a layered silica-undersaturated alkaline igneous complex, all the deposits that are currently being mined for niobium are hosted by carbonatites, and most of the deposits with economic potential are also hosted by these rocks. Niobium owes its concentration in carbonatites and alkaline silicate rocks to its highly incompatible nature and the small degree of partial melting of the mantle required to generate the corresponding magmas. The primary control on the concentration of niobium to economic levels in alkaline silicate magmas is fractional crystallization, partly prior to but mainly after emplacement. In the case of silica-undersaturated magmas, the final residue saturates in minerals like eudialyte and loparite to form niobium-rich horizons in the layered complexes that crystallize from these magmas. The final residue, in the case of silica-saturated magmas, crystallizes the pegmatites that are the hosts to the economic niobium mineralization, which commonly takes the form of pyrochlore. In contrast, carbonatitic magmas undergo little to no fractional crystallization prior to emplacement. Moreover, fractional crystallization on emplacement has minimal impact on the concentration of niobium to economic levels. Instead, we propose that the metasomatic interaction of the carbonatitic magmas with their hosts to form rocks like phlogopitite (glimmerite) consumes much of the magma, leaving behind a phoscoritic residue from which pyrochlore crystallizes in amounts sufficient to form economic deposits. Although many niobium deposits display evidence of intense hydrothermal alteration, during which there can be major changes in the niobium mineralogy, the extremely low solubility of niobium in aqueous fluids at elevated temperature precludes significant mobilization and, thus, enrichment of the metal by hydrothermal fluids. However, weathering of carbonatite-hosted niobium deposits leads to supergene enrichment (due largely to the dissolution of the carbonate minerals) that can double the niobium grade and make subeconomic deposits economic. Pyrochlore is the principal niobium mineral in these laterite-hosted deposits, although its composition differs considerably from that in the primary mineralization. This paper evaluates the processes that appear to be responsible for the genesis of niobium ores and provides a framework that we hope will guide future in-depth studies of niobium deposits and lead to more effective strategies for their successful exploration and exploitation.

Latin American Internet Survey for Men who have Sex with Men (LAMIS-2018): Design, methods and implementation.

Despite men-who-have-sex-with-men (MSM) from Latin America (LA) are still a vulnerable population for known health-related conditions and social problems, availability of comparable data across LA countries for assessment and monitoring purposes is limited. The objective of this article is to present the study design and the questionnaire of LAMIS-2018 (Latin America MSM Internet Survey), its recruitment strategy, rates and sources by country, and the lessons learned from its implementation. LAMIS-2018 was a cross-sectional, internet-based survey targeting MSM living in 18 LA countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela) that gathered data about sexual behaviors, HIV/STI and viral hepatitis knowledge, prophylactic use of antiretrovirals, psychosocial health, and access to sexual health services. The survey went online for four months and was available in three languages (Spanish, Portuguese, and Dutch). Promotion was carried out using dating apps, websites, social networks, and by community-based and academic organizations of each participating country directly in gay venues and in their own premises. Overall, 64,655 MSM participated in LAMIS-2018. Dating apps and websites were the most important recruitment source in most countries, except for Honduras, Nicaragua, and Suriname, where community-based organizations recruited most of the participants. Beyond the LAMIS-2018 implementation description, we highlight the feasibility of such a study in this context, based on the collaboration between community-based and academic organizations to obtain a large sample of MSM in the region. LAMIS-2018 data will contribute to identify determinants of risk behaviors and prevention needs of vulnerable MSM populations in each country of the region.

Enabling Comparability of Responses in International Sales Force Surveys: Evidence from a Cross-National Survey of Salespeople and Sales Managers

This research addresses a challenge within cross-national surveys of salespeople and sales managers: systematic differences between respondents from different countries in their interpretation of response categories associated with survey items measuring a construct of interest. As a result of these discrepancies in interpretation, analyses based on uncorrected survey responses may yield misleading results. The authors mathematically demonstrate the issue and then, drawing on the literature in education and political science, demonstrate a potential solution, the use of anchoring vignettes, which possesses substantial appeal in contexts where a researcher is interested in comparing construct means across contexts where intergroup differences would otherwise make such comparisons problematic. The authors use the proposed method on data from a cross-national survey of 1,051 salespeople and 163 sales managers across three countries (Brazil, Japan, and the United Kingdom) to evaluate self-assessments and upward assessments of a sales manager's drive. The findings highlight the importance of correcting for systematic differences in survey responses driven by cross-national differences, especially when the goal is to compare construct means. Further, the authors demonstrate the value of anchoring vignettes concerning several analytical goals relevant to academics and practitioners.