Del Ministerio De Research Articles

Movilidad y redes de influencia de los seviros Augustales en Baetica

The seviratus Augustalis was an urban institution of semi-official nature which was mainly held by wealthy freedmen. It appeared in Italy in the end of the 1st century BC and spread fast to the Latin-speaking provinces of the Roman Empire. It had an essential role in the growth of the economic and commercial activities of several cities till the 3rd century AD. This position has been studied by many scholars through its abundant epigraphic evidences. The scarcity of mentions to the seviri Augustales in the Roman literature has impeded the elucidation of its concrete functions. It has clear similarities with some priesthoods and urban magistratures, but the seviri Augustales lacked the status and the official nature of them. This unofficial essence was the point which made possible the development of the seviratus Augustalis as a tool for the social promotion of rich freedmen, whose admission to magistratures and priesthoods was forbidden. The goal of the current analysis is to identify the economic and institutional connections between the seviri Augustales of Baetica, both inside and outside this Hispanic province. The preserved epigraphic evidence illustrates the diffusion of this institution in the south of Roman Hispania and the importance of the economic route through the course of the Guadalquivir River, as well as the commercial contacts between diverse coastal cities of Hispania and other Roman regions. Funding: Este artículo se ha realizado en el marco del proyecto de investigación HAR2017-84711-P del Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad del Gobierno de España. Asimismo, resultó de gran utilidad para su elaboración la estancia de investigación realizada en la Fondation Hardt pour l’étude de l’antiquité classique, ubicada en la ciudad de Ginebra (Suiza).

Kritériumok az identitásra vonatkozó képzési tervhez

This document in manuscript was prepared by the Secretariat of Ministry of Pious Schools with the aim to form and strengthen members of the order of the Piarists and lay people associated with them in the “original” identity of the community (Secretariado del Ministerio de las Escuelas Pías: Criterios para un plan de formación en clave de identidad, 2012). Clearly, this work cannot be done in a haphazard or improvisatory manner but requires a well-prepared training plan. By analysing the concept of identity and proposing a sufficiently multifaceted and dynamic conception, the document offers criteria for the elaboration of a such a training plan directed to the formation of key identity.

Early High-Titer Plasma Therapy to Prevent Severe Covid-19 in Older Adults

BackgroundTherapies to interrupt the progression of early coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) remain elusive. Among them, convalescent plasma administered to hospitalized patients has been unsuccessful, perhaps because antibodies should be administered earlier in the course of illness.MethodsWe conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of convalescent plasma with high IgG titers against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in older adult patients within 72 hours after the onset of mild Covid-19 symptoms. The primary end point was severe respiratory disease, defined as a respiratory rate of 30 breaths per minute or more, an oxygen saturation of less than 93% while the patient was breathing ambient air, or both. The trial was stopped early at 76% of its projected sample size because cases of Covid-19 in the trial region decreased considerably and steady enrollment of trial patients became virtually impossible.ResultsA total of 160 patients underwent randomization. In the intention-to-treat population, severe respiratory disease developed in 13 of 80 patients (16%) who received convalescent plasma and 25 of 80 patients (31%) who received placebo (relative risk, 0.52; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.29 to 0.94; P=0.03), with a relative risk reduction of 48%. A modified intention-to-treat analysis that excluded 6 patients who had a primary end-point event before infusion of convalescent plasma or placebo showed a larger effect size (relative risk, 0.40; 95% CI, 0.20 to 0.81). No solicited adverse events were observed.ConclusionsEarly administration of high-titer convalescent plasma against SARS-CoV-2 to mildly ill infected older adults reduced the progression of Covid-19. (Funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Fundación INFANT Pandemic Fund; Dirección de Sangre y Medicina Transfusional del Ministerio de Salud number, PAEPCC19, Plataforma de Registro Informatizado de Investigaciones en Salud number, 1421, and ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT04479163.)

RBD-Specific Polyclonal F(ab´) <sub>2</sub> Fragments of Equine Antibodies in Patients with Moderate to Severe COVID-19 Disease: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Adaptive Phase 2/3 Clinical Trial

Background: Passive immunotherapy is a therapeutic alternative for patients with COVID-19. Equine polyclonal antibodies (EpAbs) could represent a source of easily scaled up neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2.Methods: We conducted a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of EpAbs (INM005) in hospitalized adult patients with moderate and severe COVID-19 pneumonia in 19 hospitals of Argentina. Primary endpoint was improvement in at least two categories in WHO ordinal clinical scale at day 28 (ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT04494984).Findings: Enrolled patients were assigned to receive two doses of INM005 (n=118) or placebo (n=123). Median age was 54 years old, 65·1% were male and 61% had moderate disease at baseline. The median time from the onset of COVID-19 symptoms to the administration of the first dose of intervention was 6 days (interquartile range 5 to 8 days). At day 28 no significant difference was noted between study groups on primary endpoint (odds ratio, 1·61%, 95% confidence interval [95%CI] 0·71 to 3·63 p=0·34); however, overall variation in ordinal clinical status during the 28 days follow up period favored INM005. Improvement in at least two categories was significantly higher in INM005 at days 7, 14 and 21 of follow up. A significant difference was noted in time to improvement in at least two ordinal categories or hospital discharge: 14·2 (± 0·7) days in the INM005 group and 16·3 (± 0·7) days in the placebo group. Pre-specified subgroup analyses showed a more pronounced effect of the intervention over severe patients and with no antibody response at baseline. Overall mortality was 6·8% the INM005 group and 11·4% in the placebo group.Interpretation: Albeit not having reached the primary endpoint, we found clinical improvement of hospitalized patients with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia, particularly those with severe disease. Funding: Funded by Inmunova and grants from the Ministries of Science and Production of Argentina.Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT04494984Declaration of Interests: MC, SS, VZ, LM, LS, FG received grants from Ministerio de Desarrollo Productivo “Programa soluciona. reactivación de la economía del conocimiento” and Agencia Nacional de Promoción de la Investigación, el Desarrollo Tecnológico y la Innovación del Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación. MD, JF, GV, AB, FC, MFA, LB, RT, SL, DS, MI, VS, RS, PC, MMC, LA, HLL, AC, DC declare reimbursement for conduction of clinical trial as investigator of the study. PC, OS, YK report other funds from Inmunova. EN, GL, WHB, SPLL report personal fees from Inmunova. AP, B de M, SM, Gabriel L declare no competing interests. SPLL declare personal fees from Movement Disorders Society, Laboratorio Elea and Merck pharmaceuticals.Ethics Approval Statement: The study protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Boards of all participant clinical sites as well as regional or jurisdictional Ethics Committees as applicable. The Argentinean National Administration of Medicines, Food and Medical Technology (ANMAT) also approved the study protocol.

Effects of including endurance and speed sessions within small-sided soccer games periodization on physical fitness.

The main aim of this study was to analyse the effects of including additional speed and endurance sessions during small-sided games (SSG) training periodization on physical fitness in professional soccer players. Sixteen outfield players (age = 25.6 ± 7.6 years) who competed in the First Division of a European League participated in this study. Players were randomly assigned to perform only the SSG periodization (G-SSG group) or to add endurance and speed training contents to the SSG (ES-SSG group). Before and after the 6-week experimental period, a Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test level 1 (YYIR1) and a 40 m sprinting test were performed. Rating of perceived exertion (RPE) was also measured after each training session. The G-SSG group showed a large improvement in the YYIR1 performance (p = 0.018–0.028; ES = 0.521–0.576) after the training programme, whereas no significant changes were observed for the ES-SSG group (p = 0.763–1.000; ES = 0.000–0.014). In addition, no significant differences (p > 0.05, ES = 0.005–361, trivial to small) in sprint performance at 5 and 10 m intervals up to 40 m were observed at post-training in comparison to pre-training evaluation in G-SSG and ES-SSG groups. No significant differences (p > 0.05) between groups were observed at baseline in the YYIR1 test. The 6-week SSG training supported with only six endurance and speed training sessions was no more effective than well-organized SSG alone for improving running endurance in professional soccer players.

Scientific Advice and Administrative Traditions: The Role of Chief Scientists in Climate Change Adaptation

The role of the chief scientist (CS), a key administrative position in various Israeli ministries, is to fund policy‐oriented research and support evidence‐based decision‐making. Has the CS's role promoted or constrained incorporation of scientific advice regarding climate change adaptation into governmental policy? Have administrative traditions affected the adaptation planning process in Israel? Analysis of documents and 26 in‐depth interviews with key stakeholders sheds light on the ongoing climate change adaptation policy formulation process. Our study reveals that the CS of the Ministry of Environmental Protection functions as a bridge at different interfaces and can be characterized as a boundary worker between institutions. The inherent independence of this position facilitates the CS's ability to initiate, foster, and prioritize complex issues such as adaptation. Our findings further suggest that the perception that Israel has already adapted, or will easily adapt, has negatively affected the adaptation process. 科学建议和行政传统：首席科学家在气候变化适应工作中的作用 首席科学家是以色列各部门的一个关键行政职务, 其具体作用是为政策性研究提供资金, 并支持循证决策。对于有关气候变化适应的科学建议, 首席科学家的作用是促进还是限制了其被纳入到政府政策中？行政传统是否影响了以色列的气候适应规划进程？通过文件分析及与关键利益相关者的26次深入访谈, 笔者揭示了正在进行的适应气候变化政策的制定过程。研究表明, 环保部门的首席科学家在不同的层面上起着桥梁作用, 在不同机构的分界线上工作以彼此连接。该职位的内在独立性能促进首席科学家在发起问题、培养和优先考虑包括适应气候等复杂问题的能力。研究进一步表明, 以色列已经适应了或即将轻易适应某些观点, 而这已经对气候适应过程产生了负面影响。 Asesoria cientifica y tradiciones administrativas: el papel que juegan los cientificos principales en la adaptacion al cambio climatico El papel que juegan los cientificos principales, un puesto administrativo clave en varios ministerios israelies, esta especificamente designado para el financiamiento de investigacion orientada hacia la politica y el apoyo a decisiones basadas en evidencia. ?El papel que juegan los cientificos principales ha promovido o limitado la incorporacion de asesoria cientifica en lo que concierne a la adaptacion al cambio climatico dentro de las politicas del gobierno? ?Las tradiciones administrativas han afectado el proceso de planeacion para la adaptacion en Israel? El analisis de los documentos en 26 entrevistas exhaustivas con partes afectadas clave ilustra el proceso de formulacion de las politicas de adaptacion al cambio climatico actual. Nuestro estudio revela que el Cientifico Principal del Ministerio de Proteccion Ambiental funciona como un puente para diferentes interfaces y puede ser caracterizado como un trabajador limitrofe entre las instituciones. La independencia inherente de esta posicion facilita la habilidad del cientifico principal para iniciar, fomentar y darle prioridad a complejos problemas como la adaptacion. Nuestros hallazgos sugieren que la percepcion de Israel ya se ha adaptado, o se adaptara facilmente, y ha afectado negativamente el proceso de adaptacion.

Contenido de ácidos grasos saturados y trans en materias primas grasas empleadas en algunas panaderías de Medellín

Background: Previous studies have reported the presence of saturated and trans fatty acids in bakery products, which are related with chronic non-communicable diseases. Currently, the origin and quality of the primary fat ingredients and products used by bakers in the city of Medellin is currently unknown. Objective: The aim of this paper is to characterize the primary fat ingredients used for the preparation of bakery products. Materials and Methods: An exploratory transversal descriptive study, with 24 bakery samples belonging to three groups according to socioeconomic level. For each sample, a survey was conducted to evaluate the quality of fat and an analysis by gas chromatography was done to quantify 17 saturated and trans fatty acids was. Results: The average trans fatty acid content in the margarines is 0.46 g per 100 g, however regulatory entities allow 5 g per 100 g (Resolucion 2508 de 2012, del Ministerio de Salud y Proteccion Social); 42.1% of fat content comes from saturated fatty acids and some primary fat ingredients do not comply with current regulations for packaged foods. Conclusions: None of the 24 fat ingredient chromatographic evaluations was quantified with trans fatty acids content higher than that allowed by Resolution 2508. This proves the effort of the food industry, however it is necessary to maintain the surveillance of the labeling to ensure compliance.

Una “Toledo Extremeña”. Contribución del Servicio de Ordenación de Ciudades Históricas a la monumentalización de Trujillo (Cáceres) durante el desarrollismo franquista

Al incremento notable del número de declaraciones de conjuntos históricos que se produjo en la década de los sesenta sucedió una importante labor de restauración monumental durante ese decenio y el siguiente, y fruto de ello fue la transformación de numerosas poblaciones españolas reconocidas como Conjuntos Histórico Artísticos. Una actividad restauradora de la que se encargaron la Dirección General de Bellas Artes del Ministerio de Educación Nacional y también la Dirección General de Arquitectura del Ministerio de Vivienda, desarrollando esta última una importante labor de recuperación arquitectónica desde su sección de Ordenación de Ciudades Históricas. Ambos organismos fueron los responsables del establecimiento de la imagen actual de buena parte de los conjuntos histórico artísticos españoles, valiéndose para ello de criterios muy similares heredados del período anterior.

Erratum to: First meeting "Cystic echinococcosis in Chile, update in alternatives for control and diagnostics in animals and humans".

This report summarizes the outcomes of a meeting on cystic echinococcosis (CE) in animals and humans in Chile held in Santiago, Chile, between the 21st and 22nd of January 2016. The meeting participants included representatives of the Departamento de Zoonosis, Ministerio de Salud (Zoonotic Diseases Department, Ministry of Health), representatives of the Secretarias Regionales del Ministerio de Salud (Regional Department of Health, Ministry of Health), Instituto Nacional de Desarrollo Agropecuario (National Institute for the Development of Agriculture and Livestock, INDAP), Instituto de Salud Publica (National Institute for Public Health, ISP) and the Servicio Agricola y Ganadero (Animal Health Department, SAG), academics from various universities, veterinarians and physicians. Current and future CE control activities were discussed. It was noted that the EG95 vaccine was being implemented for the first time in pilot control programmes, with the vaccine scheduled during 2016 in two different regions in the South of Chile. In relation to use of the vaccine, the need was highlighted for acquiring good quality data, based on CE findings at slaughterhouse, previous to initiation of vaccination so as to enable correct assessment of the efficacy of the vaccine in the following years. The current world’s-best-practice concerning the use of ultrasound as a diagnostic tool for the screening population in highly endemic remote and poor areas was also discussed.

First meeting "Cystic echinococcosis in Chile, update in alternatives for control and diagnostics in animals and humans".

This report summarizes the outcomes of a meeting on cystic echinococcosis (CE) in animals and humans in Chile held in Santiago, Chile, between the 21st and 22nd of January 2016. The meeting participants included representatives of the Departamento de Zoonosis, Ministerio de Salud (Zoonotic Diseases Department, Ministry of Health), representatives of the Secretarias Regionales del Ministerio de Salud (Regional Department of Health, Ministry of Health), Instituto Nacional de Desarrollo Agropecuario (National Institute for the Development of Agriculture and Livestock, INDAP), Instituto de Salud Pública (National Institute for Public Health, ISP) and the Servicio Agrícola y Ganadero (Animal Health Department, SAG), academics from various universities, veterinarians and physicians. Current and future CE control activities were discussed. It was noted that the EG95 vaccine was being implemented for the first time in pilot control programmes, with the vaccine scheduled during 2016 in two different regions in the South of Chile. In relation to use of the vaccine, the need was highlighted for acquiring good quality data, based on CE findings at slaughterhouse, previous to initiation of vaccination so as to enable correct assessment of the efficacy of the vaccine in the following years. The current world’s-best-practice concerning the use of ultrasound as a diagnostic tool for the screening population in highly endemic remote and poor areas was also discussed.

Institucionalidad, formación y profesionalización del sector cultural en América Latina. Experiencia del Instituto de Cultura Pública del Ministerio de Cultura de Argentina (2013-2015)

Institucionalidad, formación y profesionalización del sector cultural en América Latina. Experiencia del Instituto de Cultura Pública del Ministerio de Cultura de Argentina (2013-2015)

Electrocatalytic and Photo-Assisted Electrocatalytic Properties of Multimetallic Porphyrins Arrangements for Carbon Dioxide Reduction

The increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has generated dramatic weather perturbations and change of the global average temperature of the terrestrial atmosphere and the oceans. The CO2 conversion in harmless species to the environment or that can be useful as fuels, appears as a feasible alternative to decrease this gas concentration(1). The electrochemical or photo-electrochemical transformation of CO2 are promising processes. In this work the electrochemical reduction of CO2 is studied in aqueous solution, using cationic metallo-tetraruthenated porphyrins (MTRP, where M= Co, Ni,Mn, Zn). The macrocycle consists in a tetrapyridylporphyrin coordinated with four Ru (II) complexes in the periphery of the macrocycle. These kinds of compounds have been chemically modified and as a result several modifications on electrodic surfaces have been carried out. The modified electrodes are based in conducting polymers and electrostatically assembled layers. The latter have been achieved by the incorporation of polyoxometallates and anionic porphyrins or phthalocyanines. The modified electrodes have been characterized by Raman, uv-visible and IR-ATR spectroscopies; AFM microscopy and conventional electrochemical techniques. The reduction of CO2 was verified at aprox. -0.7 V vs Ag/AgCl. After potential controlled electrolysis in presence of CO2 a wide distribution of reaction products was determined by GC, GC-MS and HPLC-ESI-MS analytical methods. Main products are formic acid, formaldehyde and methanol with traces of CO and H2. The selectivity is controlled by the metal center in the cavity of the porphyrin and also by the roughness of the modified electrode where a subtle interplay between coordination properties and adsorption of initial CO2 derivatives are the key steps but remain unclear. When electrolysis was carried out under white light irradiation, distribution of products changed but turn over frequency increases. Several models of reaction intermediaries have been detected by flash photolysis and IR spectroelectrochemistry in suitable solvents. Some of them are carbonyl complexes of the electrochemically reduced macrocycles, but the presence of oxalate species has also been detected. In consequence the probable mechanisms may involve a primary coordination of CO2molecule in a reduced metal center of the macrocycle followed by a series of electrochemical steps that, depending on the morphology of the electrode (microenvironment, proton availability) , can originates reduction products with different number of transferred electrons. (1) M. Alvarez-Guerra, J. Albo, E. Alvarez-Guerra, A. Irabien. Energy Environ. Sci. 2015, 8, 2574 Acknowledgements: Financial support from FONDECYT #1141199 and RC 130006, granted by the Fondo de Innovación para la Competitividad del Ministerio de Economía, Fomento y Turismo, Chile, are acknowledged. J.H. , D.Q. and C.D thank CONICYT scholarships .

Introduction

This special section is a small window into the role Cuban performing arts play in engaging citizens in a sense of place and in promoting better understanding and commitment to environmental issues and activism. The two performances and the poetry reading, transcribed and with video links, do not represent the broad diversity and complexity of Cuban performing arts. Nor does this section represent the extensive outreach through specific agencies concerning environmental issues in the country, for example, Fundación Antonio Núñez Jiménez de la Naturaleza y el Hombre, a nongovernmental scientific and cultural institution dedicated to the research and promotion of environmental protection. The goal of this special section is to offer a venue for Cuban writers, actors, and artists who often use their art as a means to engage audiences about their concepts of and commitment to home and the environmental opportunities and challenges they face. Over the last three years, we, Melinda Levin and David Taylor, have had the good fortune of traveling to Cuba three times to develop collaborative relationships with faculty in the Geography Department at the University of Havana and with organizations such as UNEAC (National Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba) and El Consejo Nacional de las Artes Escénicas del Ministerio de Cultura de Cuba (C.N.A.E. or Artes Escenicas), in part for the purpose of developing a Study Abroad class focused on Sustainability in Cuba. In May 2014, 21 students and four faculty from the University of North Texas (Biology, Geography, Documentary Film, and Literary Studies) traveled to Cuba to meet with and learn from Cuban professors, city historians, scientists, sustainability experts, and artists to better understand Cuba's unique situation in sustainability in the Western hemisphere. During this visit, we were invited by Artes Escenicas to return to Cuba to work with them to film theatre groups and performing artists engaged in environmental awareness.

Comparison of Enthalpy Method and Water Fraction Method to Mathematically Model Water Vaporization During RF Ablation

This work received financial support from the Spanish “Plan Nacional de I+D+I del Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion” Grant No. TEC2011-27133-C02-01.

Optimizing the number of stations in arrays measurements: Experimental outcomes for different array geometries and the f–k method

This work has been developed thanks to the financial support of the Spanish Government (CGL2011-30153-C02-02/BTE and CGL2011-25162), Programa de FPU del Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion (AP2008-04686) and Instituto Alicantino de Cultura Juan Gil-Albert.

Satisfacción de los socios con las cooperativas agrarias. Una explicación a partir de la Teoría de los Derechos de Propiedad

La Teoria de los Derechos de Propiedad resulta de gran utilidad para comprender los factores que influyen en la satisfaccion de los socios con la cooperativa y, en definitiva, en la supervivencia y exito de esta singular organizacion. Esta teoria revela importantes diferencias con las empresas capitalistas en cuanto a la forma en que los socios ejercen sus derechos de propiedad. Asi, en las cooperativas sus socios ejercitan estos derechos en funcion a la actividad cooperativizada que realizan y, ademas, estas organizaciones presentan limitaciones en la transferencia de estos derechos en lo relativo a quien se pueden transferir y al valor de la transmision. Estas peculiaridades de las cooperativas en cuanto al tratamiento de los derechos de propiedad conllevan una serie de ineficiencias que se concretan en los problemas del polizon, horizonte temporal y riesgo. La consecuencia mas importante de estos problemas es que desincentivan la realizacion de inversiones por los socios y comprometen el crecimiento y la supervivencia de la cooperativa. Los resultados del estudio empirico, realizado con la informacion obtenida de una encuesta a 277 socios de cooperativas agrarias, confirman que en la medida en que se reducen los problemas asociados con el polizon, el horizonte temporal y el riesgo, aumenta la satisfaccion de los socios con la cooperativa. De aqui la importancia de que los responsables de administrar las cooperativas agrarias introduzcan mecanismos adecuados para atenuar los problemas asociados a la singular forma de ejercer los socios sus derechos de propiedad.

AB0607 Coordination of postfracture osteoporosis care by rheumatologist and nurse; preliminary results

BackgroundAlthoughmanagement of osteoporosis (OP) is cost-effective in high-risk patients, less than 20% of patients with fragility fracture receive antiresorptive drugs.ObjectivesThe main objective was to evaluate a program for secondary prevention...

Do Participants Change Their Preferences in the Deliberative Process?

This article was made possible by the funding received from the Agencia Andaluza del Agua (Andalusian Water Agency) and the Proyecto Intramural del Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion (Intramural Project of the Ministry of Science and Innovation) 201010I014.

La diplomacia española en Uruguay en el siglo XIX: Génesis del tratado de paz de 1870

This book describes different aspects of Spanish-Uruguayan relations from the 1830s to the 1880s. It was based on Spanish sources stored in the Archivo del Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores, the Archivo Histórico Nacional, and the Archivo Histórico de la Administración; and Uruguayan sources kept in the Archivo General de la Nación, the Archivo del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, and the Archivo del Museo Histórico Nacional. The author also took advantage of Spanish and Uruguayan parliamentary records and the press.In this work, Bárbara Díaz has made a successful effort to interweave discussion of bilateral foreign policy concerns with the topics of domestic politics, both Spanish and Uruguayan. She has also managed to show the pronounced differences between Uruguay’s capital city, Montevideo, and the rest of the country, the campaña oriental, and the influential role of those differences in Uruguayan foreign policy toward Spain. To study the bilateral relationship, the author focuses on three points: Spanish and Uruguayan foreign policy aims and mutual perceptions, the special interest groups such as Spanish traders operating in Montevideo, and the activity displayed by both sides’ diplomats.Díaz also considered the influence of international law, through statements made by Latin American jurists like Juan Bautista Alberdi, Andrés Bello, and Carlos Calvo. This last point is especially valuable, because it is common to find works that deliberately disdain contemporary international law regarding past events, considering it as an irrelevant sort of superstructure. Authors doing so forget that there always are two kinds of powers in the international arena: those states that can shape international law according to their national interests (or defy internationally accepted rules at a negligible cost, if any) and those states that cannot influence international rules and that only can defy international law at a high cost. But, as international law includes widely accepted rules of ideal behavior, it proved to be a double-edged sword. Stronger states, which model international law into expressions of their convenience, usually help to enact rules that afterward can be used by weaker states to defend themselves from excessive claims. In this context, the story emerges of Spanish-Uruguayan negotiations up to the exchange on October 9, 1882, of ratifications of the treaty signed in 1870.There are a few elements that could be improved for a new edition. For example, the absence of sources from the Archivo General de Indias deserves an explanation. José Presas’s Juicio imparcial sobre las principales causas de la revolución de la América española ought to have been quoted directly from the easily available original edition (p. 33), and the viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata was not founded in 1777 but in 1776 (p. 65). Moreover, although Díaz’s story starts in 1833 (p. 27), books such as Edmundo A. Heredia’s Planes españoles para reconquistar Hispanoamérica (1810–1818) and especially José M. Mariluz Urquijo’s Los proyectos españoles para reconquistar el Río de la Plata (1820–1833) could have helped to trace and identify more acutely the forces profondes, following Pierre Renouvin and Jean Baptiste Duroselle (p. 19). Thus, the Spanish Crown’s attempt to have its debt in Hispanic America recognized by the new states could illustrate how Fernando VII’s shadow reached Spanish policy toward a former possession like Uruguay, at least until 1882.In sum, Bárbara Díaz’s La diplomacia española en Uruguay en el siglo XIX provides a useful analysis of the relationship between Spain and Uruguay in the nineteenth century.

Books

Book reviewed in this article:Reviews: Monitoring sweatshops: Workers, consumers, and the global apparel industry. By Jill ESBENSHADEReviews: Globalization and cross‐border labor solidarity in the Americas: The anti‐sweatshop movement and the struggle for social justice. By Ralph ARMBRUSTER‐SANDOVALRecent books: IUSLaborRecent books: Cuadernos de Relaciones Laborales.Recent books: Revista del Ministerio de Trabajo y Asuntos SocialesRecent books: Les chantiers de l'économie social et solidaire. Edited by Alain AMINTAS, Annie GOUZIEN and Pascal PERROTRecent books: Les mutations de l'emploi en France. By the Institut de recherches économiques et sociales (IRES)Recent books: Mobility, labour migration and border controls in Asia. Edited by Amarjit KAUR and Ian METCALFERecent books: Nurses on the move: Migration and the global health care economy. By Mireille KINGMARecent books: Primer centenario de la inspección de trabajo y seguridad social. Publicación conmemorativa.Recent books: Recueil d'écrits de Pierre Laroque.New ILO publications: Application of international labour standards, 2006 (I): Report of the Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations.New ILO publications: Labour inspection.New ILO publications: Application of international labour standards, 2006 (II): Information document on ratifications and standards‐related activities.New ILO publications: Competing for global talent. Edited by Christiane KUPTSCH and Eng Fong PANGNew ILO publications: Decent work: Objectives and strategies. Edited by Dharam GHAINew ILO publications: Decent work in the Americas: An agenda for the Hemisphere, 2006–2015.New ILO publications: ILO activities in the Americas, 2003–2006.New ILO publications: Guidelines for labour inspection in forestry.New ILO publications: La reforma laboral en América Latina: 15 años después. Un análisis comparado. Edited by María Luz VEGA RUIZNew ILO publications: Maternity at work: A review of national legislation. Findings from the ILO's Conditions of Work and Employment Database. By Ida ÖUN and Gloria PARDO TRUJILLONew ILO publications: Promoting fair globalization in textiles and clothing in a post‐MFA environment.New ILO publications: Restructuring for corporate success: A socially sensitive approach. Edited by Nikolai ROGOVSKYNew ILO publications: The end of child labour: Within reach.New ILO publications: The fundamentals of minimum wage fixing. By François EYRAUD and Catherine SAGETNew ILO publications: Trabajo.New ILO publications: Vocational education and training institutions: A management handbook and CD‐ROM.New ILO publications: Yearbook of labour statistics 2005