Peoples knocking on heaven’s doors: Conflicts between international astronomical projects and local communities

The contemporary world is strongly shaped by the complex links between the local and the global in the present phase of capitalism. This scenario is essential for understanding cultural dynamics, including those that are of main interest for cultural astronomy. Nevertheless, the special epistemic status that is usually assigned to academic astronomy helps hide the power relations involved in public debates about the knowledge of the sky. In this context, the recurring conflicts between large international astronomical enterprises and local communities are special situations that bring these disguised aspects of astronomy to light. Therefore, our work draws on these clashes to discuss the tensions among different notions of celestial space, knowledge, territory, public interest, and identity, taking as a case study the rising controversy relating to the construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) in Hawai‟i, within the context of the XXIX General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union. Also, we analyze the specific role of cultural astronomy in these types of conflicts, which once again demonstrates the political character of all knowledge.Fil: Lopez, Alejandro Martin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Filosofía y Letras. Instituto de Ciencias Antropológicas. Sección de Etnología y Etnografía; Argentin

“Milky Way Astronomies”: Proposing a Framework for Cultural Comparison

The Milky Way is a feature of the night sky that has had cosmological significance in many cultures around the world at different times. Many works, especially in South America and Australia, have drawn attention to the fact that in some cultures the bright band of our galaxy has a structural role; others have pointed out the importance of the “dark constellations” outlined against its bright background. Some researchers have revealed regional similarities in reference to this bright region, and others have analysed the world occurrence of these so-called “dark constellations”. In this contribution, based on the experience of all these previous works, I want to go one step further, proposing a general framework for a more fruitful comparison. I propose considering the broad spectrum of features related to this bright band and its dark spots in their relations and connections. Seen in this way it is possible to make a “middle-range” model, a polythetic class, that I propose to call “Milky Way astronomies”. This would characterise some astronomies in the world, in which an articulated set of features linked to our galaxy has a key role, and can serve as a heuristic tool that allows us to delve into the meaning of each of these systems and their logic, studying in a systematic way not only the similarities between them but also the differences.Fil: Lopez, Alejandro Martin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires; Argentin

Cosmo-Logics in Contemporary Lowland South America

This work is an attempt to introduce a comparison of the deep logics articulating cosmo-visions and cosmologies among indigenous groups in the Lowlands of South America. We are particularly interested in describing the current state and recent past of these knowledge systems, but also connecting them to the distant past. We seek to leave aside an anecdotic comparative approach focused on isolated elements, and it is not our intention to build conjectural narratives of the links among these ways of conceiving the world. Instead, we wish to focus on analysing the common underlying logics that account for the organising principles of these cosmovisions and cosmologies, related to their relational and political nature. International works very often identify the South American Lowlands with Amazonia and here we would like to correct this and include examples from Patagonia on an equal footing with those from Chaco.Fil: Lopez, Alejandro Martin. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Filosofía y Letras. Instituto de Ciencias Antropológicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Altman, Agustina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Saavedra 15. Instituto de Investigaciones Sociales de América Latina. - Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales. Instituto de Investigaciones Sociales de América Latina; Argentin

Imágenes...¿sagradas?: Negociaciones en torno a lo numinoso en el Aikido del Gran Buenos Aires

El presente trabajo analiza las negociaciones que se dan en espacios de práctica de Aikido ubicados en el Gran Buenos Aires en torno al saludo a la foto de Ō-Sensei Morihei Ueshiba,fundador de este arte marcial japonés. Dado el carácter fuertemente no verbal de la práctica del Aikido nos enfocamos en la forma en que se construyen las experiencias y sentidos de este acto en el espacio de la práctica. Para ello ubicamos dichas prácticasen el contexto de losimaginarios socialesque las enmarcan. También discutimos las formas en que el Aikido se ha planteado los vínculos entre la práctica marcial y el mundo de las potencias no humanas en el contexto de su proceso de internacionalización.This paper analyzes the negotiations that take place in Aikido practice spaces located in Greater Buenos Aires around bowing beforethe photo of Ō-SenseiMorihei Ueshiba, founder of this Japanese martial art. Given the strongly non-verbal character of the practice of Aikido, we focus on the way in which the experiences and meanings of this act are constructed in the space of practice. For this we place these practices in the context of the social imaginaries that frame them. We also discuss the ways in which Aikido has considered the links between martial practice and the world of non-human powers in the context of its internationalization process.Fil: Lopez, Alejandro Martin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Filosofía y Letras. Instituto de Ciencias Antropológicas. Sección de Etnología y Etnografía; Argentin

La batalla por el cielo: reacciones públicas contemporáneas de la comunidad científica argentina al Terraplanismo

En consonancia con debates a nivel mundial sobre fenómenos como el Terraplanismo, en el campo de las ciencias naturales en Argentina –especialmente astronomía y física– surgió una gran preocupación por lo que es descripto por muchos académicos de estas disciplinas como un “crecimiento de las pseudociencias”. Ello ocurrió en un contexto económico y político específico, que incluía un fuerte recorte presupuestario a la actividad científica e importantes expresiones públicas de diversos actores políticos que ponían en tela de juicio la relevancia y calidad de la investigación científica en el país. En dicho contexto –que encuentra interesantes paralelos en Brasil y Estados Unidos– la presencia en los medios de comunicación y la promoción por parte de ciertas instancias oficiales de eventos vinculados al Terraplanismo ha generado una intensa reacción. En este trabajo nos proponemos abordar esta controversia y el proceso de “construcción de límites” que se despliega en ella desde la perspectiva de la etnoastronomía con el fin de llevar adelante un estudio de la astronomía académica argentina contemporánea en tanto práctica sociocultural.In line with worldwide debates on phenomena such as Flat Earth Movement, in the field of natural sciences in Argentina -especially astronomy and physics- a great concern arose for what is described by many academics of these disciplines as a "growth of pseudosciences ". This occurred in a specific economic and political context, which included a deep budget cut to scientific activity and important public expressions from various political actors that questioned the relevance and quality of scientific research in the country. In this context - which finds interesting parallels in Brazil and the United States - the presence in the media and the promotion by some state agents of events related to Flat Earth Movement has generated an intense reaction. In this work, we aim to address this controversy and the process of "boundary work" that unfolds in it from the perspective of ethnoastronomy in order to carry out a study of contemporary Argentine academic astronomy as a sociocultural practice.Fil: Lopez, Alejandro Martin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Filosofía y Letras. Instituto de Ciencias Antropológicas; Argentin

Problematizando el concepto de “observación astronómica”: Reflexiones metodológicas a partir de la experiencia etnográfica entre los moqoit del Chaco

El presente trabajo analiza, a partir del ejemplo de los moqoit del Chaco argentino, los recaudos metodológicos que deben tomarse a la hora de utilizar el concepto de “observación astronómica” al abordar diversos contextos socio-culturales. El sentido común de la astronomía académica suele dar por sentado el marco de significados que hace posible la experiencia directa del cielo y lo vincula automáticamente a la “observación” de “fenómenos” y “objetos”. Nuestro trabajo muestra cómo, para problematizar este posicionamiento, es necesaria una indagación etnográfica de cuestiones tan fundamentales como ¿cuándo y desde donde se experimenta el cielo? ¿qué sentidos intervienen en dicha experiencia? ¿qué es la noche? ¿cuál es el vínculo entre sueño y vigilia? A partir de trabajo de campo etnográfico, de etnografías previas y del uso de fuentes documentales, analizamos estos interrogantes para el caso moqoit, elaborando a partir de ello reflexiones metodológicas generales para el trabajo en el campo de la astronomía cultural.The present paper analyzes, from the example of the moqoit of the Argentine Chaco, the methodological precautions that must be taken at the time of using the concept of "astronomical observation" when dealing with diverse socio-cultural contexts. The common sense of academic astronomy often takes for granted the framework of meaning that makes direct experience of sky possible and links it directly to the "observation" of "phenomena" and "objects." Our work shows that it is necessary, in order to problematize this usual assumptions, an ethnographic investigation of fundamental questions such as: when and from where the sky is experienced? What senses intervene in this experience? What is night? What is the link between dreams and wakefulness? From ethnographic field work, previous ethnographies and the use of documentary sources, we analyze these questions for the moqoit case, elaborating general methodological reflections for work in the field of cultural astronomy.Fil: Lopez, Alejandro Martin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Filosofía y Letras. Instituto de Ciencias Antropológicas. Sección de Etnología y Etnografía; Argentin

A world dominationmachine: Argentine Catholicism according tothe first Mennonite missionaries

El presente trabajo tiene por objetivo abordar la mirada sobre el catolicismo que construyeron los primeros menonitas establecidos en Argentina, entre su llegada al país en 1917 y el comienzo del Concilio Vaticano II en 1962. Para ello, utilizaremos los escritos personales de diversos miembros de la Iglesia Menonita, incluyendo sus análisis de notas periodísticas, y las publicaciones menonitas en Argentina. Las divergencias en puntos centrales como la separación entre la iglesia, el Estado y la política partidaria, y una concepción no jerárquica de la comunidad de fieles, serán temas recurrentes en la disputa por una posición dentro de un campo religioso en plena conformación.This paper aims to explore the perception about Catholicism built by the first Mennonite missionaries established in Argentina since 1917 up to the Second Vatican Council. In order to do this, we will analyze the personal writings of these missionaries, including their analyses of newspapers and the Mennonite publications in Argentina. Differences in central matters such as the separation between church, state and political parties, and a non-hierarchical conception of the faith community, will be recurring subjects in the struggle for a position in the religious field under construction.Fil: Lopez, Alejandro Martin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Filosofía y Letras. Instituto de Ciencias Antropológicas; ArgentinaFil: Altman, Agustina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales. Sede Académica Argentina Buenos Aires. Programa de Antropología Social y Política; Argentin

Effect of Protein Restriction During Mid-to Late Gestation of Beef Cows on Female Offspring Fertility, Lactation Performance and Calves Development

Cow calf operation in Argentina are managed under extensive grazing condition and the quality of forages is often poor during second half of gestation. Protein restriction in bovine gestation affects production traits in progeny. The present work investigated the effects of two levels of crude protein (CP) provided to mature dams during late gestation on subsequent heifer’s growth postweaning, reproductive performance, milk production and grand offspring evolution. At 121 d prepartum, 68 multiparous Angus cows were randomly assigned to low protein (LP, 6% CP) or high protein (HP, 12% CP) at 12 pens per treatment group. Following calving, all cow/calf pairs were housed together until weaning, then female progeny were removed and maintained on pasture as a single group. At puberty (P = 0.01) and pregnancy determination (P = 0.05) the HP heifers were heavier than LP heifers. The LM area was greater at 20 mo of age in HP compared to LP heifers (P = 0.01) and the HP heifers had greater 12th rib fat thickness at 30 and 35 mo of age (P = 0.02). Serum IGF-1 concentration was greater in HP heifers compared to LP heifers (P = 0.05). No dam nutrition effects were found on offspring age at puberty (P = 0.98), final pregnancy rate (P = 0.28) or milk yield (P = 0.76) but heifers born to LP dams had greater milk protein percentage (P = 0.04) and tended to produce increased milk fat percentage (P = 0.08) compared with HP heifers. The LP grand offspring grew faster from birth until weaning compared with HP grand offspring (P < 0.01) with reduced insulin concentrations (P = 0.03) and tended to have increased glucose concentrations than HP calves (P = 0.09). Protein supplementation during late gestation does not affect reproductive performance of the offspring heifers but did impact their BW evolution, milk quality and grand offspring performance. Implications: The use of diet with low amount of protein which the female fetus is exposed in utero can affect her subsequent development and ability to nourish subsequent generations.EEA Cuenca del SaladoFil: Lopez Valiente, Sebastian. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Cuenca del Salado; ArgentinaFil: Maresca, Sebastian. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Cuenca del Salado; ArgentinaFil: Rodriguez, Alejandro Martin. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Cuenca del Salado; ArgentinaFil: Long, Nathan M. Clemson University. Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences; Estados UnidosFil: Quintans, Graciela I. Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria (INIA); UruguayFil: Palladino, Rafael Alejandro. Universidad Nacional de Lomas de Zamora. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; ArgentinaFil: Palladino, Rafael Alejandro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

A Cultural Comparison of the ''Dark Constellations'' in the Milky Way

Cultures around the world find meaning in the groupings of stars and features in the Milky Way. The striking appearance of our Galaxy in the night sky serves as a reference to traditional knowledge, encoding science and culture to a memory space, becoming part of their overarching cosmologies. This paper examines traditional views of the Milky Way from cultures around the world, primarily in the Southern Hemisphere. These views comprise dark constellations: familiar shapes made up of the dark dust lanes in the Milky Way, rather than the bright stars. Some of the better-known examples include the celestial emu from Aboriginal traditions of Australia, and the llama in Inca traditions of the Andes. We conduct a comparative analysis of cultural perceptions of ‘dark constellations’ in the Milky Way, examining common cultural themes and meanings at the crossroads of Indigenous Knowledge and Western science with applications to topics ranging from Indigenous Studies to psychology.Fil: Gullberg, Steven R.. Oklahoma State University; Estados UnidosFil: Hamacher, Duane. University of Melbourne; AustraliaFil: Lopez, Alejandro Martin. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Filosofía y Letras. Instituto de Ciencias Antropológicas. Sección de Etnología y Etnografía; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Mejuto, Javier. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras; HondurasFil: Munro, Andrew M.. University of Oklahoma; Estados UnidosFil: Orchiston, Wayne. University of Southern Queensland; Australia. National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand; Tailandi

Surgical approach for cardiac surgery in a patient with tracheostoma

The thoracic approach for cardiac surgery in a patient with a tracheostoma can result in difficult problems, such as mediastinitis, stoma necrosis or inadequate operative exposure. We present a distinct approach consisting of an incision at the second intercostal space, transverse sternum transection and longitudinal median sternotomy to the xiphoid process, performed for coronary artery bypass grafting and aortic valve replacement, in a patient with previous tracheotomy. This approach permitted adequate surgical exposure for cardiopulmonary bypass, aortic valve replacement and coronary revascularization procedures