La vuelta a la democracia en Chile : La contribución de los exiliados

Este artículo tiene por objeto analizar la contribución de los exiliados para que Chile volviera a la democracia. Llama la atención la falta de conocimiento de gran parte de la sociedad chilena respecto a la experiencia del exilio. Generalmente, cuando se analiza la dictadura chilena (1973-1990) se hace mucho hincapié en los factores internos, léase manifestaciones, protestas, la influencia de los políticos, la Iglesia, etc., en Chile. Cuando se analiza la influencia externa, ésta generalmente se refiere a la de otros gobiernos, organizaciones internacionales y no gubernamentales. ¿Y qué hay de los exiliados, que en su momento constituyeron prácticamente el 10de la población chilena? En general, existe la percepción que éstos llevaban una vida distanciada de los acontecimientos en Chile. Nada más alejado de la realidad. Constantemente, los exiliados chilenos no sólo mantuvieron el interés en su país, sino que se movilizaron activamente en la lucha contra la dictadura. Mediante numerosas asociaciones en el mundo entero, los exiliados chilenos mantuvieron un constante nexo con la oposición en Chile y realizaron todo tipo de actividades de solidaridad. Las asociaciones de exiliados chilenos constituían un lobby incansable ante los distintos gobiernos y sociedades de acogida. Gracias a éstas, varios gobiernos de acogida ejercieron una presión constante para que Chile respetara los derechos humanos y transitara hacia la democraci

Physiological, biochemical, and molecular responses to copper stress in different strains of the model brown alga Ectocarpus siliculosus

Brown algae have been the focus of metal ecotoxicology research for over 60 years, mainly because of their high metal accumulation capacity and reputed resistance. Now that Ectocarpus siliculosus has been positioned as a model for the study of brown algae, and that the genome has been recently sequenced and annotated, new lines of research have been made possible on these ecologically and economically important organisms, including the field of ecotoxicology. Several strains of E. siliculosus have been collected and isolated from locations around the world, thus providing the opportunity to study inter-population differences in their responses to environmental stress. This investigation can be split into three main sections. In the first part Cu exposure experiments were carried out under laboratory conditions using three strains of E. siliculosus: Es524 from a Cu polluted location in Chile, REP10-11 from a metal polluted (including Cu) location in England and LIA4A from a pristine site in Scotland. Strains were exposed for 10 d to concentrations ranging between 0 and 2.4 μM Cu. We measured different parameters: relative growth rates; metal accumulation (extracellular and intracellular); phytochelatins and the expression of related enzymes; oxidative stress responses as manifested in lipid peroxidation and levels of H2O2, and levels of pigments; levels of antioxidants glutathione and ascorbate (in reduced and oxidised forms), and phenolic compounds; and the activity of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase, catalase, and ascorbate peroxidise. Strain Es524 was the most efficient in counteracting the effects of Cu stress as manifested by a combination of Cu exclusion production of metal chelators, upregulation of oxidative enzymes, and strong antioxidant metabolism. REP10-11 also showed effective Cu defences, especially related to glutathione-ascorbate interactions. LIA4A was the least tolerant strain, with metabolic defences significantly less effective against Cu exposure. In part two a novel transplantation experiment was developed to compare responses in the field with those obtained in the laboratory. The study was carried out at a metal polluted and a low-impacted site in central Chile using strain Es524 (as in the laboratory experiments) and Es147, isolated from a low metal-polluted site in Chile. From the biomass, we conducted similar measurements of Reactive Oxygen Metabolism (ROM) as for the laboratory experiments described in the first part. In agreement with the laboratory experiments, strain Es524 displayed a higher resistance to metal stress. Because they behaved similarly between strains, the best suggested biomarker candidates for future assessments are metal accumulation, glutathione and ascorbate in reduced and oxidised forms, phenolic compounds, and the activity of superoxide dismutase. The method is simple, widely applicable in temperate environments, cost-effective, and provides a reliable representation of metal bioavailability in the environment. In the final part of the study a novel technique for the co-extraction of RNA and DNA, using a high pH Tris-HCl buffer, from small amounts of biomass of different strains of E. siliculosus was successfully developed. The extraction of nucleic acids from brown algae is considered to be difficult and the product is of poor quality due to the high concentrations of interfering secondary metabolites such as phenolics and polysaccharides. The protocol devised here provided high yields of pure RNA and DNA that are suitable for molecular analyses. This investigation provides new insights on metal stress metabolism in brown algae, and demonstrates that metal resistance is dependent on inherited defences developed over a long history of exposure. Furthermore, the good agreement between the results obtained in the laboratory with those from the field study confirms that the responses expressed under controlled laboratory conditions are representative of stress metabolism of E. siliculosus under natural conditions.Comisión Nacional de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (CONICYT), Becas Chile Nº7211055

Diseño y desarrollo de algoritmos de procesado para una estación ergonómica en una empresa del sector automovilístico

En este proyecto se pretende realizar el diseño e implementación de un conjunto de algoritmos de procesado de información, para el cálculo de ángulos, distancias y su posterior representación, para acabar proyectando estos datos en un informe ergonómico Sue Rodgers. Este proyecto se encuentra integrado en un proyecto denominado Ergo Station, en el que utilizando el lenguaje de programación LabVIEW y cuatro cámaras KINECT, tratando de comprobar si las operaciones de una línea de montaje son adecuadasThis project aims to make the design and implementation of a set of a computer-process’ algorithms for calculating angles, ranges and its representation, in order to project these data in a Sue Rodgers report. This project is part of a project known as Ergo Station, with the LabVIEW programing language and four KINECT cameras, which consists in checking if its assembly line’s operations are appropriate.Avaria Avaria, V. (2016). Diseño y desarrollo de algoritmos de procesado para una estación ergonómica en una empresa del sector automovilístico. Universitat Politècnica de València. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/68763TFG

Sentimentos e emoções presentes nas experiências das mulheres grávidas e dos doadores com a doença de Chagas no Chile

Objective: This article describes the feelings related to the experience of Chagas disease in the Chilean regions of Tarapacá, Atacama and Metropolitan. The study focused on feelings and emotions as subjective experiences of pregnant women and blood donors in relation to the Chagas health problem, aspects that underlie their interaction with the social and health system. Method: A qualitative methodology was employed and techniques such as in-depth interview, semi-structured interview and focus groups were used. A total of 176 nationals and migrants participated. Results: The relevance of fear and guilt, mainly experienced by women, was observed. Lack of knowledge and misinformation in the process of diagnosis and treatment and the meanings attributed to the disease are determinants of care. Conclusions: For the understanding of health processes and improvements in the health system, feelings and emotions around this problematic must be known. Considering subjectivities allows humanizing the strategies for approaching Chagas disease.Objetivo: Este artículo describe los sentimientos relativos a la experiencia de la enfermedad de Chagas en las regiones chilenas de Tarapacá, Atacama y Metropolitana. El estudio se enfocó en los sentimientos y emociones como experiencias subjetivas de mujeres gestantes y donantes de sangre en relación con la problemática de salud de Chagas, aspectos que subyacen en su interacción con el sistema social y sanitario. Método: Se empleó una metodología cualitativa y se utilizaron técnicas como entrevista en profundidad, entrevista semiestructurada y grupos focales. Participaron 176 personas nacionales y migrantes. Resultados: Se observa la relevancia del temor y la culpa, experimentada principalmente por las mujeres. El desconocimiento, desinformación, en el proceso de diagnóstico y tratamiento y los significados atribuidos a la enfermedad son determinantes de la atención. Conclusiones: Para la comprensión de los procesos de salud y las mejoras en el sistema de salud, se deben conocer los sentimientos y emociones en torno a esta problemática. Considerar las subjetividades permiten humanizar las estrategias de abordaje del Chagas.Objetivo: Este artigo descreve os sentimentos relacionados com a experiência da doença de Chagas nas regiões chilenas de Tarapacá, Atacama e Metropolitana. Os sentimentos e emoções como experiências subjetivas de mulheres grávidas e doadores de sangue em relação ao problema de saúde da doença de Chagas, aspectos que fundamentam sua interação com o sistema social e de saúde. Método: Uma metodologia qualitativa foi utilizada e técnicas como entrevistas em profundidade, entrevistas semi-estruturadas e grupos de foco foram utilizadas. Um total de 176 nacionais e migrantes participaram. Resultados: Observamos a relevância do medo e da culpa, principalmente experimentada pelas mulheres. Falta de conhecimento, desinformação, no processo de diagnóstico e tratamento e os significados atribuídos à doença são determinantes para o cuidado. Conclusões: Para a compreensão dos processos de saúde e melhorias no sistema de saúde, os sentimentos e emoções em torno deste problema devem ser conhecidos. Considerando as subjetividades, é possível humanizar as estratégias para lidar com a doença de Chagas

Pulsed x-rays dose measurements from a hundred joules plasma focus device

Indexación: Scopus.Present work is aimed to perform dosimetric measurements to characterize dosis obtained from pulsed x-rays emitted from a hundred joules plasma focus device PF-400J using thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD-100). Two dosimeter arrays (containing 21 dosimeters in each) were used. One of the arrays was kept inside the PF-400J vacuum chamber and other outside the vacuum chamber, simultaneously. It was found that dosis obtained from the inside array (∼200.7 mGy) were hundred times larger than the outside array (∼1.1 mGy) for hundred pulses of x-rays. Later, the vacuum window of PF-400J, which was made of 1 mm aluminum, was replaced by a plastic window and a similar dosimeter array was kept outside the chamber over the plastic window. With this arrangement, the obtained doses (100 pulses of x-rays) were of the same order of magnitude (∼106 mGy) as it was inside the vacuum chamber. Later, a lead piece was inserted inside the hollow anode of PF-400J, which increased dose (∼250 mGy) per hundred pulses of x-ray outside the vacuum chamber using plastic vacuum window. Our results suggest that PF-400J could be a useful device to study low dose pulsed radiation effects on cancer cell lines in in vitro experiments. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd.The work is supported by grant ACT-1115, CONICYT, Chile.https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1742-6596/1043/1/01204

El aporte de los exiliados políticos al retorno a la democracia en Chile

Chile sufrió una dictadura militar encabezada por el general Augusto Pinochet que se extendió por diecisiete años, de 1973 a 1990. Es así como Chile pasó a engrosar la lista de las demás dictaduras que pululaban en América Latina y particularmente en el Cono Sur, donde Paraguay, Brasil, Bolivia y Uruguay se encontraban bajo la bota militar, sumándoseles Argentina en 1976. Al igual que en los países vecinos, en Chile se instauró la práctica milenaria del exilio. La pena del destierro ha sido considerada desde siempre como una de las peores desgracias que pueden acaecerle a un ser humano; según algunos, incluso peor que la pena de muerte. Se trata de personas “peligrosas” para las respectivas dictaduras, que entorpecen la “buena marcha” del gobierno autoritario. Pena de muerte, por cierto, porque se elimina de cuajo al indeseable. Y el destierro, que es lo que más se le asemeja, en el sentido que la persona deja de existir en el país. No por nada, Shakespeare denominaba al exilio como “el otro nombre de la muerte”. Fue durante la dictadura del general Pinochet que salió de Chile el mayor número de exiliados políticos de la historia de ese país. A partir de entonces, en Chile la reflexión ha estado centrada sobre todo en la experiencia del retorno, en el sentimiento de desarraigo profundo de la identidad individual y colectiva que ha hecho del exilio una experiencia traumática. De ello hablan por sí mismos los numerosos testimonios que nos ha heredado la historia. Sin embargo, en esta ponencia nos centraremos en el aporte de los exiliados políticos al retorno a la democracia en Chile, mediante su incansable lucha contra la dictadura. La experiencia de los exiliados dista mucho de ser el exilio dorado, como se atrevieron a llamarlo algunos compatriotas en Chile. El exilio es un castigo injusto que ni ellos ni nadie merecían. La tarea de desmitificar la imagen ideológica de los exiliados como los “malos chilenos” es fundamental para lograr una visión más clara de este período de la historia de Chile. Sin perjuicio de lo traumático de la experiencia del destierro que dista mucho del exilio dorado, el objeto de esta ponencia es centrarnos en el aporte de los chilenos en el exterior a la vuelta a la democracia en Chile, mediante su incansable lucha contra la dictadura.Instituto de Investigaciones en Humanidades y Ciencias Sociale

Analysis of Deterioration in a Plasma Focus Device

Indexación: Scopus.The Plasma Focus (PF) is a kind of dense transient plasmas in with high-pulsed voltage. To produce devices for eld application it is necessary to obtain PF equipment able to operate for a long period of time. Thus, a reliability analysis is indispensable. In this work a reliability analysis program for plasma focus devices is presented. The program considers a criticality analysis using Failure Modes and Effects Criticality Analysis (FMECA) to identify the most important failure modes of the system. Said failure modes are studied operating the Plasma Focus for many cycles, obtaining from them the characteristic curves of V(t) and İ(t). Feature Extraction (FE) techniques are applied to obtain a list of parameters that correlate to the degrading process. Furthermore, Machine Learning tools are used to learn from the obtained data, linking the changes in these parameters during its life cycle to the decay of the system in hope for future implementation of a predictive maintenance system and a reference for data analysis and prediction in PFs. The study was applied to a portable plasma focus device operated at 2 joules of stored energy. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd.The work is supported by IAEA CRP contract 20370 and by grant ACT-1115, CONICYT, Chile.https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1742-6596/1043/1/01204