Factors Influencing Household Solar Adoption in Santiago, Chile

In Santiago, Chile, the market conditions are seemingly excellent for the household adoption of photovoltaic (PV) technology, yet the uptake is negligible. To explore this paradox, the authors conducted a Delphi study to solicit the knowledge of a panel of Chilean PV experts. These efforts yielded 26 factors—both motivations and barriers—impacting the diffusion of PV in Santiago. Of the 26, experts were in consensus on the relative importance of 21. The literature suggests that diffusion of PV technologies is influenced by complex technical, economic, and social factors. Similarly, the experts saw influence from financial, environmental, and energy supply (e.g., electrical reliability) factors. They saw emergent barriers to adoption as being financial, technical, institutional, and knowledge factors. They considered the most important factors influencing adoption to be financial motivations (e.g., subsidies) and financial barriers (e.g., high upfront costs); they considered the least important factors to be environmental motivations (e.g., environmental stewardship) and technical barriers (e.g., concerns with roof mounting). With this knowledge, the authors develop an adoption framework for household PV that describes the interaction among the identified motivations and barriers. This framework informs policy recommendations for Santiago, Chile, and contributes to the body of literature exploring the interconnected systems of factors that influence civil infrastructure in general and PV adoption in particular

Participación ciudadana en Políticas Públicas de Energía: reflexiones para un Chile energéticamente sustentable

Este estudio analiza el estado actual de la relación entre participación ciudadana y formulación de políticas públicas, y la importancia de la opinión pública a la hora de tomar decisiones políticas relativas al medio ambiente y energía en Chile, usando en particular revisión de encuestas de opinión y entrevistas con expertos. Se analiza si los mecanismos de información y sensibilización ciudadana existentes en este ámbito corresponden a los que permiten una participación más efectiva de la ciudadanía. En ausencia de mecanismos claros de participación, se evalúa las encuestas de opinión pública para ver si alguno de los elementos relevantes de esta opinión, son considerados en las políticas actuales de eficiencia energética. Luego se revisa si los mecanismos de información y sensibilización en temáticas de eficiencia energética han sido apropiados para los objetivos. Se concluye que se requiere importantes innovaciones institucionales y mejores prácticas para poder aspirar a una política pública con más participación relevante de la ciudadanía.This study analyzes the current state of the relationship between citizen participation and public policy formulation, and the importance of public opinion in making policy decisions regarding the environment and energy in Chile, using in particular a review of opinion polls and interviews with experts. The study analyzes whether the existing information and public awareness mechanisms in this area correspond to those that allow for more effective citizen participation. In the absence of clear participation mechanisms, public opinion polls are evaluated to see if any of the relevant elements of this opinion are considered in current energy efficiency policies. Afterwards, we review whether the information and awareness-raising mechanisms on energy efficiency issues have been appropriate for the objectives. We conclude that important institutional innovations and best practices are required in order to aspire to a public policy with more relevant citizen participation.O presente estudo realiza uma análise da situação atual da relação entre participação cidadã e formulação de políticas públicas, e a importância da opinião pública na hora de tomar decisões políticas relativas ao meio ambiente e a energia no Chile, mediante recurso a sondagens de opinião e entrevistas com especialistas. Nele é analisado se os mecanismos de informação e sensibilização cidadã existentes neste âmbito correspondem àqueles que permitem uma participação mais efetiva dos cidadãos. Na ausência de mecanismos claros de participação, avaliam-se as sondagens de opinião pública para comprovar se algum dos elementos relevantes dessas sondagens são considerados nas atuais políticas de eficiência energética. Em seguida, é examinado se os mecanismos de informação e sensibilização sobre questões de eficiência energética sãos os adequados para os seus objetivos. O estudo conclui que são necessárias importantes inovações institucionais e melhores práticas de modo a ter uma política pública com uma participação mais relevante dos cidadãos

The anterior cingulate cortex: an integrative hub for human socially-driven interactions

The activity of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) has been related to decision-making (Gehring and Willoughby, 2002; Sanfey et al., 2003; Mulert et al., 2008), socially-driven interactions (Sanfey et al., 2003; Rigoni et al., 2010; Etkin et al., 2011), and empathy-related responses (van Veen and Carter, 2002; Gu et al., 2010; Lamm et al., 2011). We present a perspective of how to interpret the evidence of ACC involvement in these three processes, propose an ACC integrative function, and provide a methodological pathway to study decision making, empathy, and social interaction in a combined experimental approach.Fil: Lavin, Claudio. Universidad Diego Portales; ChileFil: Melis, Camilo. Universidad Diego Portales; ChileFil: Mikulan, Ezequiel Pablo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva. Fundación Favaloro. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva; ArgentinaFil: Gelormini Lezama, Carlos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva. Fundación Favaloro. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva; ArgentinaFil: Huepe, David. Universidad Diego Portales; ChileFil: Ibáñez Barassi, Agustín Mariano. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva. Fundación Favaloro. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva; Argentina. Universidad Diego Portales; Chil

Validity evidence of the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) in Chile

El objetivo del estudio fue analizar la validez de la versión chilena de un instrumento para la identificación de diferentes niveles de riesgo asociado al consumo de alcohol, tabaco, marihuana y cocaína (Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test, ASSIST). Se evaluó la fiabilidad y consistencia del instrumento además de la validez concurrente y discriminante. La muestra fue de 400 usuarios de servicios de tratamiento drogas y alcohol ambulatorios y residenciales de la atención primaria de salud, comisarías y empresas. La consistencia interna obtenida fue alta (Alcohol α= .86. marihuana α= .84 y cocaína α= .90). El coeficiente de correlación intraclase (CCI) con la comparación test-retest fue buena para Alcohol (CCI = .66), marihuana (CCI = .74) y cocaína (CCI =.80). Se observó una buena correlación entre los puntajes del ASSIST el puntaje del AUDIT (r de Pearson = .85), ASI-Lite (r entre .66 y .83 para tabaco, alcohol, marihuana y cocaína) y SDS (r = .65). El punto de corte original para la detección del riesgo alto es de 27 puntos, sin embargo, considerando un mejor balance entre sensibilidad y especificidad se modificó ese corte a 21. Los resultados obtenidos en éste estudio demostraron las buenas propiedades psicométricas del ASSIST para la detección de distintos niveles de riesgo asociados al consumo de sustancias en población general de Chile.This study aims to psychometrically validate the Chilean version of the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test ASSIST. Specifically, this study is interested in evaluating the reliability, consistency and concurrent and discriminant validity of this instrument. The sample was composed for a total of 400 people from four different settings: treatment centers (residential and ambulatories), primary health care, police stations and companies. The reliability of the ASSIST was high (α = .86 for Alcohol, α = .84 for marijuana and α = .90 for cocaine). The intra class correlation coefficient (ICC) with test-retest comparison was statistically significant for Alcohol (ICC = .66), marijuana (ICC = .74) and cocaine (ICC = .80). There were statistically significant correlations between the ASSIST and the AUDIT score (Pearson?s r = .85), the ASSIST and the ASI-Lite score (r between .66 and .83 for tobacco, alcohol, marijuana and cocaine), and the ASSIST and the SDS score (r = .65). The original cutoff point for high risk detection was 27 points, however, in order to have a better balance between sensitivity and specificity the cut was changed to 21 points. The ASSIST presents good psychometric properties and therefore is a reliable and valid instrument to be used as a mechanism to detect risk levels of substance use in the Chilean population.Fil: Soto Brandt, Gonzalo. Servicio Nacional para la Prevención y Rehabilitación del Consumo de Drogas y Alcohol; ChileFil: Portilla Huidobro, Rodrigo. Servicio Nacional para la Prevención y Rehabilitación del Consumo de Drogas y Alcohol; ChileFil: Huepe Artigas, David. Universidad Diego Portales; ChileFil: Rivera Rei, Álvaro. Universidad Diego Portales; ChileFil: Escobar, María Josefina. Universidad Diego Portales; ChileFil: Salas Guzmán, Natalia. Universidad Diego Portales; ChileFil: Canales Johnson, Andrés. Universidad Diego Portales; ChileFil: Ibáñez Barassi, Agustín Mariano. Universidad Diego Portales; Chile. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Martínez Guzmán, Claudio. Universidad Diego Portales; ChileFil: Castillo Carniglia, Álvaro. Servicio Nacional para la Prevención y Rehabilitación del Consumo de Drogas y Alcohol; Chil

"I am feeling tension in my whole body": An experimental phenomenological study of empathy for pain

Introduction: Traditionally, empathy has been studied from two main perspectives: the theory-theory approach and the simulation theory approach. These theories claim that social emotions are fundamentally constituted by mind states in the brain. In contrast, classical phenomenology and recent research based on enactive theories consider empathy as the basic process of contacting others’ emotional experiences through direct bodily perception and sensation. Objective: This study aims to enrich knowledge of the empathic experience of pain by using an experimental phenomenological method. Method: Implementing an experimental paradigm used in affective neuroscience, we exposed 28 healthy adults to a video of sportspersons suffering physical accidents while practicing extreme sports. Immediately after watching the video, each participant underwent a phenomenological interview to gather data on embodied, multi-layered dimensions (bodily sensations, emotions, and motivations) and temporal aspects of empathic experience. We also performed quantitative analyses of the phenomenological categories. Results: Experiential access to the other person’s painful experience involves four main-themes. Bodily resonance: participants felt a multiplicity of bodily, affective, and kinesthetic sensations. Attentional focus: some participants centered their attention more on their own personal discomfort and sensations of rejection, while others on the pain and suffering experienced by the sportspersons. Kinesthetic motivation: some participants experienced the feeling in their bodies to avoid or escape from watching the video, while others experienced the need to help the sportspersons avoid suffering any injury while practicing extreme sports. Temporality of experience: participants witnessed temporal fluctuations in their experiences, bringing intensity changes in their bodily resonance, attentional focus, and kinesthetic motivation. Finally, two experiential structures were found: one structure is self-centered empathic experience, characterized by bodily resonance, attentional focus centered on the participant’s own experience of seeing the sportsperson suffering, and self-protective kinesthetic motivation; the other structure is other-centered empathic experience, characterized by bodily resonance, attentional focus centered on the sportsperson, and prosocial kinesthetic motivation to help them. Discussion: We show how phenomenological data may contribute to comprehending empathy for pain in social neuroscience. In addition, we address the phenomenological aspect of the enactive approach to the three dimensions of embodiment of human consciousness, especially the intersubjective dimension. Also, based on our results, we suggest an extension of the enactive theory for non-interactive social experience

Brain health in diverse settings : How age, demographics and cognition shape brain function

Peer reviewe

Resistencias y emociones en contextos represivos

Desde los años noventa del siglo pasado el campo de estudio de los movimientos sociales se ha enriquecido gracias a la incorporación de la dimensión emocional como factor explicativo de las luchas y las protestas sociales. Las emociones han sido incorporadas al estudio de la protesta para analizar distintas etapas y procesos que caracterizan los movimientos sociales. Como sugiere la mayoría de los trabajos que incorporan las emociones al estudio de la protesta se han centrado en los procesos de carácter micro-político, especialmente en el rol de las emociones en la movilización (mobilizing emotions) y en cómo los movimientos sociales transforman y gestionan los sentimientos de sus miembros

To end coal, adapt to regional realities

Four broad categories capture countries' political and economic barriers to quit coal. Use these to tailor solutions

Brain health in diverse settings : how age, demographics and cognition shape brain function

Diversity in brain health is influenced by individual differences in demographics and cognition. However, most studies on brain health and diseases have typically controlled for these factors rather than explored their potential to predict brain signals. Here, we assessed the role of individual differences in demographics (age, sex, and education; n = 1,298) and cognition (n = 725) as predictors of different metrics usually used in case-control studies. These included power spectrum and aperiodic (1/f slope, knee, offset) metrics, as well as complexity (fractal dimension estimation, permutation entropy, Wiener entropy, spectral structure variability) and connectivity (graph-theoretic mutual information, conditional mutual information, organizational information) from the source space resting-state EEG activity in a diverse sample from the global south and north populations. Brain-phenotype models were computed using EEG metrics reflecting local activity (power spectrum and aperiodic components) and brain dynamics and interactions (complexity and graph-theoretic measures). Electrophysiological brain dynamics were modulated by individual differences despite the varied methods of data acquisition and assessments across multiple centers, indicating that results were unlikely to be accounted for by methodological discrepancies. Variations in brain signals were mainly influenced by age and cognition, while education and sex exhibited less importance. Power spectrum activity and graph-theoretic measures were the most sensitive in capturing individual differences. Older age, poorer cognition, and being male were associated with reduced alpha power, whereas older age and less education were associated with reduced network integration and segregation. Findings suggest that basic individual differences impact core metrics of brain function that are used in standard case-control studies. Considering individual variability and diversity in global settings would contribute to a more tailored understanding of brain function