Mac Arthur y la transición de Japón a la democracia

Los historiadores han sostenido que la ocupación aliada de Japón, entre 1945 y 1952, es uno de los capítulos más notables en la historia del mundo. El tono y el estilo de la ocupación fueron establecidos por el general Douglas Mac Arthur, Comandante Supremo de las Potencias Aliadas, quien por el esclarecido liderazgo de su propio personal y de toda la nación japonesa dio el sello de su personalidad a toda la empresa. Ante la postración moral del pueblo, planteó la necesidad de una mística y de un renacimiento moral para poner de nuevo en pie a la nación. Su obra más duradera fue la reforma de la constitución que estableció un sistema parlamentario de gobierno y en la cual la posición del Emperador fue cambiada, quedando sólo como el "Símbolo del Estado y de la unidad del pueblo". Sus reformas fueron vastas y profundas y modernizaron la sociedad japonesa: la reforma agraria, la legislación anti-trust, la legislación laboral y la reforma educacional. El ex embajador de Estados Unidos en Japón, Edwin Reischaner, escribió que Mac Arthur ha sido una de las grandes figuras del mundo de post-guerra y realizó más en Japón que ningún otro hombre

Judith L. Leaf, Sin miedo a la muerte. Una mirada budista sobre el encuentro con la muerte, Editorial Maitri, Santiago, 2004, 204 p.

Hablar sobre la muerte puede parecer filosófico o teológico. Entrenarse y trabajar periódicamente con la propia mortalidad o con enfermos terminales es otro asunto. Las teorías no sirven de nada cuando morimos, o cuando el que esta muriendo es un ser humano cercano. La muerte en el mejor de los casos produce paz; en condiciones no tan ventajosas es incómoda; en condición habitual, nos aterra y desagrada; y, a veces, nos congela en el pánico.  En Estados Unidos y Europa occidental, hace por lo..

Judith L. Leaf, Sin miedo a la muerte. Una mirada budista sobre el encuentro con la muerte, Editorial Maitri, Santiago, 2004, 204 p.

Hablar sobre la muerte puede parecer filosófico o teológico. Entrenarse y trabajar periódicamente con la propia mortalidad o con enfermos terminales es otro asunto. Las teorías no sirven de nada cuando morimos, o cuando el que esta muriendo es un ser humano cercano. La muerte en el mejor de los casos produce paz; en condiciones no tan ventajosas es incómoda; en condición habitual, nos aterra y desagrada; y, a veces, nos congela en el pánico.  En Estados Unidos y Europa occidental, hace por lo..

State-of-the-Art Using Bibliometric Analysis of Wind-Speed and -Power Forecasting Methods Applied in Power Systems

The integration of wind energy into power systems has intensified as a result of the urgency for global energy transition. This requires more accurate forecasting techniques that can capture the variability of the wind resource to achieve better operative performance of power systems. This paper presents an exhaustive review of the state-of-the-art of wind-speed and -power forecasting models for wind turbines located in different segments of power systems, i.e., in large wind farms, distributed generation, microgrids, and micro-wind turbines installed in residences and buildings. This review covers forecasting models based on statistical and physical, artificial intelligence, and hybrid methods, with deterministic or probabilistic approaches. The literature review is carried out through a bibliometric analysis using VOSviewer and Pajek software. A discussion of the results is carried out, taking as the main approach the forecast time horizon of the models to identify their applications. The trends indicate a predominance of hybrid forecast models for the analysis of power systems, especially for those with high penetration of wind power. Finally, it is determined that most of the papers analyzed belong to the very short-term horizon, which indicates that the interest of researchers is in this time horizon

A translational perspective of maternal immune activation by SARS-CoV-2 on the potential prenatal origin of neurodevelopmental disorders: the role of the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway.

The emergent Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) could produce a maternal immune activation (MIA) via the inflammatory response during gestation that may impair fetal neurodevelopment and lead to postnatal and adulthood mental illness and behavioral dysfunctions. However, so far, limited evidence exists regarding long-term physiological, immunological, and neurodevelopmental modifications produced by the SARS-CoV-2 in the human maternal-fetal binomial and, particularly, in the offspring. Relevant findings derived from epidemiological and preclinical models show that a MIA is indeed linked to an increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in the offspring. We hypothesize that a gestational infection triggered by SARS-CoV-2 increases the risks leading to neurodevelopmental disorders of the newborn, which can affect childhood and the long-term quality of life. In particular, disruption of either the maternal or the fetal cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway (CAP) could cause or exacerbate the severity of COVID-19 in the maternal-fetal binomial. From a translational perspective, in this paper, we discuss the possible manifestation of a MIA by SARS-CoV-2 and the subsequent neurodevelopmental disorders considering the role of the fetal-maternal cytokine cross-talk and the CAP. Specifically, we highlight the urgent need of preclinical studies as well as multicenter and international databanks of maternal-fetal psychophysiological data obtained pre-, during, and post-infection by SARS-CoV-2 from pregnant women and their offspring

Building capacity on ecosystem-based adaptation strategy to cope with extreme events and sea-level rise on the Uruguayan coast

Purpose - This study aims to show a case study of ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) measures to increase coastal system’s resilience to extreme weather events and sea-level rise (SLR) implemented at Kiyú (Uruguayan coast of the Rio de la Plata river estuary). Design/methodology/approach - A participatory process involving the community and institutional stakeholders was carried out to select and prioritise adaptation measures to reduce the erosion of sandy beaches, dunes and bluffs due to extreme wind storm surge and rainfall, SLR and mismanagement practices. The recovery of coastal ecosystems was implemented through soft measures (green infrastructure) such as revegetation with native species, dune regeneration, sustainable drainage systems and the reduction of use pressures. Findings - Main achievements of this case study include capacity building of municipal staff and stakeholders, knowledge exchanges with national-level decision makers and scientists and the incorporation of EbA approaches by subnational-level coastal governments. To consolidate EbA, the local government introduced innovations in the coastal management institutional structure. Originality/value - The outcomes of the article include, besides the increase in the resilience of social-ecological systems, the strengthening of socio-institutional behaviour, structure and sustainability. This experience provides insights for developing a strategy for both Integrated Coastal Management and climate adaptation at the national scale