Symmetry and tendency judgment of Ms≥8. 0 strong earthquakes in Chile

The Ms ≥ 8.0 strong earthquakes occurring in Chile since 1800 were analyzed using the ternary, quaternary, and quinary commensurability methods and the butterfly structure diagram, and it was believed that the earthquake signal in Chile in 2014 is relatively strong, a large earthquake is likely to occur in Chile in 2014. An analysis of spatial epicenter migrations showed that the longitudinal and latitudinal epicenter migra- tions have symmetry and synchronism, and there were five obvious northward migrations and four southward migrations. The symmetry axis of the longitudinal migrations is at about 71.7°W and that of the latitudinal mi- grations is at about 30°S; these spatial symmetry axes are located at the subduction zone on the western margin of South America, where two major plates （the Nazca Plate and the South American Plate） converge.

Further study on deep penetrating geochemistry over the Spence porphyry copper deposit,Chile

A study of deep penetrating geochemistry--the surface exploration techniques for finding concealed mineral deposits--was carried out over the Spence porphyry copper deposit in Chile by Australian, Canadian and Chinese laboratories using selective weak leach methods and is briefly reviewed here. Erratic and weak copper anomalies were obtained above the Spence deposit, which is concealed below a thick piedmont gravel cover. In the literature, such patterns are common in most of the weak selective leach studies carried out over known buried deposits. During exploration in unknown area, such weak leach techniques lead to some success and many dry holes. In this paper, stronger selective leaching methods are developed for oxides and sulfides, which may be the stable end products transformed and accumulated by a mobile precursor phase carried upward through the overburden by gas or water through long spans of geological time. The data obtained by the methods developed in this paper produced more significant and consistent anomalous data than previous efforts. Consequently, the leach approaches described here may increase the effectiveness of deep penetrating geochemistry in exploration for con- cealed ore deposits.

IL28B polymorphisms associated with therapy response in Chilean chronic hepatitis C patients

AIM:To analyze the association of three IL28B single nucleotide polymorphisms with response to therapy in Chilean patients infected with hepatitis C virus CV.METHODS:We studied two groups of patients with chronic CV infection genotype 1,under standard combined treatment with pegylated interferon plus ribavirin.One group consisted of 50 patients with sustained virological response,whereas the second group consisted of 49 null responders.In order to analyze the IL28B single nucleotide polymorphisms rs12979860,rs12980275 and rs8099917,samples were used for polymerase chain reaction amplification,and the genotyping was performed by restriction fragment lengthpolymorphism.RESULTS:The IL28B rs12979860 CC,rs12980275 AA and rs8099917 TT genotypes were much more frequently found in patients with sustained virological response compared to null responders 38%,44% and 50% vs 2%,8.2% and 8.2%,respectively.These differences were highly significant in all three cases(P < 0.0001.CONCLUSION:The three IL28B polymorphisms studied are strongly associated with sustained virological response to therapy in Chilean patients with chronic CV genotype 1.

Human papillomavirus in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in Colombia and Chile

AIM： To examine the presence of human papillomavirus （HPV） in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma （ESCC） specimens collected from Colombia and Chile located in the northern and southern ends of the continent, respectively.METHODS： We examined 47 and 26 formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded ESCC specimens from Colombia and Chile, respectively. HPV was detected using GP5＋/GP6＋ primer pair for PCR, and confirmed by Southern blot analysis. Sequencing analysis of L1 region fragment was used to identify HPV genotype. In addition, P16^INK4A protein immunostaining of all the specimens was conducted.RESULTS： HPV was detected in 21 ESCC specimens （29%）. Sequencing analysis of L1 region fragment identified HPV-16 genome in 6 Colombian cases （13%） and in 5 Chilean cases （19%）. HPV-18 was detected in i0 cases （21%） in Colombia but not in any Chilean case. Since Chilean ESCC cases had a higher prevalence of HPV-16 （without statistical significance）, but a significantly lower prevalence of HPV-18 than in Colombian cases （P = 0.011） even though the two countries have similar ESCC incidence rates, the frequency of HPV-related ESCC may not be strongly affected by risk factors affecting the incidence of ESCC. HPV-16 genome was more frequently detected in p16 positive carcinomas, although the difference was not statistically significant. HPV-18 detection rate did not show any association with p16 expression. Well-differentiated tumors tended to have either HPV-16 or HPV-18 but the association was not statistically significant. HPV genotypes other than HPV-16 or 18 were not detected in either country.CONCLUSION： HPV-16 and HPV-18 genotypes can be found in ESCC specimens collected from two South American countries. Further studies on the relationship between HPV-16 presence and p16 expression in ESCC would aid understanding of the mechanism underlying the presence of HPV in ESCC.

Characteristics of seismic activity before Chile M_W8.8 earthquake in 2010

The tempo-spatial variation of seismic activity before great Chile Mw8.8 earthquake on February 27, 2010 is studied. Some results are as follows： ①Two types of seismic gaps appeared before the Chile MwS.8 shock. One is background gap of Mw≥8.0 earthquakes with 360 km length since 1900, the other is seismogenic gap formed by M≥5.5 earth- quakes with 780km length five years before the Chile earthquake; ②There was only one Mw7.1 earthquake in the middle and southern part of Chile from 1986 to 2010. The obvious quiescence of Mw≥7.0 earthquake is the long-term background anomaly for the Chile earthquake; ③ The quiescence of M≥6.5 earthquakes appeared in South American block and its vicinity during the period from 2007 to 2009, and the quietude state has been disappeared three months before the Chile Mw8.8 earthquake; ④ The deep and intermediate-depth earthquake activity has been noticeablely strengthened in the subduction zone of South American block since 1993; ⑤The great Chile earthquake shows that global seismicity is still in the active period of Mw≥8.5 earthquakes since 2004. Based on the characteristics of the former two active periods, several great earthquakes with Mw≥8.5 would take place in a few years. In addition, the circum-Pacific seismic belt would be the main region for Mw≥8.0 earthquakes.

A Preliminary Analysis of Trace-Elemental Signatures in Statoliths of Different Spawning Cohorts for Dosidicus gigas off EEZ Waters of Chile

We applied solution-based ICP-MS method to quantify the trace-elemental signatures in statoliths of jumbo flying squid, Dosidius gigas, which were collected from the waters off northern and central Chile during the scientific surveys carried out by Chinese squid jigging vessels in 2007 and 2008. The age and spawning date of the squid were back-calculated based on daily increments in statoliths. Eight elemental ratios(Sr/Ca, Ba/Ca, Mg/Ca, Mn/Ca, Na/Ca, Fe/Ca, Cu/Ca and Zn/Ca) were analyzed. It was found that Sr is the second most abundant element next to Ca, followed by Na, Fe, Mg, Zn, Cu, Ba and Mn. There was no significant relationship between element/Ca and sea surface temperature(SST) and sea surface salinity(SSS), although weak negative or positive tendency was found. MANOVA analysis showed that multivariate elemental signatures did not differ among the cohorts spawned in spring, autumn and winter, and no significant difference was found between the northern and central sampling locations. Classification results showed that all individuals of each spawned cohorts were correctly classified. This study demonstrates that the elemental signatures in D. gigas statoliths are potentially a useful tool to improve our understanding of its population structure and habitat environment.

Inflammatory bowel disease: A descriptive study of 716 local Chilean patients

AIM: To demographically and clinically characterize inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) from the local registry and update data previously published by our group.METHODS: A descriptive study of a cohort based on a registry of patients aged 15 years or older who were diagnosed with IBD and attended the IBD program at Cl&#x000ed;nica Las Condes in Santiago, Chile. The registry was created in April 2012 and includes patients registered up to October 2015. The information was anonymously downloaded in a monthly report, and the information on patients with more than one visit was updated. The registry includes demographic, clinical and disease characteristics, including the Montreal Classification, medical treatment, surgeries and hospitalizations for crisis. Data regarding infection with Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) were incorporated in the registry in 2014. Data for patients who received consultations as second opinions and continued treatment at this institution were also analyzed.RESULTS: The study included 716 patients with IBD: 508 patients (71%) were diagnosed with ulcerative colitis (UC), 196 patients (27%) were diagnosed with Crohn&#x02019;s disease (CD) and 12 patients (2%) were diagnosed with unclassifiable IBD. The UC/CD ratio was 2.6/1. The median age was 36 years (range 16-88), and 58% of the patients were female, with a median age at diagnosis of 29 years (range 5-76). In the past 15 years, a sustained increase in the number of patients diagnosed with IBD was observed, where 87% of the patients were diagnosed between the years 2001 and 2015. In the cohort examined in the present study, extensive colitis (50%) and colonic involvement (44%) predominated in the patients with UC and CD, respectively. In CD patients, non-stricturing/non-penetrating behavior was more frequent (80%), and perianal disease was observed in 28% of the patients. There were significant differences in treatment between UC and CD, with a higher use of corticosteroids, and immunosuppressive and biological therapies was observed in the patients with CD (P &#x0003c; 0.05 and P &#x0003c; 0.01). Significant surgical differences were also observed: 5% of the UC patients underwent surgery, whereas 38% of the CD patients required at least one surgery (P &#x0003c; 0.01). The patients with CD were hospitalized more often during their disease course than the patients with UC (55% and 35% of the patients, respectively; P &#x0003c; 0.01). C. difficile infection was acquired by 5% of the patients in each group at some point during the disease course. Nearly half of the patients consulted at the institution for a second opinion, and 32% of these individuals continued treatment at the institution.CONCLUSION: IBD has continued to increase in the study cohort, slowly approaching the level reported in developed countries.

Effects of vegetation strata and human disturbance on bird diversity in green areas in a city in southern Chile

Background: Urbanisation is a dominant geographical trend and an important component of global change, with unprecedented implications for socio?economic, cultural and environmental characteristics. However, green areas, including original fragments, can help to conserve native diversity, improving the functioning of these artificial systems in the long term. Urban areas can still provide habitats usable by wild birds, however the structural charac?teristics of the habitat formed by different types of green area differ, and therefore dissimilar bird diversities are to be expected. The object of this study was to characterise the α and β diversities of birds in different green areas and to analyse how diversity relates to ten variables that characterise the habitat.Methods: We studied the green areas in the city of Temuco, southern Chile(Park, Square and Median strips of main streets), evaluating the variables:(a) surface area,(b) vegetation,(c) estimated human impact as the proportions of vegetation and bare soil by area, and the vehicle traffic. The bird assemblage structures were characterised by α(intra?environment) diversity and β diversity(between environments) and the statistical analysis identified the environmen?tal variables related with the presence and abundance of birds. A statistical model was constructed to describe the contribution of the variables to bird diversity.Results: We found significant differences between the diversity of bird species in the three types of green area. The β showed medium to high similarity between the different study units. There was a negative correlation with bare soil areas; the correlations with vehicle flow, plant structure and tree and shrub cover were not significant, meaning that these variables did not explain the variation in the richness of bird species between the green areas. However the surface area did explain this variation presenting a positive potential relation. There was also a high correlation with the origin(native) of shrub species.Conclusions: The bird diversity varied significantly according to the type of urban green area. The environmental variables presenting significant correlations with bird diversity were: surface area, native species of shrub stratum, shrub cover, and bare soil area. The best multiple regression model showed that the three most important variables for bird diversity are the surface area of the green area, the cover of the shrub stratum and the presence of native shrub species.

Social Construction of Dependence in Elderly Men in Chile

Based on a qualitative research restricted to aging processes in Chile, the paper presents the experience and significance of dependence in elderly men and how it is related with the social construction of old age. It is important to know how the identity of aging is configured when facing such a significant biographical and social landmark as the loss of functionality in later life. When analyzing the social construction of dependence in elderly men, three aspects of that configuration stand out: first, the way in which they understand and signify their situations of illness, physical problems, disability, and evaluation of their health;second, the characteristics of the social significant contexts in which disability or physical problems become evident;and third, the actions, roles or activities that they perform in those contexts, which are valued differently according to the experiences of dependence or autonomy. Dependence in elderly men does not appear as a static condition, but rather as a passage from physical-biological conditioners to the social context in which their everyday actions take place. So the agency of the dependence, its construction, experience and significance is the understanding of the social phenomenon of old age.

Dissemination of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Latin America and the Caribbean: the Cases of Peru, Chile, and Cuba

Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) arrived from China to Latin America and the Caribbean in the 1840s due to the massive migration of Chinese people to the region. In a few years, the press noticed the presence of Chinese herbalists practicing in different cities and countries regardless of the demographic weight of the Chinese community. The fascination with Chinese doctors implicated not only the press but also the literature, a phenomenon particularly observed in Cuba. In the first decades of the 20th century, the reactivation of Chinese immigration to the region fostered an anti-Chinese climate that materialized in more significant migratory restrictions and control of their businesses, such as what happened with Chinese herbalists. These herbalists who practiced inside and outside the Chinese community started to object to criticism and persecution by the conservative press and professional doctors. Despite this, Chinese doctors will continue to maintain their support of a significant number of ill persons. This work seeks to illuminate the historical relevance of TCM in Latin America and the Caribbean, focusing on the cases of Peru, Chile, and Cuba. This last country was far from China culturally and geographically, but as in many other small towns in the region, Chinese medicine presented an alternative to the treatment of illnesses.

Comparison of two great Chile tsunamis in 1960 and 2010 using numerical simulation

Great differences in hazard and losses were shown from two tsunamis, both generated in Chile, one in 1960 and the other in 2010. Numerical simulation was applied to the tsunami analysis. The fault dislocation of the seafioor was assumed to equal to the initial tsunami wave field, which can be calculated by the formula of fault dislocation in the elastic isotropic half-space. The linear long wave theory was used as the tsunami hydrodynamic model, and the finite difference method and leap-frog scheme were selected for solving the equations. The accuracy of the simulated results was verified by the observed data in five tide gauges. By means of two scenario tsunamis, the analytical results show that the earthquake magnitude, bathymetry in rupture zone and rapid release of warning information in 2010 tsunami are the main explanations of the aforementioned great difference.

Health and widowhood: Meanings and experience of elderly women in Chile

Aging and widowhood signal a real and symbolic landmark of change toward new vital experiences of elderly people. In the aging experience of women, there are three social age markers that participate directly in the construction of their identity as women during old age: menopause, work and widowhood. The present paper reports the results of a research on widowhood in old age and the experience of aging in elderly women in Chile. Through a qualitative methodological strategy, in depth biographic interviews were held with elderly people who were widowed after reaching 60 years of age, centering the analysis on its meanings on the body, health and death in old age, highlighting sociocultural aspects of the aging and widowing processes. Approaching widowhood in old age shows us not only a person who has lost a husband, but also what it means to be an elderly woman in a life experience continuum that also brings about key changes to understand the aging process of people, because marital relations can get to be determining factors for the construction of the identity of women and their experience of the aging process.

A Multiscale Assessment of the Risks Imposed by Plantation Forestry on Plant Biodiversity in the Hotspot Central Chile

We assessed the effects of plantations of exotic trees (Pinus radiata, Eucalyptus globulus, and Populus nigra) on plant biodiversity in the temperate zone of the biodiversity hotspot of Central Chile. This region has suffered from intense deforestation in favor of plantation establishment in the major part of the coastal area since the neoliberal turn in 1973. The approach presented aimed to analyze plant biodiversity on the α-, β- and γ-scale. Furthermore, a plantation evaluation index was applied in order to provide quantitative figures on management practices. Species richness is reduced by 50% below plantations. Diversity and evenness index values are also significantly reduced. Analyses on β-similarity indicate that plantations do not host species absent in adjacent native forests, and no additional habitat heterogeneity is gained. On the γ-scale, plantations lower the number of total species observed;especially of endemic species. The abundance of species considered as invasive is significantly higher and frequently, invasive plants dominate the understory. The evaluation index attests rather poor plantation management in Central Chile since plantations are grown as monocultures, natural elements and native species are lacking at specific sites and plantations are insufficiently connected to native plant formations at the landscape scale. Results give much concern since deforestation processes as observed in our study area is about to begin in Patagonia as well. If management practices from the temperate zone are adopted in Patagonia, a considerable decline in plant biodiversity has to be expected there.

Health production and risk of obesity among Chilean adolescents: Understanding health related behaviors in youth

Background: Adolescent obesity is associated with high cardiovascular and metabolic risk. Western diet and reduced physical activity are strong environmental determinants. The “Health Production” model posits that individuals born with a certain amount of health stock, which depreciates over life, but can be augmented by individual behaviors, including exercise and dieting. Objective: To study the association between health production and obesity in a random sample of 1692 Chilean adolescents (14.8 ± 0.7 years old), and to study the effect of gender and socioeconomic characteristics on health production. Method: We used an indicator that considered the quality of food intake and physical activity, establishing three categories: good (GHP), intermediate (IHP) and poor health producers (PHP). Multivariate analysis was used to study the odds of obesity and good health production. Results: There was 31% of GHP, 32% of IHP and 38% of PHP. Obesity (Adj. OR: 1.59;95%CI: 1.04 - 2.42) and abdominal obesity (Adj. OR: 2.24;95%CI: 1.35 - 3.40) were significantly higher in the PHP group, compared to the GHP and IHP group. Health production was significantly associated with socioeconomic factors and gender. Female sex and coming from a less wealthy household significantly reduced the odds of good health production. Conclusions: Poor health production in adolescence, as defined by food intake and physical activity, depreciates individuals’ “health stock”, increasing the risk of obesity. In our sample, health production was strongly associated with socio-economic factors and gender.

Obesity, Body Fat Distribution, and Physical Activity in School-age Children: an Urban and Rural Comparison in Valparaíso, Chile

This study analyze the relation between body composition, physical activity （PA）, and sex in Chilean children from rural and urban public educational institutions. The prevalence of obesity （according to BMI） was 30.88% in urban children and 28.93% in rural children. Central obesity presented mainly in the rural girls. Approximately 90% of the participants reported 〈7 h of PA/week, regardless of residential area. In addition, central fat was strongly associated with rural residence; the children reported lower PA levels, and they presented a higher prevalence of central fat. The results reflect the need to implement programs to improve PA conditions in the child urban-rural population.

Field report:Sailing around the exhumed roots of the Mesozoic Patagonian paleo-accretionary wedge(Diego de Almagro Island,Chile)

We undertook a boat expedition to explore the geological framework of a very remote, lesser-known island, in the Chilean Patagonia: the Diego de Almagro Island(latitude S51°330'). This uninhabited, ca.400 km^2 Island is one of the very rare exposures of the Mesozoic accretionary subduction complex along the Chilean margin. Unstable weather, strong winds, steep topography, and very dense vegetation make an on-land mission difficult. Careful preparation based on high-resolution satellite images is advised to optimize shore access and minimize risks of injury. Despite a relatively important degree of regional reequilibration of metamorphic assemblages due to sluggish exhumation through the forearc crust, our results have shown that the island is composed of a nappe stack of ocean-floor derived slivers of metasedimentary units that exhibit very different pressure-temperature-time paths during burial by subduction under the Chilean margin and subsequent exhumation. These rocks are witness to a complex thermal evolution of the subduction zone between Jurassic and Cretaceous times from granulite facies to blueschist facies conditions as well as multiple episodes of accretion at ca. 35 -40 km in depth for almost100 Ma over the Mesozoic era.

RESIDENTIAL SOLAR ENERGY POTENTIAL FOR PUBLIC DISSEMINATION:A CASE STUDY IN CONCEPCION,CHILE

This paper presents a method for estimating the solar capture capacity of dwell-ings using the central urban area of Concepción,Chile,as a case study in order to promote self-generation of energy by residents.The method takes into account the growing domestic energy demand and the possibility of meeting this demand through integrated solar energy collection into buildings using different systems.The methodology considers a study of the potential incoming solar radiation on buildings according to their geographical location and the surrounding buildings.The capacity for solar capture is then estimated for different dwelling types accord-ing to their morphology.Subsequently,the energy contribution provided by differ-ent technologies(solar thermal,photovoltaic and hybrid)is identified in relation to the main average energy demands for electricity,water and space heating.Finally,systems for each dwelling are recommended in an urban map available online.The development is based on climate information,cartography,aerial photo-graphs,surveys,housing models,technical standards,standardised calculations and dynamic simulations,implemented according to building layouts from an online Geographic Information System(GIS).The housing types are categorised in an urban map that relates household demands and the contribution of different solar energy systems.According to the estimates calculated,the residential units in the study offer sufficient solar capacity to supply between 40 and 60%of their energy consumption,especially in detached houses using roof-mounted hybrid systems.

Taxonomic Diversity and Taxonomic Dominance: The Example of Forest Plantations in South-Central Chile

The study describes an analysis of the impact of plantation forestry on the taxonomic diversity of plants in south-central Chile. In this biodiversity hotspot, plantations of non-native species like Pinus radiata D. Don, Eucalyptus globules Labill. and Populus nigra L. have largely replaced native deciduous and sclerophyllous forests. The study compares taxonomic diversity of commercial plantations and native forests using taxonomic distinctness and diversity and the Simpson diversity index. Most of these indexes attest a considerably reduced taxonomic diversity to plantations. However, taxonomic distinctness values for P. radiata plantations seem to contradict other indexes at first glance. It is shown that the higher values of taxonomic distinctness of P. radiata plantations come from taxonomic dominance. Taxonomic dominance describes the fact that P. radiate—a member of the infradivison of Gymnospermae-bears only little taxonomic resemblance to other plants, which are Angiospermae. Thus, it strongly dominates the taxonomic distinctness index and the high taxonomic resemblance of other plant within its plots is neglected. Indexes are developed that identify such dominant species and adjust for taxonomic dominance in taxonomic diversity analyses. After this adjustment, all indexes provide a coherent image on taxonomic diversity. Plantation forestry produces a considerable decline of taxonomic diversity. Taxonomic diversity analysis provides valuable insights in biodiversity impacts and complements standard analyses.

Identifying Summer/Autumn Habitat Hotspots of Jumbo Flying Squid (Dosidicus gigas) off Chile

Abundance and distribution of jumbo flying squid(Dosidicus gigas)are evidently influenced by the changes of marine environment.In this study,the maximum entropy(MaxEnt)model was applied to examine the impacts of marine environmental variables on its potential distribution,and identified habitat hotspots of D.gigas in summer and autumn along the coast of Chile.The MaxEnt model was constructed by using the fisheries data of D.gigas from summer to autumn during 2011–2017 combined with critical environmental factors including mixed layer depth(MLD),sea surface salinity(SSS),sea surface height(SSH)and water temperature at depths of 0 m,25 m,50 m,100 m,150 m,200 m,300 m,400 m and 500 m.Results showed that the actual fishing efforts of D.gigas in summer and autumn were mostly distributed in the suitable habitat,indicating that the MaxEnt model can well predict the habitat hotspots of D.gigas off Chile.The key environmental factors and their suitable ranges for D.gigas showed significant intermonthly changes from December to May.The critical environmental factors of D.gigas off Chile were MLD,SSH,water temperature at different depths in summer(Temp_25 m in December,Temp_300 m in January and Temp_400 m in February)and SSH,SSS,Temp_400 m in autumn.Our findings suggest that selecting the key environmental factors is vital to study the potential distribution of D.gigas off Chile in each month to explore its habitat hotspots.

The Role of Chilean Mountain Areas in Time of Drought and Energy Crisis:New Pressures and Challenges for Vulnerable Ecosystems

In the summer of 2010/2011 Chile suffered the third most severe energy and water supply crisis in only one decade. This may be surprising as the Andes which accompany the country along 4,200 km are a water tower and could provide more electricity and water than needed. On top of that, it has to be mentioned that Chile also counts with sunny and windy climates and with excellent geothermal energy resources and thus has a huge potential as far as renewable energies are concerned. After analyzing the existing natural conditions, the infrastructure and the present challenges of climate change, it has to be asked in which way Chile can make use of this potential in the near future, considering the legal and political situation and the technological opportunities. It seems that the resources are still hidden in the Andes, and only the key is missing to realize the country＇s natural potential. This research has been based on the analysis of existing literature, media, quantitative data from government institutions and other antecedents obtained by the authors in field work done in the South of Chile in 2OLO. The added value of this compilation lies in the comprehensive perspective, linking the knowledge of climatologists, hydrologists, mountain researchers and energy experts in order to support a sustainable energy and water supply for the future in Chile. From this present research, it can be concluded that Chile necessarilyhas to adopt new energy-related strategies, particularly those aimed at diminishing the strong dependence on traditional sources of energy and establishing new techniques and technologies for generating electrieity and utilizing the vast potential that the country is ready to offer, such as that provided by the Andes along 4,200 kilometers.