Development of high-resolution future ocean regional projection datasets for coastal applications in Japan

In this study, we developed two high-resolution future ocean regional projection datasets for coastal applications in Japan, in which we made use of dynamical downscaling via regional ocean models with atmospheric forcing from two climate models (i.e., MIROC5 and MRI-CGCM3) participating in Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) under historical, representative concentration pathway (RCP) 2.6, and RCP8.5 scenarios. The first dataset was an eddy-resolving 10-km resolution product covering the North Pacific Ocean area and ranging continuously from 1981 to 2100, in which the Kuroshio current and mesoscale structures were reasonably resolved. The second dataset was a 2-km resolution product covering the regional domain surrounding Japan and comprising 10–15-year time slices, in which the coastal geometry and current structure were resolved even more realistically. An important feature of these datasets was the availability of reference datasets based on atmospheric and oceanic reanalysis data for cross-validation during the historical run period. Using these reference datasets, biases of regional surface thermal properties and the Kuroshio states during the historical run period were evaluated, which constitute important information for users of the datasets. In these downscaled datasets, the future surface thermal responses were generally consistent with those of their original data. Utilizing the high-resolution property of the downscaled data, possible future impact analyses regarding coastal phenomena such as strait throughflows, coastal sea level variability, and the Kuroshio intrusion phenomenon into bays (“Kyucho” phenomenon) were demonstrated and the important role of the Kuroshio state representation was indicated, which had proved difficult to analyze using the low-resolution projection data. Given these properties, the present datasets would be useful in climate change adaptation studies regarding the Japanese coastal region.

Asia, 1945-1954: Three Wars in One.

The conflicts waged in Asia between 1945 and 1954 are examined here as part of the anti-colonial struggle and national independence, giving rise to free and original Asian practices. The background is the emergence and consolidation of the bipolar powers of the superpowers involved in the cold war. The decolonization of the region was part of the Western Allies' ideals. However, the Cold Conflict's political conveniences lead the Truman Administration to tolerate and support the colonial presence. American policy on Asia-Pacific feared that independence would jeopardize regional stability. This desideratum frustrated the aspirations of the local populations and elites and the communists. After 1949 starting its huge task of national reconstruction, the People's Republic of China recovered imperial diplomatic practices. In addition to expanding his agricultural and industrial production bases, he supported the communist side in the war between the two Koreas and Vietminh, in Indochina. Exercising dominance over its allies the Maoist China, it consolidated its regional projection, suggesting to several important actors on the western side that the three conflicts were part of a single war against communism that they believed to be expanding.

Brazil and its regional projection: perspectives on hegemony and regionalism in South America in the post-Cold War era

A projeção brasileira sobre a América do Sul foi destaque desde sua redemocratização, ocorrida na década de 1980. Ainda assim, seu comportamento não pode ser considerado hegemônico em seu sentido realista, exercido pelo poder duro. Nem liberal, já que optou pela multiplicidade de iniciativas, de baixa grau de institucionalização. Propomos a aplicação do conceito gramsciano de hegemonia para analisar se o Brasil exerce a sua na América do Sul por meio de um ativismo nos processos de integração regional. Para isto, utilizamos o método qualitativo com um estudo de caso único típico para desenvolver uma ilustração preliminar de teoria, baseado em uma revisão bibliográfica da história da política externa Brasileira (fontes primárias e secundárias). Esta análise nos leva a argumentar que há dubiedade na atuação brasileira regional, já que optou por não aprofundar o grau de institucionalização das organizações regionais e por não exercer poder coercitivo durante crises regionais. Ainda que o comportamento brasileiro não representa um caso típico de hegemonia, tendo os achados pouca validade externa para além deste caso, há evidências sua atuação em diversos arranjos regionais como líder e construtor de consensos é uma forma de exercer hegemonia (gramsciana) na região.

Regional projection of the growth pole theory: foreign and Russian experience

In the modern context, each country is interested in the new sources of economic growth. The authors believe that the source of economic growth can lie in the spatial factors of regional development – the so-called “growth poles”. This article discusses the Russian and foreign experience of using the growth poles to accelerate regional development. The subject of this research is the spatial-economic processes that take place in terms of implementation of the “growth pole” strategy in Russian and foreign practices. The object of this research is regions of the Russian Federation and regions of the foreign countries, in the territory of which the practice of “growth poles” development was implemented. The goal of this article is to present the regional projection of scientific foundation of growth pole theory relying on the works of leading scholars, as well as advanced national and foreign experience. The author’s special contribution consists in generalization of information pertaining to the use of the “growth pole” concept in the relevant strategic planning documents. The novelty lies in the hypothesis on classification of growth poles in Russian practice, the number of growth poles in the territory of the Russian Federation. The acquired results allow assessing the Russian and foreign experience in implementation of the growth pole theory, determining the factors and conditions for achieving the goals and objectives of the strategies of polarized regional development in the Russian Federation and foreign countries.

WORLD-SYSTEM ANALYSIS AND REGIONAL CONFLICTS

The article deals with some key problems of relations between the world centers of power and the periphery, to which as African history and today situation show the political centers of successful civilizations transfer their own problems and difficulties: from harmful industries to unequal exchange of goods. Attempts by the outsiders of progress to oppose the expansion cause a tough reaction from the civilization nuclei. According to the authors, I. Wallersteins worldsystem analysis has a significant research potential to study and block the conflictogenic factors of the regional projection.