La formación de precios en las empresas colombianas: evidencia a partir de una encuesta directa

En este documento se reportan los resultados de una encuesta por medio de la cual se interrogó a los empresarios colombianos acerca de la forma como fijan los precios de sus principales productos. El diseño del formulario sigue de cerca las propuestas de Blinder (1991, 1994, 1998) y de la red de persistencia de la inflación de los países de la Unión Europea (Fabiani et al. 2005). El propósito de la encuesta es profundizar en el conocimiento sobre el proceso de fijación de precios que siguen las empresas. Específicamente, se explora el grado de autonomía que tienen las firmas para cambiar sus precios; si las políticas de precios siguen un criterio de reglas periódicas en el tiempo o dependen del estado de la economía; se indaga por el conjunto de información que emplean las empresas para cambiar sus precios; por la frecuencia de las revisiones de los precios y de los cambios y el uso de algún tipo de discriminación para determinar un precio. De otro lado, se estudian las razones que llevan a las firmas a no modificar sus precios, así como la velocidad de reacción ante diferentes choques económicos.Fijación de precios, rigideces de precios, muestreo aleatorio estratificado, asimetrías en la fijación de precios. Classification JEL:C83; D40; E31; L11

Heterogeneidad en la fijación de precios en Colombia: Análisis de sus determinantes a partir de modelos de conteo

En este documento se estudian los determinantes de la heterogeneidad observada en la flexibilidad de precios, empleando los resultados encontrados en una encuesta directa por Misas et al. (2009). Para esto se utilizan los modelos de conteo y se diseñan e implementan un conjunto de pruebas de especificación y de selección de modelos que garantizan una correcta inferencia estadística. En términos generales, los determinantes más significativos a la hora de explicar el grado de flexibilidad de los precios, son las características del producto, los acuerdos contractuales y el sector económico al que pertenece la firma. Por su parte, técnicas de mercadeo, como la posibilidad de discriminar precios entre compradores, son menos significativas. También se encuentra que la existencia de leyes o decretos administrativos, la existencia de líderes en precios y los movimientos de costos no explican la heterogeneidad en el proceso de fijación de los precios.Formación de precios, flexibilidad de precios, modelos de conteo, bootstrapping, Colombia. Classification JEL: C12, C21, C25, C51, E31, L10

Revealing cell vulnerability in Alzheimer's disease by single-cell transcriptomics

Acord transformatiu CRUE-CSICAlzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that by affecting specific brain cell types and regions cause severe pathological and functional changes in memory neural circuits. A comprehensive knowledge of the pathogenic mechanisms underlying AD requires a deeper understanding of the cell-specific pathological responses through integrative molecular analyses. Recent application of high-throughput single-cell transcriptomics to postmortem tissue has proved powerful to unravel cell susceptibility and biological networks responding to amyloid and tau pathologies. Here, we review single-cell transcriptomic studies successfully applied to decipher cell-specific gene expression programs and pathways in the brain of AD patients. Transcriptional information reveals both specific and common gene signatures affecting the major cerebral cell types, including astrocytes, endothelial cells, microglia, neurons, and oligodendrocytes. Cell type-specific transcriptomes associated with AD pathology and clinical symptoms are related to common biological networks affecting, among others pathways, synaptic function, inflammation, proteostasis, cell death, oxidative stress, and myelination. The general picture that emerges from systems-level single-cell transcriptomics is a spatiotemporal pattern of cell diversity and biological pathways, and novel cell subpopulations affected in AD brain. We argue that broader implementation of cell transcriptomics in larger AD human cohorts using standardized protocols is fundamental for reliable assessment of temporal and regional cell-type gene profiling. The possibility of applying this methodology for personalized medicine in clinics is still challenging but opens new roads for future diagnosis and treatment in dementia

Intellectual disability and ageing: a new challenge for the twenty-first century

[Resumen] OBJETIVO: Mediante el presente trabajo se pretende conocer las características de la población con retraso mental que ha supera- do la edad de 45 años. MÉTODO: Estudio descriptivo de carácter transversal, entre una muestra representativa de 189 personas mayores de 45 años, con certificado de minusvalía que acredite la discapacidad psíquica, seleccionadas aleatoriamente entre las institucionalizadas en los centros de la comunidad autónoma gallega. La herramienta para recoger la información ha sido un cuestionario de elaboración propia, debidamente contrastado. RESULTADOS: El 60% de los entrevistados reside con sus familias, con las que mantienen una relación calificada como buena en el 49,7% de los casos. El 48,7% presenta un coeficiente intelectual con un retraso moderado, y profundo en el 36,5%; no se conoce el origen del retraso mental en el 42,85% de los casos. CONCLUSIONES: Las necesidades detectadas en la calidad asistencial llevan a concluir la urgencia de actuar sobre los recursos, equipamientos y el grado de especialización de los profesionales implicados, sin obviar a las familias, que constituyen el verdadero soporte asistencial.[Abstract] OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the characteristics of adults with intellectual disability who survive for more than45 years. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional, descriptive study of a representative sample of 189 individuals aged more than 45 years with certified intellectual disability. The subjects were randomly selected from individuals attending centres of the Autonomous Community of Galicia in Spain. The instrument used to gather information was a specifically-designed and validated questionnaire. RESULTS: Sixty percent of subjects lived with their families, with whom 49.7% reported a good relationship. The degree of intellectual disability was moderate in 49.7% and severe in 36.5%. Aetiology was unknown in 42.5%. CONCLUSIONS: Shortfalls detected in the quality of care indicate that urgent action should be taken to improve resources and the degree of specialisation among staff, as well as to aid families, who provide the main support to individuals with mental disability

Cumplimiento de las recomendaciones de prevención secundaria de enfermedad coronaria en pacientes sometidos a revascularización coronaria percutánea en el Hospital Universitario Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá

Marco de referenciadiferentes ensayos clínicos han mostrado que el efecto de las revascularizaciones y los procedimientos de angioplastia en el pronóstico del paciente, tiene sólo un efecto a corto plazo, mientras que la prevención secundaria (cambio de estilo de vida y tratamiento intensivo) mejora el pronóstico a largo plazo.Objetivoevaluar el cumplimiento de las recomendaciones para prevención cardiovascular secundaria, de los pacientes sometidos a revascularización coronaria percutánea en el hospital universitario Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá, entre los años 2008 y 2010.Materiales y métodosestudio descriptivo, ambispectivo, cuya población estuvo conformada por 332 pacientes sometidos a intervención coronaria percutánea atendidos entre enero de 2008 a diciembre de 2010 en el servicio de hemodinamia del Hospital Universitario Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá. La recolección de la información se realizó mediante revisión de las historias clínicas de los pacientes y vía telefónica. Las metas de control se basaron en las recomendaciones de la Asociación Americana del Corazón y el Colegio Americano de Cardiología.Resultados332 pacientes fueron sometidos a revascularización coronaria percutánea y 4 fueron excluidos del estudio por falta de datos. La presentación clínica más frecuente fue la angina inestable (32,93%). Sólo se contactaron 172 (52,43%) pacientes, de los cuales 77,4% eran hombres y 22,6% mujeres. Únicamente 6 (3,5%) cumplían con el 100% de las recomendaciones para la prevención secundaria de enfermedad coronaria y 17% cumplía menos del 50% de éstas.Conclusionesla experiencia en la Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá muestra un pobre cumplimiento de las metas de prevención secundaria de enfermedad coronaria.Contextdifferent clinical trials have shown that the effect of revascularization and angioplasty procedures in the prognosis of the patient has only a short-term effect, while secondary prevention (lifestyle change and intensive treatment) improves long-term prognosis.Objectiveto assess compliance with the recommendations for secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary revascularization at the University Hospital Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá, between 2008 and 2010.Materials and methodsa descriptive ambispective study, whose population was conformed by 332 patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention seen between January 2008 and December 2010 in the service of hemodynamics of the University Hospital Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá. The data collection was conducted by reviewing the medical records of the patients and by telephone. Control targets were based on the recommendations of the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology.Results332 patients underwent percutaneous coronary revascularization. 4 were excluded from the study due to lack of data. The most common clinical presentation was unstable angina (32.93%). Only 172 patients (52.43%) were contacted. From these, 77.4% were male and 22.6% female. Only 6 (3.5%) met 100% of the recommendations for secondary prevention of coronary heart disease and 17% met less than 50% of these recommendations.Conclusionsthe experience in the Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá shows a poor compliance with the goals of secondary prevention of coronary disease

Biodiversity of ecosystems in an arid setting: The late Albian plant communities and associated biota from eastern Iberia

Deserts are stressful environments where the living beings must acquire different strategies to survive due to the water stress conditions. From the late Albian to the early Cenomanian, the northern and eastern parts of Iberia were the location of the desert system represented by deposits assigned to the Utrillas Group, which bear abundant amber with numerous bioinclusions, including diverse arthropods and vertebrate remains. In the Maestrazgo Basin (E Spain), the late Albian to early Cenomanian sedimentary succession represents the most distal part of the desert system (fore-erg) that was characterised by an alternation of aeolian and shallow marine sedimentary environments in the proximity of the Western Tethys palaeo-coast, with rare to frequent dinoflagellate cysts. The terrestrial ecosystems from this area were biodiverse, and comprised plant communities whose fossils are associated with sedimentological indicators of aridity. The palynoflora dominated by wind-transported conifer pollen is interpreted to reflect various types of xerophytic woodlands from the hinterlands and the coastal settings. Therefore, fern and angiosperm communities abundantly grew in wet interdunes and coastal wetlands (temporary to semi-permanent freshwater/salt marshes and water bodies). In addition, the occurrence of low-diversity megafloral assemblages reflects the existence of coastal salt-influenced settings. The palaeobotanical study carried out in this paper which is an integrative work on palynology and palaeobotany, does not only allow the reconstruction of the vegetation that developed in the mid-Cretaceous fore-erg from the eastern Iberia, in addition, provides new biostratigraphic and palaeogeographic data considering the context of angiosperm radiation as well as the biota inferred in the amber-bearing outcrops of San Just, Arroyo de la Pascueta and La Hoya (within Cortes de Arenoso succesion). Importantly, the studied assemblages include Afropollis, Dichastopollenites, Cretacaeiporites together with pollen produced by Ephedraceae (known for its tolerance to arid conditions). The presence of these pollen grains, typical for northern Gondwana, associates the Iberian ecosystems with those characterising the mentioned region.Depto. de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y PaleontologíaFac. de Ciencias GeológicasTRUEMinisterio de Ciencia, Innovacio ́n y UniversidadesIGME-CSICSecretaria d’Universitats i Recerca de la Generalitat de CataloniaEuropean Social Fundpu

Educational applications of a pico-processor design

Knowledge of the internal structure and operating mechanism of microprocessors is a very important part in for engineers in electronics and computer science. This knowledge can be deepened with experiences of processor design, which also meet many aspects linked to other basic skills. However, due to its complexity, the design of commercial processors is not effective from an educational point of view. In this communication we present a VHDL design experience of a very simple processor that shows multiple learning posed to the student

An unstable Th epitope of P. falciparum fosters central memory T cells and anti-CS antibody responses

Malaria is transmitted by Plasmodium-infected anopheles mosquitoes. Widespread resistance of mosquitoes to insecticides and resistance of parasites to drugs highlight the urgent need for malaria vaccines. The most advanced malaria vaccines target sporozoites, the infective form of the parasite. A major target of the antibody response to sporozoites are the repeat epitopes of the circumsporozoite (CS) protein, which span almost one half of the protein. Antibodies to these repeats can neutralize sporozoite infectivity. Generation of protective antibody responses to the CS protein (anti-CS Ab) requires help by CD4 T cells. A CD4 T cell epitope from the CS protein designated T* was previously identified by screening T cells from volunteers immunized with irradiated P. falciparum sporozoites. The T* sequence spans twenty amino acids that contains multiple T cell epitopes restricted by various HLA alleles. Subunit malaria vaccines including T* are highly immunogenic in rodents, non-human primates and humans. In this study we characterized a highly conserved HLA-DRbeta1*04:01 (DR4) restricted T cell epitope (QNT-5) located at the C-terminus of T*. We found that a peptide containing QNT-5 was able to elicit long-term anti-CS Ab responses and prime CD4 T cells in HLA-DR4 transgenic mice despite forming relatively unstable MHC-peptide complexes highly susceptible to HLA-DM editing. We attempted to improve the immunogenicity of QNT-5 by replacing the P1 anchor position with an optimal tyrosine residue. The modified peptide QNT-Y formed stable MHC-peptide complexes highly resistant to HLA-DM editing. Contrary to expectations, a linear peptide containing QNT-Y elicited almost 10-fold lower long-term antibody and IFN-gamma responses compared to the linear peptide containing the wild type QNT-5 sequence. Some possibilities regarding why QNT-5 is more effective than QNT-Y in inducing long-term T cell and anti-CS Ab when used as vaccine are discussed

Colombian consensus on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of candida Spp. disease in children and adults

La Candidiasis Invasora (CI) y la candidemia, como su manifestación más frecuente, se ha convertido en la principal causa de micosis oportunista a nivel hospitalario. Este manuscrito realizado por miembros de la Asociación Colombiana de Infectología (ACIN), tuvo como objetivo proporcionar un conjunto de recomendaciones para manejo, seguimiento y prevención de la CI/candidemia y de la infección candidiásica de mucosas, en población adulta, pediátrica y neonatal, en un entorno hospitalario, incluyendo las unidades hemato-oncológicas y unidades de cuidado crítico. Todos los datos obtenidos mediante una búsqueda exhaustiva, fueron revisados y analizados de manera amplia por todos los miembros del grupo, y las recomendaciones emitidas se elaboraron luego de la evaluación de la literatura científica disponible, y el consenso de todos los especialistas involucrados, reconociendo el problema de la emergencia de las infecciones por Candida Spp. y brindando una correcta orientación a los profesionales de la salud sobre el manejo de pacientes con enfermedad candidiásica, de una forma racional y práctica, enfatizando en la evaluación del paciente, estrategias de diagnóstico, profilaxis, tratamiento empírico, tratamiento dirigido y terapia preventiva.Invasive Candidiasis (IC) and candidemia (as its most frequent manifestation) have become the main cause of opportunistic mycosis at hospital settings. This study, made by members of the Colombian Association of Infectious Diseases (ACIN), was aimed at providing a set of recommendations for the management, follow-up and prevention of IC / candidemia and mucous membrane candida infection in adult, pediatric and neonatal patients in a hospital setting, including the hemato-oncological and critical care units. All the data obtained through an exhaustive search were reviewed and analyzed in a comprehensive manner by all the members of the group, and the recommendations issued are being made after a careful review of the scientific literature available and the consensus of all specialists involved; the emergence of Candida Spp. problem is highlighted and a correct orientation to health professionals regarding the management of patients with candidiasis is provided in a rational and practical way, emphasizing patient evaluation, diagnostic strategies, prophylaxis, empirical treatment, directed treatment and preventative therap

Safety of switching from intravenous to subcutaneous rituximab during first-line treatment of patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma: the Spanish population of the MabRella study

Rituximab is a standard treatment for non-Hodgkin diffuse large B-cell (DLBCL) and follicular (FL) lymphomas. A subcutaneous formulation was developed to improve the resource use of intravenous rituximab, with comparable efficacy and safety profiles except for increased administration-related reactions (ARRs). MabRella was a phase IIIb trial to assess the safety of switching from intravenous to subcutaneous administration of rituximab during first-line induction/maintenance for DLBCL or FL, focusing on ARRs. Efficacy, satisfaction and quality of life were also assessed. Patients received subcutaneous rituximab plus standard induction chemotherapy for DLBCL or FL for 4–7 cycles, and/or every 2 months maintenance monotherapy for FL for 6–12 cycles. The study included 140 patients: DLBCL, n = 29; FL, n = 111. Ninety-five percent of patients experienced adverse events, reaching grade ≥3 in 38 6% and were serious in 30 0%. AARs occurred in 48 6%, mostly (84 9%) at the injection site, with only 2 1% of patients reaching grade 3. The end-of-induction complete/unconfirmed complete response rate was 69 6%. After a median follow-up of 33 5 months, median disease-/event-/progression-free and overall survivals were not attained. The Rituximab Administration Satisfaction Questionnaire showed improvements in overall satisfaction and the EuroQoL-5D a good quality-of-life perception at induction/maintenance end. Therefore, switching to subcutaneous rituximab showed no new safety issues and maintained efficacy with improved satisfaction and quality of life