Thin-layer agar for detection of resistance to rifampicin, ofloxacin and kanamycin in Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates

BACKGROUND: In low-income countries there is a great need for economical methods for testing the susceptibility of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to antibiotics. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the thin-layer agar (TLA) for rapid detection of resistance to rifampicin (RMP), ofloxacin (OFX) and kanamycin (KM) in M. tuberculosis clinical isolates and to determine the sensitivity, specificity and time to positivity compared to the gold standard method. METHODS: One hundred and forty-seven clinical isolates of M. tuberculosis were studied. For the TLA method, a quadrant Petri plate containing 7H11 agar with RMP, OFX and KM was used. Results were compared to the Bactec MGIT960 for RMP and the proportion method for OFX and KM. RESULTS: The sensitivity and specificity for RMP and OFX were 100% and for KM they were 100% and 98.7%, respectively. The use of a TLA quadrant plate enables the rapid detection of resistance to the three anti-tuberculosis drugs RMP, OFX and KM in a median of 10 days. CONCLUSION: TLA was an accurate method for the detection of resistance in the three drugs studied. This faster method is simple to perform, providing an alternative method when more sophisticated techniques are not available in low-resource settings

Arbitrage-Free Bond Pricing with Dynamic Macroeconomic Models

We examine the relationship between monetary-policy-induced changes in short interest rates and yields on long-maturity default-free bonds. The volatility of the long end of the term structure and its relationship with monetary policy are puzzling from the perspective of simple structural macroeconomic models. We explore whether richer models of risk premiums, specifically stochastic volatility models combined with Epstein-Zin recursive utility, can account for such patterns. We study the properties of the yield curve when inflation is an exogenous process and compare this to the yield curve when inflation is endogenous and determined through an interest-rate/Taylor rule. When inflation is exogenous, it is difficult to match the shape of the historical average yield curve. Capturing its upward slope is especially difficult as the nominal pricing kernel with exogenous inflation does not exhibit any negative autocorrelation - a necessary condition for an upward sloping yield curve as shown in Backus and Zin (1994). Endogenizing inflation provides a substantially better fit of the historical yield curve as the Taylor rule provides additional flexibility in introducing negative autocorrelation into the nominal pricing kernel. Additionally, endogenous inflation provides for a flatter term structure of yield volatilities which better fits historical bond data.

Arbitrage-free bond pricing with dynamic macroeconomic models

The authors examine the relationship between changes in short-term interest rates induced by monetary policy and the yields on long-maturity default-free bonds. The volatility of the long end of the term structure and its relationship with monetary policy are puzzling from the perspective of simple structural macroeconomic models. The authors explore whether richer models of risk premiums, specifically stochastic volatility models combined with Epstein-Zin recursive utility, can account for such patterns. They study the properties of the yield curve when inflation is an exogenous process and compare this with the yield curve when inflation is endogenous and determined through an interest rate (Taylor) rule. When inflation is exogenous, it is difficult to match the shape of the historical average yield curve. Capturing its upward slope is especially difficult because the nominal pricing kernel with exogenous inflation does not exhibit any negative autocorrelation-a necessary condition for an upward-sloping yield curve, as shown in Backus and Zin. Endogenizing inflation provides a substantially better fit of the historical yield curve because the Taylor rule provides additional flexibility in introducing negative autocorrelation into the nominal pricing kernel. Additionally, endogenous inflation provides for a flatter term structure of yield volatilities, which better fits historical bond data.Bonds - Prices ; Macroeconomics

Tpk3 and Snf1 protein kinases regulate Rgt1 association with Saccharomyces cerevisiae HXK2 promoter

Hexokinase 2 is an essential factor for signalling repression through the Saccharomyces cerevisiae high-glucose sensing pathway. The main regulatory mechanism that controls the HXK2 gene expression in yeast is mediated by the Rgt1 and Med8 transcription factors, which repress HXK2 expression in low-glucose containing media. In this study, we show that the repression activity of Rgt1 is regulated by Snf1 and Tpk3 protein kinases. Binding of Rgt1 to the HXK2 promoter requires Rgt1 phosphorylation by Snf1 or by an Snf1-dependent protein kinase. Conversely, Rgt1 hyperphosphorylation by the Tpk3 or by a Tpk3-dependent protein kinase dissociates Rgt1 from the repressor complex. Two-hybrid and chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments indicate that an Snf1-dependent interaction between Rgt1 and Med8 in the repressor complex is also essential for Rgt1 repression. The repression of HXK2 transcription by Rgt1 likely occurs through the formation of a DNA loop in the HXK2 locus, spanning the promoter and coding regions. These results suggest that a novel silent-chromatin loop is responsible for Rgt1-dependent transcriptional regulation of the HXK2 gene

Toward the Simulation of Flashing Cryogenic Liquids by a Fully Compressible Volume of Fluid Solver

We present a fully compressible single-fluid volume of fluid (VOF) solver with phase change for high-speed flows, where the atomization of the liquid can occur either by the aerodynamics or by the effect of the local pressure. The VOF approximation among a non-miscible phase (non-condensable gas) and a mixture of two fluids (liquid and vapor) represents the liquid core of the jet and its atomization. A barotropic model is used in combination with the equation of state (EoS) to link the mixture density to pressure and temperature. The solver is written with the aim to simulate high-pressure injection in gas–liquid systems, where the pressure of the liquid is great enough to cause significant compression of the surrounding gas. Being designed in an C++ object-oriented fashion, the solver is able to support any kind of EoS; the aim is to apply it to the simulation of the injection of liquid propellant in rocket engines. The present work includes the base development; a verification assessment of the code is provided by the solution of a set of numerical experiments to prove the boundedness, convergence and accuracy of the method. Experimental measurements of a cavitating microscopic in-nozzle flow, available in the literature, are finally used for a first validation with phase change

On the drivers of successful crowdfunding: The case of the platform Verkami

This article analyzes the determinants of successful crowdfunding initiatives using a sample of 5,251 projects from the reward-based Spanish platform Verkami. In contrast to most of the literature that has measured success with a dichotomous variable, we approach success with a continuous one, namely the ratio of achievement, which is measured as the obtained resources over the total amount requested by the promoter. We consider a set of potential determinants of success, which are theoretically well-grounded and cover a variety of spheres related to project features. Results suggest that factors related to the signaling theories such as partnership, having previous experience and interaction with backers are positively associated with the achievement ratio, whereas no significant impact is found for the number of rewards. In addition, we find uneven effects for low and high ratios of achievement, identifying the key determinants in different project stages

Homenaje al Dr. Dr. h.c. Claus Roxin en tres actos

El prólogo y la presentación forman parte del Libro-Homenaje por su nombramiento como Doctor Honoris Causa por la Universidad Inca Garcilaso de la Vega. La trayectoria académica de Claus Roxin, su sistemática teleológica de la dogmática del Derecho Penal orientada a los fines de política criminal y especialmente a los fines preventivos de la pena, pero siempre manteniendo la máxima lisztiana de que el Derecho Penal con sus garantías es la barrera infranqueable de la política criminal, y su gigantesca obra en su conjunto, en sus líneas maestras son conocidas, en gran parte también a través de las traducciones de sus obras más importantes al español, que no necesitan presentación ni siquiera glosa alguna

La jurisdicción militar en el periodo gaditano : su influjo en el Perú

El sector militar de las Cortes de Cádiz fue uno de los principales promotores de las ideas liberales, y mostraron una honda preocupación por desarticular la ordenación y estructura del ejército en el Antiguo Régimen mediante la copiosa publicación de propuestas y proyectos de reforma. En este artículo se estudia la impronta liberal que imprimieron algunos de ellos y la Constitución de Cádiz en el Proyecto de Constitución Militar del Ejército del Perú de 1827, que no llegó a fraguar por el estado de anarquía reinante en el Perú en los primeros años de su independencia de la Monarquía hispánica, por lo que se continuó aplicando la legislación virreinal recogida en las Ordenanzas carolinas.The military sector of Courts of Cadiz was one of the main promoters of the liberal ideas, and showed a deep preoccupation to disarticulate the arrangement and structures of the army in the Old Regime by means of the abundant publication of proposals and projects of reform. In this article the liberal track studies that left some of them and the Constitution of Cadiz in the Project of Military Constitution of the Army of the Peru of 1827, which it did not get to set by the state of ruling anarchy in Peru in the first years of its independence of the Hispanic Monarchy, reason why it was continued applying the castilian legislation gathered in Decrees of Carlos

La Constitución multicultural peruana

La dinámica de la globalización ha conllevado procesos de universalización y de homogeneización cultural, es por ello que, tomando como norte el marco constitucional, se procura comprender estas realidades cambiantes a fin de dar un reconocimiento al tema materia de investigación: multiculturalismo complementado con otras categorías tales como pluralismo e interculturalidad. Asimismo, las realidades cambiantes deben ser analizadas en correlación con el nivel de participación de los órganos jurisdiccionales, tales como el Poder Judicial (impartición de justicia) y el Tribunal Constitucional, los que, a través de la interpretación, promoción y reafirmación del valor e importancia de la sociedad multicultural, reafirman los lazos que unen a esta con la pluralidad sociocultural y sociedad globalizada. El Estado constitucional reconoce los derechos fundamentales de todos los miembros de la comunidad estatal, y atiende las particulares exigencias (culturales, religiosas, lingüísticas, nacionales, etc.) que puedan reclamar algunos miembros de la colectividad. Ello en razón de que en la Constitución Política del Perú de 1993, se opta por la tutela constitucional vía reconocimiento de la diversidad cultural de la nación peruana y se apuesta por una integración. Por último, el autor sostiene que lo álgido del Estado constitucional multicultural tiene que ver con la naturaleza de los derechos reclamados por los pueblos indígenas, que en su mayoría son de índole colectiva: a la consulta previa, a la autodeterminación, al ejercicio de justicia propia, a la propiedad comunal, entre otros, haciendo hincapié en que el derecho a la identidad étnica no solo cuenta con protección a nivel constitucional, sino también cuenta con tutela internacional, puntualmente en el Pacto Internacional de Derechos Civiles y Políticos, toda vez que el fenómeno cultural es inherente a todo grupo humano

La Constitución multicultural peruana

Los diversos conflictos sociales que operan tanto a nivel del Estado como de las empresas extractivas y las minorías culturales, nacionales, étnicas, lingüísticas, tienen como punto de partida en común el reconocimiento de la diversidad, la cual es reclamada por diversos grupos, reivindicando que la misma es relevante a fin de desarrollar sus proyectos de vida, materializando de esta forma el derecho humano a la vida.En este contexto surge la noción de multiculturalismo, concepto de las ciencias sociales que ha sido estudiado desde diversas perspectivas. De forma análoga, también se ha acuñado el concepto de pluralismo, el cual ostenta sus propios principios, e implica que se aceptan las diferencias, no busca eliminarlas, teniendo como meta la integración.The various social conflicts operating at both the state and mining companies and cultural, national, ethnic, linguistic minorities, have as a starting point in common recognition of diversity, which is claimed by various groups, claiming that it is relevant to develop their life projects, thereby achieving the human right to life. In this context the notion of multiculturalism, social science concept that has been studied from various perspectives arises. Similarly, also coined the concept of pluralism, which holds its own principles, and implies that the differences are accepted, seeks to eliminate, aiming at integration