Retrospective evaluation of whole exome and genome mutation calls in 746 cancer samples

Funder: NCI U24CA211006Abstract: The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) curated consensus somatic mutation calls using whole exome sequencing (WES) and whole genome sequencing (WGS), respectively. Here, as part of the ICGC/TCGA Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG) Consortium, which aggregated whole genome sequencing data from 2,658 cancers across 38 tumour types, we compare WES and WGS side-by-side from 746 TCGA samples, finding that ~80% of mutations overlap in covered exonic regions. We estimate that low variant allele fraction (VAF < 15%) and clonal heterogeneity contribute up to 68% of private WGS mutations and 71% of private WES mutations. We observe that ~30% of private WGS mutations trace to mutations identified by a single variant caller in WES consensus efforts. WGS captures both ~50% more variation in exonic regions and un-observed mutations in loci with variable GC-content. Together, our analysis highlights technological divergences between two reproducible somatic variant detection efforts

Comment on "US Economic growth in the gilded age"

In this paper, we critically assess the contribution of Field (2007) in this issue. The author casts some doubts concerning the exceptionality of the 20th century as experiencing 'growth in the era of knowledge based progress', using new quantitative evidence on the TFP growth on the period 1855-2005, stressing the importance of a proper periodization as well as correcting for biases in earlier assessments by various authors. He shows that the actual TFP growth was rather strong from the 1870s to the first decade of the 20th century, while it was quite low during long periods of the 20th century (1906-1919; 1941-1948; 1973-1989). Field tried to explain this stylized fact using more conventional historical evidence (impact of technological innovation; rise of the Modern Business Enterprise - the latter being favoured by the development of communication technologies). We put forward some methodological discussion concerning the proper meaning of TFP (productivity growth is not the same as technological change) as well as putting the results in a more theoretical perspective (determinants of the periods of high TFP growth). We also stress some elements of a more historical nature not stressed by the author as the role of the State (protectionism, migration policy, R&D...), and more particularly the emergence of the Modern American University during the last three decades of the 19th century.Economic history USA Growth

Private Returns to Education in Belgium: an Empirical Note

In this note, we present new econometric estimates of the (private) rate of return to education in Belgium. Our estimates of the return to education lie around 6.5% to 6.8% following model specifications. Our estimations of classical Mincerian earning functions also highlight the potential existence of a screening/signalling process in the Belgian labour market, as the rate of return in the private sector is lower than in the public sector, and as the self-employed workers do not seem to benefit from their prior schooling. The results confirm previous estimates on the Belgian labour maket by Nonneman and Cortens (1995).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Quo vadis ? Quel futur pour l’histoire économique en France ? Réflexions et recommandations par deux économistes

Comme son nom l'indique, et comme son histoire mouvementée le confirme, la discipline appelée communément « histoire économique » se situe aux frontières de deux mondes, celles des sciences économiques et historiques, aujourd'hui peut-être plus antagonistes que jamais auparavant. La discipline elle-même est née, à la fin du XIXe siècle, en réaction à un conflit méthodologique majeur (Methodenstreit) entre des économistes tenants d'une approche historique, évolutionniste et institutionnaliste,..

Education et croissance économique : une histoire du lien

International audienc

Education et croissance économique : une histoire du lien

International audienc

Point de vue. Cliométrie et gestion : vers une nouvelle alliance

National audienc

Education et croissance économique : une histoire du lien

International audienc

Renouveler la science économique néo-classique? Prendre l’historicité au sérieux

Cet article est une critique interne de la discipline économique et une tentative de faire prendre conscience au sein de la communauté des économistes de l’importance de réintroduire l’histoire et l’historicité dans la discipline.This article is an internal critic of the economic discipline and an attempt to reintroduce history and historicity in the discipline

The European policy regarding education and training: a critical assessment: SKOPE Research Paper No. 21, Autumn 2001

In this paper we outline the (stated) philosophy governing the EU policy proposals regarding Education and Training (ET) systems. We review the various criticism that are addressed by the experts to ET systems as they are currently organised: in an age where knowledge and skills are of primary importance to maintain both individual and national competitiveness, ET systems ignore the requirements of competitiveness, partly because they are too heavily institutionalized (making therefore individuals less responsible), because they rely too much on formal accreditations and develop an elitist structure that drives the entire system away from market needs. The EU experts tend therefore to promote a new system more responsive to market needs, inter alia through the diffusion of information and transparency, the recognition of informal ways of learning, and a curricular content stressing much more methods (problem-solving abilities, information processing abilities ...) than contents. The widespread use of ICT systematic evaluation and decentralization, while States, firms and individuals should increase their investment in human resources and capital. The lato sensu vocationalisation of ET systems would help in promoting social cohesion and a new sense of active citizenship. We review a series of criticism that could be levelled against such a policy agenda, which exaggerates the responsibility of the supply-side (the reform of ET systems would alone solve all of the problems) while downplaying the crucial importance of the demand side (the firms using the products of ET systems), and which probably overstates the benefits of a narrowly vocational ET system. The ideological preconceptions of the experts led them to exaggerate the ability of individuals to build their own curricula, and to neglect the role of teachers in education. Last but not least, they ignore the dangers linked with the introduction of short-termism and commercial concerns in a world which was initially devised to prepare for the long run adaptiveness of society and individuals, not solely from an economic point of view, but also social, moral and political