Las Transferencias Intergubernamentales y el Gasto Local en Colombia

El trabajo evalúa los determinantes del gasto público de los municipios colombianos mediante un modelo estático de escogencia pública local. Los resultados muestran que las transferencias que reciben los municipios de la nación alivian su carga fiscal y, al igual que la deuda, se constituyen en la principal fuente de expansión del gasto. Por su parte, las características socioeconómicas de las comunidades, entre las que se destacan el tamaño de la población con necesiades básicas insatisfechas y la cobertura de servicios públicos domiciliarios, juegan un papel crucial en la provisión básica de bienes públicos locales.

Genomic-scale analysis of DNA words of arbitrary length by parallel computation.

In the post-genomic era, one of the main tasks is deciphering the meaning of the DNA sequences of complex organisms. In order to do so, there is a clear need for biocomputer tools able to extract and order the information of long DNA molecules, such as whole chromosomes or even complete genomes. However, most genomic analyses have been concentrated on the detection and counting of short words having sizes of between 1 and 10 nucleotides. In this paper, we describe parallel algorithms with different complexities that exhaustively determine all words of size k, k being arbitrarily large, in a source DNA sequence. The results shown that our algorithms achieve a high degree of scalability, allowing the detection of DNA words of 64 nucleotides in only 800 seconds

Effects in service of the staggered construction of cable-stayed bridges built on temporary supports

Cable-stayed bridges can be rarely built on a single construction stage and staggered construction is commonly used. The effects of this staggered construction are not only economical as they might also play an important role in the structural behaviour in service. Despite of this importance, these effects are rarely included into the definition of the structural response in service. In order to fill this gap, this paper deals with the effects in service of the staggered erection of steel cable-stayed bridges built on temporary supports. To do so, a criterion based on the minimization of the bending energy in terms of stay forces is applied to several cable-stayed bridges. This study shows the importance of the existence of the pylon-deck connection as well as the number and location of both construction joints and temporary supports during staggered erectionThe authors thank the Spanish Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad and the FEDER funds for the funding provided through the research grant BIA2013-47290-R directed by Jose Turmo.Lozano Galant, JA.; Paya-Zaforteza, I.; Turmo Coderque, J. (2015). Effects in service of the staggered construction of cable-stayed bridges built on temporary supports. Baltic Journal of Road and Bridge Engineering. 10(3):247-254. https://doi.org/10.3846/bjrbe.2015.31S247254103Cluley, N. C., & Shepherd, R. (1996). Analysis of concrete cable-stayed bridges for creep, shrinkage and relaxation effects. Computers & Structures, 58(2), 337-350. doi:10.1016/0045-7949(95)00131-yJanjic, D., Pircher, M., & Pircher, H. (2003). Optimization of Cable Tensioning in Cable-Stayed Bridges. Journal of Bridge Engineering, 8(3), 131-137. doi:10.1061/(asce)1084-0702(2003)8:3(131)Li, L., Ma, Z. J., & Oesterle, R. G. (2010). Improved Longitudinal Joint Details in Decked Bulb Tees for Accelerated Bridge Construction: Fatigue Evaluation. Journal of Bridge Engineering, 15(5), 511-522. doi:10.1061/(asce)be.1943-5592.0000097Lozano-Galant, J. A., Ruiz-Ripoll, L., Payá-Zaforteza, I., & Turmo, J. (2014). Modifications of the stress-state of cable-stayed bridges due to staggered construction of their superstructure. THE BALTIC JOURNAL OF ROAD AND BRIDGE ENGINEERING, 9(4), 241-250. doi:10.3846/bjrbe.2014.30Lozano-Galant, J. A., & Turmo, J. (2014). An algorithm for simulation of concrete cable-stayed bridges built on temporary supports and considering time dependent effects. Engineering Structures, 79, 341-353. doi:10.1016/j.engstruct.2014.08.018Lozano-Galant, J. A., & Turmo, J. (2014). Creep and shrinkage effects in service stresses of concrete cable-stayed bridges. Computers and Concrete, 13(4), 483-499. doi:10.12989/cac.2014.13.4.483Lozano-Galant, J. A., Dong, X., Payá-Zaforteza, I., & Turmo, J. (2013). Direct simulation of the tensioning process of cable-stayed bridges. Computers & Structures, 121, 64-75. doi:10.1016/j.compstruc.2013.03.010Lozano-Galant, J. A., Payá-Zaforteza, I., Xu, D., & Turmo, J. (2012). Analysis of the construction process of cable-stayed bridges built on temporary supports. Engineering Structures, 40, 95-106. doi:10.1016/j.engstruct.2012.02.005Lozano-Galant, J. A., Payá-Zaforteza, I., Xu, D., & Turmo, J. (2012). Forward Algorithm for the construction control of cable-stayed bridges built on temporary supports. Engineering Structures, 40, 119-130. doi:10.1016/j.engstruct.2012.02.022Veletzos, M. J., & Restrepo, J. I. (2011). Modeling of Jointed Connections in Segmental Bridges. Journal of Bridge Engineering, 16(1), 139-147. doi:10.1061/(asce)be.1943-5592.0000112Wang, P.-H., Tang, T.-Y., & Zheng, H.-N. (2004). Analysis of cable-stayed bridges during construction by cantilever methods. Computers & Structures, 82(4-5), 329-346. doi:10.1016/j.compstruc.2003.11.003Zhu, P., Ma, Z. J., Cao, Q., & French, C. E. (2012). Fatigue Evaluation of Transverse U-Bar Joint Details for Accelerated Bridge Construction. Journal of Bridge Engineering, 17(2), 191-200. doi:10.1061/(asce)be.1943-5592.000025

Design of New Dispersants Using Machine Learning and Visual Analytics

Artificial intelligence (AI) is an emerging technology that is revolutionizing the discovery of new materials. One key application of AI is virtual screening of chemical libraries, which enables the accelerated discovery of materials with desired properties. In this study, we developed computational models to predict the dispersancy efficiency of oil and lubricant additives, a critical property in their design that can be estimated through a quantity named blotter spot. We propose a comprehensive approach that combines machine learning techniques with visual analytics strategies in an interactive tool that supports domain experts’ decision-making. We evaluated the proposed models quantitatively and illustrated their benefits through a case study. Specifically, we analyzed a series of virtual polyisobutylene succinimide (PIBSI) molecules derived from a known reference substrate. Our best-performing probabilistic model was Bayesian Additive Regression Trees (BART), which achieved a mean absolute error of (Formula presented.) and a root mean square error of (Formula presented.), as estimated through 5-fold cross-validation. To facilitate future research, we have made the dataset, including the potential dispersants used for modeling, publicly available. Our approach can help accelerate the discovery of new oil and lubricant additives, and our interactive tool can aid domain experts in making informed decisions based on blotter spot and other key propertie

Biomarkers of tumor-reactive CD4+ and CD8+ TILs associate with improved prognosis in endometrial cancer

Background: Despite the growing interest in immunotherapeutic interventions for endometrial cancer (EC), the prevalence, phenotype, specificity and prognostic value of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in this tumor type remains unclear. Methods: To better understand the role of TILs in EC, we analyzed the phenotypic traits of CD8+ and CD4+ EC-resident T cells from 47 primary tumors by high-dimensional flow cytometry. In addition, CD8+ and CD4+ TIL subpopulations were isolated based on the differential expression of programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) (negative, dim and high) and CD39 (positive or negative) by fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS), expanded in vitro, and screened for autologous tumor recognition. We further investigated whether phenotypic markers preferentially expressed on CD8+ and CD4+ tumor-reactive TIL subsets were associated with the four distinct molecular subtypes of EC, tumor mutational burden and patient survival. Results: We found that CD8+TILs expressing high levels of PD-1 (PD-1hi) co-expressed CD39, TIM-3, HLA-DR and CXCL13, as compared with TILs lacking or displaying intermediate levels of PD-1 expression (PD-1- and PD-1dim, respectively). Autologous tumor reactivity of sorted and in vitro expanded CD8+ TILs demonstrated that the CD8+PD-1dimCD39+ and PD-1hiCD39+ T cell subsets both contained tumor-reactive TILs and that a higher level of PD-1 expression was associated with increased CD39 and a superior frequency of tumor reactivity. With respect to CD4+ T conventional (Tconv) TILs, co-expression of inhibitory and activation markers was more apparent on PD-1hi compared with PD-1- or PD-1dim T cells, and in fact, it was the CD4+PD-1hi subpopulation that accumulated the antitumor T cells irrespective of CD39 expression. Most importantly, detection of CD8+PD-1hiCD39+ and CD4+PD-1hi tumor-reactive T-cell subsets, but also markers specifically expressed by these subpopulations of TILs, that is, PD-1hi, CD39, CXCL13 and CD103 by CD8+ TILs and PD-1hi and CXCL13 by CD4+ Tconv TILs, correlated with prolonged survival of patients with EC. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that EC are frequently infiltrated by tumor-reactive TILs, and that expression of PD-1hi and CD39 or PD-1hi can be used to select and expand CD8+ and CD4+ tumor-reactive TILs, respectively. In addition, biomarkers preferentially expressed on tumor-reactive TILs, rather than the frequency of CD3+, CD8+ and CD4+ lymphocytes, hold prognostic value suggesting their protective role in antitumor immunity

Quantitative and qualitative impairments in dendritic cell subsets of patients with ovarian or prostate cancer

Background Dendritic cells (DCs) are the most efficient antigen-presenting cells, hence initiating a potent and cancer-specific immune response. This ability (mainly using monocyte-derived DCs) has been exploited in vaccination strategies for decades with limited clinical efficacy. Another alternative would be the use of conventional DCs (cDCs) of which at least three subsets circulate in human blood: cDC1s (CD141bright), cDC2s (CD1c+) and plasmacytoid DCs. Despite their paucity, technical advances may allow for their selection and clinical use. However, many assumptions concerning the DC subset biology depend on observations from mouse models, hindering their translational potential. In this study, we characterise human DCs in patients with ovarian cancer (OvC) or prostate cancer (PrC). Patients and methods Whole blood samples from patients with OvC or PrC and healthy donors (HDs) were evaluated by flow cytometry for the phenotypic and functional characterisation of DC subsets. Results In both patient groups, the frequency of total CD141+ DCs was lower than that in HDs, but the cDC1 subset was only reduced in patients with OvC. CD141+ DCs showed a reduced response to the TLR3 agonist poly (I:C) in both groups of patients. An inverse correlation between the frequency of cDC1s and CA125, the OvC tumour burden marker, was observed. Consistently, high expression of CLEC9A in OvC tissue (The Cancer Genome Atlas data set) indicated a better overall survival. Conclusions cDC1s are reduced in patients with OvC, and CD141+ DCs are quantitatively and qualitatively impaired in patients with OvC or PrC. CD141+ DC activation may predict functional impairment. The loss of cDC1s may be a bad prognostic factor for patients with OvC

Genomic characterization of individuals presenting extreme phenotypes of high and low risk to develop tobacco-induced lung cancer

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) may modulate individual susceptibility to carcinogens. We designed a genome-wide association study to characterize individuals presenting extreme phenotypes of high and low risk to develop tobacco-induced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and we validated our results. We hypothesized that this strategy would enrich the frequencies of the alleles that contribute to the observed traits. We genotyped 2.37 million SNPs in 95 extreme phenotype individuals, that is: heavy smokers that either developed NSCLC at an early age (extreme cases); or did not present NSCLC at an advanced age (extreme controls), selected from a discovery set (n=3631). We validated significant SNPs in 133 additional subjects with extreme phenotypes selected from databases including >39,000 individuals. Two SNPs were validated: rs12660420 (p(combined)=5.66x10(-5); ORcombined=2.80), mapping to a noncoding transcript exon of PDE10A; and rs6835978 (p(combined)=1.02x10(-4); ORcombined=2.57), an intronic variant in ATP10D. We assessed the relevance of both proteins in early-stage NSCLC. PDE10A and ATP10D mRNA expressions correlated with survival in 821 stage I-II NSCLC patients (p=0.01 and p<0.0001). PDE10A protein expression correlated with survival in 149 patients with stage I-II NSCLC (p=0.002). In conclusion, we validated two variants associated with extreme phenotypes of high and low risk of developing tobacco-induced NSCLC. Our findings may allow to identify individuals presenting high and low risk to develop tobacco-induced NSCLC and to characterize molecular mechanisms of carcinogenesis and resistance to develop NSCLC

La estimación de proporciones mediante técnicas Bayesianas

The estimation procedures based on Bayes' Theorem are still an unusual option in many of the environments of classic parametric inference. The aim of this paper is to show an effective scheme for the use of Bayesian estimation of unknown parameters. We have opted to focus on the estimation of parameters under the assumption of a binomial model, so that it can be followed by all those situations that meet the aforementioned probabilistic model. This approximation was studied in comparison with the classic parametric approximation, both in its point version and by means of interval estimation. On a study, by simulating samples of several sizes, we obtained empirical evidence regarding the advantage of the Bayesian procedure.ResumenLos procedimientos de estimación basados en el teorema de Bayes son inusuales en los diferentes ámbitos de aplicación de la inferencia paramétrica clásica. El objetivo de este trabajo es presentar un esquema para la estimación bayesiana de parámetros bajo los supuestos de un modelo binomial. El procedimiento Bayes se estudia en comparación con la aproximación paramétrica cl??sica, ambas opciones, en su versión puntual y mediante intervalos de estimación. Se presenta también un estudio de simulación con diferentes tamaños muestrales en el que se ponen de manifiesto las ventajas del procedimiento bayesiano.AbstractThe estimation procedures based on Bayes' Theorem are still an unusual option in many of the environments of classic parametric inference. The aim of this paper is to show an effective scheme for the use of Bayesian estimation of unknown parameters. We have opted to focus on the estimation of parameters under the assumption of a binomial model, so that it can be followed by all those situations that meet the aforementioned probabilistic model. This approximation was studied in comparison with the classic parametric approximation, both in its point version and by means of interval estimation. On a study, by simulating samples of several sizes, we obtained empirical evidence regarding the advantage of the Bayesian procedure

Assessment of a New ROS1 Immunohistochemistry Clone (SP384) for the Identification of ROS1 Rearrangements in Patients with Non–Small Cell Lung Carcinoma: the ROSING Study

Introduction: The ROS1 gene rearrangement has become an important biomarker in NSCLC. The College of American Pathologists/International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer/Association for Molecular Pathology testing guidelines support the use of ROS1 immunohistochemistry (IHC) as a screening test, followed by confirmation with fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) or a molecular test in all positive results. We have evaluated a novel anti-ROS1 IHC antibody (SP384) in a large multicenter series to obtain real-world data. Methods: A total of 43 ROS1 FISH-positive and 193 ROS1 FISH-negative NSCLC samples were studied. All specimens were screened by using two antibodies (clone D4D6 from Cell Signaling Technology and clone SP384 from Ventana Medical Systems), and the different interpretation criteria were compared with break-apart FISH (Vysis). FISH-positive samples were also analyzed with next-generation sequencing (Oncomine Dx Target Test Panel, Thermo Fisher Scientific). Results: An H-score of 150 or higher or the presence of at least 70% of tumor cells with an intensity of staining of 2+ or higher by the SP384 clone was the optimal cutoff value (both with 93% sensitivity and 100% specificity). The D4D6 clone showed similar results, with an H-score of at least 100 (91% sensitivity and 100% specificity). ROS1 expression in normal lung was more frequent with use of the SP384 clone (p < 0.0001). The ezrin gene (EZR)-ROS1 variant was associated with membranous staining and an isolated green signal FISH pattern (p = 0.001 and p = 0.017, respectively). Conclusions: The new SP384 ROS1 IHC clone showed excellent sensitivity without compromising specificity, so it is another excellent analytical option for the proposed testing algorithm