DISEÑO E IMPLEMENTACION DE UNA INTERFACE DE USUARIO PARA LA INSTRUMENTACION DEL PÉNDULO DE IMPACTO ZWICK 5102 PARA LA CARACTERIZACIÓN MECÁNICA DE MATERIALES POLIMÉRICOS

The Zwick 5102 machine is a basic tool for the study of some mechanical properties of synthetic polymers such as toughness and impact resistance. This machine is used to establish an impact test governed by ASTM D6110, D256 and D1822 standards for type tests Charpy, Izod and impact tensile respectively. The impact test breaks a sample notched hitting it with a pendulum. With this study, we were able to develop such machine, through an electronic design and a graphical interface which allows to capture, process and get the different results of impact energy and impact resistance of polymeric materials. To achieve equipment calibration was performed an inter-laboratory standard instrument suitable. The project was carried out in order to enable a service to the both locally and nationally industry.La máquina Zwick 5102 es una herramienta básica para el estudio de algunas propiedades mecánicas de polímeros sintéticos como la tenacidad y la resistencia al impacto. Esta máquina se emplea para establecer un ensayo de impacto estándar regido por las normas  ASTM D6110, D256 y D1822 para pruebas tipo Charpy, Izod y Tracción por Impacto respectivamente. El ensayo de impacto consiste en romper una probeta entallada golpeándola con un péndulo. Con el presente trabajo, se logró poner a punto dicha máquina, por medio de un diseño electrónico y una interfaz gráfica la cual permite capturar, procesar y obtener los diferentes resultados de energía y resistencia de impacto de materiales poliméricos. Para lograr una calibración del equipo se realizó un inter-laboratorio con un instrumento patrón adecuado, el proyecto se realizó con el objeto de habilitar un servicio a la industria tanto local como nacional

DISEÑO E IMPLEMENTACION DE UNA INTERFACE DE USUARIO PARA LA INSTRUMENTACION DEL PÉNDULO DE IMPACTO ZWICK 5102 PARA LA CARACTERIZACIÓN MECÁNICA DE MATERIALES POLIMÉRICOS

The Zwick 5102 machine is a basic tool for the study of some mechanical properties of synthetic polymers such as toughness and impact resistance. This machine is used to establish an impact test governed by ASTM D6110, D256 and D1822 standards for type tests Charpy, Izod and impact tensile respectively. The impact test breaks a sample notched hitting it with a pendulum. With this study, we were able to develop such machine, through an electronic design and a graphical interface which allows to capture, process and get the different results of impact energy and impact resistance of polymeric materials. To achieve equipment calibration was performed an inter-laboratory standard instrument suitable. The project was carried out in order to enable a service to the both locally and nationally industry.La máquina Zwick 5102 es una herramienta básica para el estudio de algunas propiedades mecánicas de polímeros sintéticos como la tenacidad y la resistencia al impacto. Esta máquina se emplea para establecer un ensayo de impacto estándar regido por las normas  ASTM D6110, D256 y D1822 para pruebas tipo Charpy, Izod y Tracción por Impacto respectivamente. El ensayo de impacto consiste en romper una probeta entallada golpeándola con un péndulo. Con el presente trabajo, se logró poner a punto dicha máquina, por medio de un diseño electrónico y una interfaz gráfica la cual permite capturar, procesar y obtener los diferentes resultados de energía y resistencia de impacto de materiales poliméricos. Para lograr una calibración del equipo se realizó un inter-laboratorio con un instrumento patrón adecuado, el proyecto se realizó con el objeto de habilitar un servicio a la industria tanto local como nacional

Fluctuación espacio-temporal de Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Liviidae) en limón Persa (Citrus latifolia) en la zona citrícola de Huimanguillo, Tabasco

En México se cultivan cerca de 600 mil hectáreas de cítricos, de los cuales, el cultivo de limón Persa representa el 19%, con un valor cercano a 3 mil 800 millones de pesos. Veracruz, Tabasco y Oaxaca son los tres principales productores a nivel nacional; sin embargo, esta producción se mantiene en riesgo por las pérdidas económicas que genera la enfermedad Huanglongbing y su vector el Psílido Asiático de los Cítricos Diaphorina citri (Kuwayama, 1907). En Tabasco, el patógeno y vector se detectaron desde el 2012 y 2005, respectivamente. Así, a cinco años del manejo mediante las Áreas Regionales de Control (ARCOs), es imperativo conocer la fluctuación poblacional de D. citri, por lo que el presente estudio tuvo como objetivo conocer la fluctuación espacio-temporal de Diaphorina citri en el ARCOs de la zona citrícola de Huimanguillo, Tabasco, y determinar los periodos de mayor densidad poblacional y de riesgo de dispersión del HLB. Se analizó la base de datos de la captura catorcenal de adultos en 2,820 trampas pegajosas amarillas en 141 sitios del monitoreo de D. citri de marzo a diciembre del 2019, realizado en la campaña contra plagas reglamentadas de los cítricos. Con la base de datos se generaron mapas geoestadísticos del promedio de D. citri por trampas y se determinó el patrón de dispersión del adulto mediante el cálculo de tres índices de agregación, además de su relación con las variables ambientales de temperaturas y precipitación mensuales. Se observó que D. citri está presente durante todo el periodo de estudio variando su densidad de manera mensual, las densidades poblacionales más altas se presentaron en el periodo de junio a octubre, con tendencia de mayor abundancia hacia la parte noroeste de la zona citrícola, presentando un patrón de distribución en agregados y del 20 al 30% de los sitios evaluados rebasan el umbral de intervención regional de un adulto de D. citri por trampa.In Mexico, about 600 thousand hectares are cultivated with citrus fruits, of which, Persian lime represents 19%, with a value close to 3.8 billion pesos. Veracruz, Tabasco, and Oaxaca are the three main producers nationwide; however, this production remains at risk due to the economic losses generated by the Huanglongbing disease and its vector, the Asian Citrus Psyllid Diaphorina citri (Kuwayama, 1907). In Tabasco, the pathogen and vector were detected since 2012 and 2005, respectively. Thus, after five years management through the Regional Control Areas (ARCOs), it is imperative to know the population fluctuation of D. citri, so the objective of the present study was to know the space-time fluctuation of Diaphorina citri in the ARCOs of the citrus zone of Huimanguillo, Tabasco, and to determine the periods of greatest population density and risk of HLB spreading. The fortnight adult-capture database from 2,820 yellow sticky traps in 141 D. citri monitoring sites from March to December 2019 was analyzed, carried out in the campaign against regulated pests of citrus fruits. With the database, geostatistical maps of the average D. citri per trap were generated and the dispersion pattern of the adults was determined by calculating three aggregation indices, as well as their relationship with the environmental variables of temperature and monthly precipitation. Diaphorina citri was observed to be present throughout the study period varying in density on a monthly basis, the highest population densities occurred in the period from June to October, with a trend of greater abundance towards the northwest part of the citrus zone, presenting a distribution pattern in aggregates and 20 to 30% of the evaluated sites exceed the regional intervention threshold of one adult D. citri per trap

Algoritmo basado en Python-Pyomo para el proceso de adjudicación de subastas de renovables en Colombia: Development of a Python-Pyomo based algorithm of the adjudication process of renewable auctions in Colombia

This document presents in detail the mathematical formulation of the second renewable energy auction in Colombia, used for the allocation of long-term energy contracts, which was carried out through a double-sided auction, defined in Resolutions 4-0590 and 4-0591 of 2019 from the UPME. The mixed integer linear programming model developed in this paper solves an optimization problem that seeks the combination of offers that maximizes the benefit of the consumer, subject to operational and economic constraints proposed by regulatory mechanisms. The effectiveness of the algorithm developed in Python was tested by validating it with real data, obtaining the same results published by UPME.Este documento presenta de manera detallada la formulación matemática de la segunda subasta de energías renovables en Colombia, utilizada para la asignación de contratos a largo plazo de energía, la cual se realizó por medio de una subasta de dos puntas, definidas en las resoluciones 4-0590 y 4-0591 de 2019 de la UPME. El modelo de programación lineal entera mixta desarrollado en este artículo resuelve un problema de optimización que busca la combinación de las ofertas que maximiza el beneficio del consumidor, sujeto a unas restricciones operativas y económicas propuestas por los mecanismos de regulación. La efectividad del algoritmo desarrollado en Python se comprobó validando con datos reales, obteniendo los mismos resultados publicados por la UPME

Algoritmo basado en Python-Pyomo para el proceso de adjudicación de subastas de renovables en Colombia: Development of a Python-Pyomo based algorithm of the adjudication process of renewable auctions in Colombia

This document presents in detail the mathematical formulation of the second renewable energy auction in Colombia, used for the allocation of long-term energy contracts, which was carried out through a double-sided auction, defined in Resolutions 4-0590 and 4-0591 of 2019 from the UPME. The mixed integer linear programming model developed in this paper solves an optimization problem that seeks the combination of offers that maximizes the benefit of the consumer, subject to operational and economic constraints proposed by regulatory mechanisms. The effectiveness of the algorithm developed in Python was tested by validating it with real data, obtaining the same results published by UPME.Este documento presenta de manera detallada la formulación matemática de la segunda subasta de energías renovables en Colombia, utilizada para la asignación de contratos a largo plazo de energía, la cual se realizó por medio de una subasta de dos puntas, definidas en las resoluciones 4-0590 y 4-0591 de 2019 de la UPME. El modelo de programación lineal entera mixta desarrollado en este artículo resuelve un problema de optimización que busca la combinación de las ofertas que maximiza el beneficio del consumidor, sujeto a unas restricciones operativas y económicas propuestas por los mecanismos de regulación. La efectividad del algoritmo desarrollado en Python se comprobó validando con datos reales, obteniendo los mismos resultados publicados por la UPME

Payment Systems Report - June of 2019

For the last decade, Banco de la República has provided oversight of the local financial infrastructure as an additional contribution to support the country’s financial stability. This is a function performed by most central banks the world over, because they recognize infrastructure as being an essential component of financial markets. Infrastructure that functions properly helps to maintain and promote financial stability, being that it plays a fundamental role in the financial system and in the economy. In the Colombian case, the oversight of the country’s financial infrastructures began formally a decade ago, when External Resolution 5/2009 was issued and the authority to oversight that infrastructures was given to Banco de la República by its Board of Directors. Since then, the oversight has been formal and systematic. To commemorate ublication of the tenth edition of the Payment Systems Report, which is one of the products of financial infrastructure oversight, a section describing this function is included herein, explaining its need, responsibilities, scope, and activities. On this occasion, in addition to the traditional section providing figures on the local financial infrastructure and describing its behavior (Section One), we have included several highlights that underscore the more relevant aspects of how infrastructure for clearing and settling financial assets has evolved in the last decade. Special emphasis is afforded to the Colombian Central Counterparty Clearing House (CRCC), marking its ten years of operation. There also is a box describing how the company has increased its supply of products for clearing and settlement, and how, as a result, the open positions of its settlement members have performed likewise. At the same time, its risk management model has evolved structurally in response to regulatory adjustments, compliance with international standards, or decisions taken unilaterally by the CRCC, the idea being to have the necessary resources to mitigate exposure to counterparty and liquidity risk. In this way, the CRCC has become a undamentally important player in the Colombian financial market. Therefore, it is appropriate that the CRCC continue to be monitored by the country’s financial authorities. Another box included in this report offers an analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of lengthening the cash market settlement period in Colombia, which is another topic of interest. Currently, the clearing and settlement time for a cash transaction in most international markets is two business days (t + 2). In Colombia, nearly all peso/dollar and government and private debt transactions on the spot market are cleared and settled on the same trading day (t + 0). This box analyzes the possible implications of Colombia approximating the international standard. Retail-value payment systems (understood as operations carried out within the circuit of private individuals and companies), such as the use of payment instruments (cash, debit and credit cards, checks and electronic funds transfers), also must be monitored to identify their availability and the public’s preferences for these instruments and their acceptance by commercial establishments. With that in mind, three surveys have been conducted in the last decade to gauge how the use of payment instruments is perceived. A comparison of the findings of these three measurements is presented in a section of this report, and an analysis of that comparison indicates the use of payment instruments other than cash for daily payments is still low. Although their ownership and use by the general public is increasing, their acceptance by some commercial establishments remains limited. In keeping with efforts to oversight innovations in payment processes, the report also includes a box that explores the participation of large, global technology companies in the retail-value payment market. The payment services they offer are associated with innovative payment methods, such as “non-contact” or indirect technology, or by means of devices such as mobile phones, the use of debit and credit cards via applications, and channels such as the mobile network, POS terminals, and the Internet. In other words, these innovations are concentrated in the first stage of the payment process, without altering the other stages, such as traditional payment instruments, channels and systems. Finally, with respect to work in the area of applied research, the fourth section of this report describes how the cryptoasset system operates. It has two fundamental elements. The first is comprised of the agents who participate in the system; namely, cryptoasset users, and the agents who provide them with services. The second includes the digital asset and the underlying technology platform; together they support interaction between the agents in the crypto asset system. As explained in the respective box, the cryptoasset system is not isolated entirely from the financial system, which it pretends do without. In other words, users cannot extract themselves from the traditional financial system as long as cryptoassets have yet to be adopted on a mass scale, which so far assumes there is a connection between both systems. Juan José Echavarría Governo

Payment Systems Report - June of 2021

Banco de la República provides a comprehensive overview of Colombia’s finan¬cial infrastructure in its Payment Systems Report, which is an important product of the work it does to oversee that infrastructure. The figures published in this edition of the report are for the year 2020, a pandemic period in which the con¬tainment measures designed and adopted to alleviate the strain on the health system led to a sharp reduction in economic activity and consumption in Colom¬bia, as was the case in most countries. At the start of the pandemic, the Board of Directors of Banco de la República adopted decisions that were necessary to supply the market with ample liquid¬ity in pesos and US dollars to guarantee market stability, protect the payment system and preserve the supply of credit. The pronounced growth in mone¬tary aggregates reflected an increased preference for liquidity, which Banco de la República addressed at the right time. These decisions were implemented through operations that were cleared and settled via the financial infrastructure. The second section of this report, following the introduction, offers an analysis of how the various financial infrastructures in Colombia have evolved and per¬formed. One of the highlights is the large-value payment system (CUD), which registered more momentum in 2020 than during the previous year, mainly be¬cause of an increase in average daily remunerated deposits made with Banco de la República by the General Directorate of Public Credit and the National Treasury (DGCPTN), as well as more activity in the sell/buy-back market with sovereign debt. Consequently, with more activity in the CUD, the Central Securi¬ties Depository (DCV) experienced an added impetus sparked by an increase in the money market for bonds and securities placed on the primary market by the national government. The value of operations cleared and settled through the Colombian Central Counterparty (CRCC) continues to grow, propelled largely by peso/dollar non-deliverable forward (NDF) contracts. With respect to the CRCC, it is important to note this clearing house has been in charge of managing risks and clearing and settling operations in the peso/dollar spot market since the end of last year, following its merger with the Foreign Exchange Clearing House of Colombia (CCDC). Since the final quarter of 2020, the CRCC has also been re¬sponsible for clearing and settlement in the equities market, which was former¬ly done by the Colombian Stock Exchange (BVC). The third section of this report provides an all-inclusive view of payments in the market for goods and services; namely, transactions carried out by members of the public and non-financial institutions. During the pandemic, inter- and intra-bank electronic funds transfers, which originate mostly with companies, increased in both the number and value of transactions with respect to 2019. However, debit and credit card payments, which are made largely by private citizens, declined compared to 2019. The incidence of payment by check contin¬ue to drop, exhibiting quite a pronounced downward trend during the past last year. To supplement to the information on electronic funds transfers, section three includes a segment (Box 4) characterizing the population with savings and checking accounts, based on data from a survey by Banco de la República con-cerning the perception of the use of payment instruments in 2019. There also is segment (Box 2) on the growth in transactions with a mobile wallet provided by a company specialized in electronic deposits and payments (Sedpe). It shows the number of users and the value of their transactions have increased since the wallet was introduced in late 2017, particularly during the pandemic. In addition, there is a diagnosis of the effects of the pandemic on the payment patterns of the population, based on data related to the use of cash in circu¬lation, payments with electronic instruments, and consumption and consumer confidence. The conclusion is that the collapse in the consumer confidence in¬dex and the drop in private consumption led to changes in the public’s pay¬ment patterns. Credit and debit card purchases were down, while payments for goods and services through electronic funds transfers increased. These findings, coupled with the considerable increase in cash in circulation, might indicate a possible precautionary cash hoarding by individuals and more use of cash as a payment instrument. There is also a segment (in Focus 3) on the major changes introduced in regulations on the retail-value payment system in Colombia, as provided for in Decree 1692 of December 2020. The fourth section of this report refers to the important innovations and tech¬nological changes that have occurred in the retail-value payment system. Four themes are highlighted in this respect. The first is a key point in building the financial infrastructure for instant payments. It involves of the design and im¬plementation of overlay schemes, a technological development that allows the various participants in the payment chain to communicate openly. The result is a high degree of interoperability among the different payment service providers. The second topic explores developments in the international debate on central bank digital currency (CBDC). The purpose is to understand how it could impact the retail-value payment system and the use of cash if it were to be issued. The third topic is related to new forms of payment initiation, such as QR codes, bio¬metrics or near field communication (NFC) technology. These seemingly small changes can have a major impact on the user’s experience with the retail-value payment system. The fourth theme is the growth in payments via mobile tele¬phone and the internet. The report ends in section five with a review of two papers on applied research done at Banco de la República in 2020. The first analyzes the extent of the CRCC’s capital, acknowledging the relevant role this infrastructure has acquired in pro¬viding clearing and settlement services for various financial markets in Colom¬bia. The capital requirements defined for central counterparties in some jurisdic¬tions are explored, and the risks to be hedged are identified from the standpoint of the service these type of institutions offer to the market and those associated with their corporate activity. The CRCC’s capital levels are analyzed in light of what has been observed in the European Union’s regulations, and the conclusion is that the CRCC has a scheme of security rings very similar to those applied internationally and the extent of its capital exceeds what is stipulated in Colombian regulations, being sufficient to hedge other risks. The second study presents an algorithm used to identify and quantify the liquidity sources that CUD’s participants use under normal conditions to meet their daily obligations in the local financial market. This algorithm can be used as a tool to monitor intraday liquidity. Leonardo Villar Gómez Governo

Payment Systems Report - June of 2020

With its annual Payment Systems Report, Banco de la República offers a complete overview of the infrastructure of Colombia’s financial market. Each edition of the report has four objectives: 1) to publicize a consolidated account of how the figures for payment infrastructures have evolved with respect to both financial assets and goods and services; 2) to summarize the issues that are being debated internationally and are of interest to the industry that provides payment clearing and settlement services; 3) to offer the public an explanation of the ideas and concepts behind retail-value payment processes and the trends in retail payments within the circuit of individuals and companies; and 4) to familiarize the public, the industry, and all other financial authorities with the methodological progress that has been achieved through applied research to analyze the stability of payment systems. This edition introduces changes that have been made in the structure of the report, which are intended to make it easier and more enjoyable to read. The initial sections in this edition, which is the eleventh, contain an analysis of the statistics on the evolution and performance of financial market infrastructures. These are understood as multilateral systems wherein the participating entities clear, settle and register payments, securities, derivatives and other financial assets. The large-value payment system (CUD) saw less momentum in 2019 than it did the year before, mainly because of a decline in the amount of secondary market operations for government bonds, both in cash and sell/buy-backs, which was offset by an increase in operations with collective investment funds (CIFs) and Banco de la República’s operations to increase the money supply (repos). Consequently, the Central Securities Depository (DCV) registered less activity, due to fewer negotiations on the secondary market for public debt. This trend was also observed in the private debt market, as evidenced by the decline in the average amounts cleared and settled through the Central Securities Depository of Colombia (Deceval) and in the value of operations with financial derivatives cleared and settled through the Central Counterparty of Colombia (CRCC). Section three offers a comprehensive look at the market for retail-value payments; that is, transactions made by individuals and companies. During 2019, electronic transfers increased, and payments made with debit and credit cards continued to trend upward. In contrast, payments by check continued to decline, although the average daily value was almost four times the value of debit and credit card purchases. The same section contains the results of the fourth survey on how the use of retail-value payment instruments (for usual payments) is perceived. Conducted at the end of 2019, the main purpose of the survey was to identify the availability of these payment instruments, the public’s preferences for them, and their acceptance by merchants. It is worth noting that cash continues to be the instrument most used by the population for usual monthly payments (88.1% with respect to the number of payments and 87.4% in value). However, its use in terms of value has declined, having registered 89.6% in the 2017 survey. In turn, the level of acceptance by merchants of payment instruments other than cash is 14.1% for debit cards, 13.4% for credit cards, 8.2% for electronic transfers of funds and 1.8% for checks. The main reason for the use of cash is the absence of point-of-sale terminals at commercial establishments. Considering that the retail-payment market worldwide is influenced by constant innovation in payment services, by the modernization of clearing and settlement systems, and by the efforts of regulators to redefine the payment industry for the future, these trends are addressed in the fourth section of the report. There is an account of how innovations in technology-based financial payment services have developed, and it shows that while this topic is not new, it has evolved, particularly in terms of origin and vocation. One of the boxes that accompanies the fourth section deals with certain payment aspects of open banking and international experience in that regard, which has given the customers of a financial entity sovereignty over their data, allowing them, under transparent and secure conditions, to authorize a third party, other than their financial entity, to request information on their accounts with financial entities, thus enabling the third party to offer various financial services or initiate payments. Innovation also has sparked interest among international organizations, central banks, and research groups concerning the creation of digital currencies. Accordingly, the last box deals with the recent international debate on issuance of central bank digital currencies. In terms of the methodological progress that has been made, it is important to underscore the work that has been done on the role of central counterparties (CCPs) in mitigating liquidity and counterparty risk. The fifth section of the report offers an explanation of a document in which the work of CCPs in financial markets is analyzed and corroborated through an exercise that was built around the Central Counterparty of Colombia (CRCC) in the Colombian market for non-delivery peso-dollar forward exchange transactions, using the methodology of network topology. The results provide empirical support for the different theoretical models developed to study the effect of CCPs on financial markets. Finally, the results of research using artificial intelligence with information from the large-value payment system are presented. Based on the payments made among financial institutions in the large-value payment system, a methodology is used to compare different payment networks, as well as to determine which ones can be considered abnormal. The methodology shows signs that indicate when a network moves away from its historical trend, so it can be studied and monitored. A methodology similar to the one applied to classify images is used to make this comparison, the idea being to extract the main characteristics of the networks and use them as a parameter for comparison. Juan José Echavarría Governo

Comprehensive Plasma Metabolomic Profile of Patients with Advanced Neuroendocrine Tumors (NETs). Diagnostic and Biological Relevance

Purpose: High-throughput “-omic” technologies have enabled the detailed analysis of metabolic networks in several cancers, but NETs have not been explored to date. We aim to assess the metabolomic profile of NET patients to understand metabolic deregulation in these tumors and identify novel biomarkers with clinical potential. Methods: Plasma samples from 77 NETs and 68 controls were profiled by GC−MS, CE−MS and LC−MS untargeted metabolomics. OPLS-DA was performed to evaluate metabolomic differences. Related pathways were explored using Metaboanalyst 4.0. Finally, ROC and OPLS-DA analyses were performed to select metabolites with biomarker potential. Results: We identified 155 differential compounds between NETs and controls. We have detected an increase of bile acids, sugars, oxidized lipids and oxidized products from arachidonic acid and a decrease of carnitine levels in NETs. MPA/MSEA identified 32 enriched metabolic pathways in NETs related with the TCA cycle and amino acid metabolism. Finally, OPLS-DA and ROC analysis revealed 48 metabolites with diagnostic potential. Conclusions: This study provides, for the first time, a comprehensive metabolic profile of NET patients and identifies a distinctive metabolic signature in plasma of potential clinical use. A reduced set of metabolites of high diagnostic accuracy has been identified. Additionally, new enriched metabolic pathways annotated may open innovative avenues of clinical research