GLS based unit root tests for bounded processes

We show that the use of generalized least squares (GLS) detrending procedures leads to important empirical power gains compared to ordinary least squares (OLS) detrending method when testing the null hypothesis of unit root for bounded processes. The non-centrality parameter that is used in the GLS-detrending depends on the bounds, so that improvements on the statistical inference are to be expected if a case-speci.c parameter is used. This initial hypothesis is supported by the simulation experiment that has been conducted

Detecting multiple level shifts in bounded time series

The paper proposes a sequential statistical procedure to test for the presence of level shifts affecting bounded time series, regardless of their order of integration. The paper shows that bounds are relevant for the statistic that assume that the time series are integrated of order one, whereas they do not affect the limiting distribution of the statistic that is defined for time series that are integrated of order zero. The paper proposes a union rejection statistic for bounded processes that does not require information about the order of integration of the stochastic processes. The model specification is general enough to consider the existence of structural breaks that can affect either the level of the time series and/or the bounds that limit its evolution. Monte Carlo simulations indicate that the procedure works well in finite samples. An empirical application that focuses on the Swiss franc against the euro exchange rate evolution illustrates the usefulness of the proposal

Unbiased estimation of autoregressive models for bounded sthochastic processes

The paper investigates the estimation bias of autoregressive models for bounded stochastic processes and the performance of the standard procedures in the literature that aim to correcting the estimation bias. It is shown that, in some cases, the bounded nature of the stochastic processes worsen the estimation bias effect, which suggests the design of bound-specific bias correction methods. The paper focuses on two popular autoregressive estimation bias correction procedures which are extended to cover bounded stochastic processes. Finite sample performance analysis of the new proposal is carried out using Monte Carlo simulations which reveal that accounting for the bounded nature of the stochastic processes leads to improvements in the estimation of autoregressive models. Finally, an illustration is given using the current account balance of some developed countries, whose shocks persistence measures are computed

Brotes de gastroenteritis aguda vírica en residencias de ancianos. Sistema de detección por umbral de prevalencia (SiDUP)

Javier Buesa Gómez ([email protected])Se describen las intervenciones llevadas a cabo en una unidad de epidemiología local, durante varios años, relacionadas con la epidemiología de la gastroenteritis por norovirus en residencias de ancianos de Castellón. Desde varios brotes acaecidos en un mismo geriátrico, hasta el estudio de los casos esporádicos que determinan la situación endémica en varias residencias. Este trabajo se centra en el análisis de esa situación endémica de síntomas digestivos en periodos de silencio epidémico y la propuesta de un método sencillo para detectar el inicio de brotes de GEA de transmisión progresiva (persona-persona) que hemos denominado Sistema de Detección por Umbral de Prevalencia (SiDUP). Se discute el espectro epidemiológico de la gastroenteritis por norovirus en estas instituciones para personas mayores.We describe the interventions carried out in a local epidemiology unit related to the epidemiology of gastroenteritis due to norovirus in geriatric homes in Castellón (Spain) during several years. These range from various outbreaks in the same geriatric home to the study of sporadic cases which determine the endemic situation. This study focuses on the analysis of this endemic situation of digestive symptoms in silent epidemic periods and proposes a simple method to detect the initiation of GEA of progressive transmission (person-person) which we call System of Detection by Prevalence Threshold (SiDUP). The epidemiological spectrum of gastroenteritis due to norovirus in geriatric homes is discussed

ES-CENA: design of a gastronomic experience with videomapping in the restaurant La Sucursal (Valencia, Spain)

[ES] ES-CENA: diseño de una experiencia gastronómica con videomapping, investiga acerca de los avances tecnológicos generados desde finales del siglo XX que han pasado a formar parte de nuestro entorno doméstico, laboral y social, constituyendo su reflejo en las prácticas gastronómicas. Uno de los objetivos de investigación ha sido unir dos ámbitos hasta el momento poco conectados: la gastronomía y el videomapping, a través del diseño de experiencia gastronómica. Se trata de una propuesta creada en el año 2011 para diez personas en el restaurante La Sucursal en Valencia, España. que buscó generar una experiencia de usuario en la que su vivencia emocional fuera el eje central, más allá de las expectativas relacionadas con la satisfacción del cliente y la calidad del servicio. Las nuevas tecnologías audiovisuales de mapping llevan a territorios poco explorados en el ámbito culinario; las autoras consideran que ello puede abrir nuevos horizontes en el diseño de experiencias y así, a través también del marketing relacional, crear una experiencia de marca (participativa, innovadora, abierta y plural).[EN] ES-CENA: Design of a gastronomic experience with videomapping, investigates the technological advances generated since the end of the 20th century that have become part of our domestic, work and social environment, constituting its reflection on gastronomic practices. One of our research objectives has been to unite two areas barely connected yet: gastronomy and videomapping, through the design of gastronomic experience. It is a proposal created in 2011 for ten people in the restaurant La Sucursal in Valencia, Spain. that sought to generate a user experience in which their emotional experience was the central axis, beyond expectations related to customer satisfaction and quality of service. The new audiovisual mapping technologies lead to territories that are little explored in the culinary field; the authors consider that this can open new horizons in the design of experiences and thus, through relational marketing, creating an experience that marks (participatory, innovative, open and plural).Este artículo forma parte del proyecto Desarrollo de sistema de creación y gestión de contenidos de Vjing en entornos live (live cinema y videomapping). Entidad financiadora Conselleria de Educación, Investigación, Cultura y Deporte (GV/2017).Furió Vita, D.; Silvestre-Garcia, L.; López Izquierdo, MA. (2018). Es-Cena: diseño de una experiencia gastronómica con videomapping en el restaurante La Sucursal (Valencia, España). Zincografía. (3):52-68. https://doi.org/10.32870/zcr.v0i3.43S5268

Growth of Escherichia coli in human milk and powdered infant formula under various treatments and feeding conditions in neonatal units

Milk supplied to neonates in neonatal units is kept at room temperature for some time, which could influence microbial growth. This study aims to evaluate the growth of Escherichia coli in HM and PIF under various treatments and conditions, as well as to determine the influence of different thawing methods on microbial growth in HM. The number of E. coli generations appearing over a 4 h period at 22 °C in HM (frozen; frozen and pasteurized; and frozen, pasteurized, and fortified) and in PIF (four brands) was determined. E. coli counts in HM inoculated and thawed using different methods were also compared. In frozen HM and in pasteurized and frozen HM, significant differences were found after 2.5 h and 1.5 h, respectively. In PIF, differences were found between 1.5 and 3 h. With regard to the thawing process, the lowest microorganism counts were obtained at 4 °C overnight; thus, it seems advisable to store milk at room temperature for a maximum of 1 h during administration in neonatal units. Thawing HM at 4 °C overnight should be the method of choice

Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Phosphatase-1 Is Overexpressed in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer and Is an Independent Predictor of Outcome in Patients

An increase in the activity of the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) has been correlated with a more malignant phenotype in several tumor models in vitro and in vivo. A key regulatory mechanism of the MAPKs [extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK); c-jun NH(2)-terminal kinase (JNK); and p38] is the dual specificity phosphatase CL100, also called MAPK phosphatase-1 (MKP-1). This study was designed to examine the involvement of CL100/MKP-1 and stress-related MAPKs in lung cancer. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: We assessed the expression of CL100/MKP-1 and the activation of the MAPKs in a panel of 18 human cell lines [1 primary normal bronchial epithelium, 8 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), 7 small cell lung cancer (SCLC), and 2 carcinoids] and in 108 NSCLC surgical specimens. RESULTS: In the cell lines, CL100/MKP-1 expression was substantially higher in NSCLC than in SCLC. P-ERK, P-JNK, and P-p38 were activated in SCLC and NSCLC, but the degree of their activation was variable. Immunohistochemistry in NSCLC resection specimens showed high levels of CL100/MKP-1 and activation of the three MAPK compared with normal lung. In univariate analysis, no relationship was found among CL100/MKP-1 expression and P-ERK, P-JNK, or P-p38. Interestingly, high CL100/MKP-1 expression levels independently predicted improved survival in multivariate analysis. JNK activation associated with T(1-2) and early stage, whereas ERK activation correlated with late stages and higher T and N. Neither JNK nor ERK activation were independent prognostic factors when studied for patient survival. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate the relevance of MAPKs and CL100/MKP-1 in lung cancer and point at CL100/MKP-1 as a potential positive prognostic factor in NSCLC. Finally, our study supports the search of new molecular targets for lung cancer therapy within the MAPK signaling pathway

Altered patterns of expression of members of the heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) family in lung cancer

hnRNP A2/B1 has been suggested as a useful early detection marker for lung carcinoma. hnRNP A2/B1 is a member of a large family of heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins (hnRNP proteins) involved in a variety of functions, including regulation of transcription, mRNA metabolism, and translation. In lung cancer, we have evaluated the expression and cellular localization of several members of the hnRNP family, hnRNP A1, A2, B1, C1, C2 and K. 16 cell lines (SCLC and NSCLC) and biopsies from 32 lung cancer patients were analyzed. Our results suggest that, besides hnRNP A2/B1, the expression of other members of the hnRNP family is altered both in SCLC and NSCLC. In the biopsies, negative or low expression of the hnRNP proteins analyzed was observed in normal epithelial cells whereas lung cancer cells showed highly intense nuclear or cytoplasmic immunolocalization. In all the lung cancer cell lines, the mRNA for all the hnRNP proteins was detected. In general, higher levels of hnRNP mRNAs were found in SCLC as compared with NSCLC. Our results also suggest that the expression and processing of each hnRNP protein in lung cancer is independently regulated and is not exclusively related to proliferation status. In SCLC cell lines, hnRNP A1 protein expression correlated with that of Bcl-x(L). In the lung cancer cell lines, hnRNP K protein localization varied with the cellular confluence

Inactivation of nuclear factor-Y inhibits vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and neointima formation

OBJECTIVE: Atherosclerosis and restenosis are multifactorial diseases associated with abnormal vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation. Nuclear factor-Y (NF-Y) plays a major role in transcriptional activation of the CYCLIN B1 gene (CCNB1), a key positive regulator of cell proliferation and neointimal thickening. Here, we investigated the role of NF-Y in occlusive vascular disease. APPROACH AND RESULTS: We performed molecular and expression studies in cultured cells, animal models, and human tissues. We find upregulation of NF-Y and cyclin B1 expression in proliferative regions of murine atherosclerotic plaques and mechanically induced lesions, which correlates with higher binding of NF-Y to target sequences in the CCNB1 promoter. NF-YA expression in neointimal lesions is detected in VSMCs, macrophages, and endothelial cells. Platelet-derived growth factor-BB, a main inductor of VSMC growth and neointima development, induces the recruitment of NF-Y to the CCNB1 promoter and augments both CCNB1 mRNA expression and cell proliferation through extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 and Akt activation in rat and human VSMCs. Moreover, adenovirus-mediated overexpression of a NF-YA-dominant negative mutant inhibits platelet-derived growth factor-BB-induced CCNB1 expression and VSMC proliferation in vitro and neointimal lesion formation in a mouse model of femoral artery injury. We also detect NF-Y expression and DNA-binding activity in human neointimal lesions. CONCLUSIONS: Our results identify NF-Y as a key downstream effector of the platelet-derived growth factor-BB-dependent mitogenic pathway that is activated in experimental and human vasculoproliferative diseases. They also identify NF-Y inhibition as a novel and attractive strategy for the local treatment of neointimal formation induced by vessel denudation.This study was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competiveness (MINECO; grants SAF2010-16044, SAF200911949), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII; grants RD12/0042/0021, RD12/0042/0028, RD12/0042/0053), and the Dr Léon Dumont Prize 2010 by the Belgian Society of Cardiology (to Vicente Andrés). Patricia Fernández received salary support from ISCIII and Carlos Silvestre-Roig from Fundación Mario Losantos del Campo and Fundación Ferrer para la Investigación. Óscar M. Pello and Ricardo Rodríguez-Calvo hold a Juan de la Cierva contract from MINECO. Vanesa Esteban is an investigator of the Sara Borell program from ISCIII (CD06/00232). The Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC) is supported by MINECO and Pro-CNIC Foundation.S

Clinical predictors of infectious pulmonary tuberculosis

Introduction: The immediate identification of infectious tuberculosis and implementation of effective isolation measures, are a priority of the national policies for disease control. Objectives: To identify clinical predictor's factors related with sputum smear-positive, in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis diagnosis. Population and methods: This was a retrospective study involving 289 patients admitted consecutively with the diagnosis of tuberculosis (ICD-9-CM: 010-018) through the emergency department of a Central Hospital. The study was conducted from January 1999 to December 2005. Results: 216 patients (74.7%) were identified with pulmonary tuberculosis: mean age 40.3 (SD 16.1); 77.8% males. Of these 179 (82%) were smear-positive and 157 (54.5%) had human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) co-infection. Of the 37 patients with sputum smearnegative 18 (48.6%) had culture positive. The clinical factors that were better related with sputum smear-positive were: cough with sputum (p = 0.031) and classic chest radiograph patterns, parenchymal consolidation (p < 0.001) and cavitation (p = 0.002). HIV co-infection wasn't associated with a higher risk of infectious tuberculosis. Conclusions: Respiratory symptoms and classic patterns on chest radiograph, were clinical factors better related with a higher probability of sputum smear-positive. In these patients it is a good clinical practice to propose immediate isolation measures even before the results of sputum smear.publishersversionpublishe