Ecological Inference with Entropy Econometrics: using the Mexican Census as a benchmark

Most regional empirical analyses are limited by the lack of data. Researchers have to use information that is structured in administrative or political regions which are not always economically meaningful. The non-availability of geographically disaggregated information prevents to obtain empirical evidence in order to answer some relevant questions in the field of urban and regional economics. The objective of this paper is to suggest an estimation procedure, based on entropy econometrics, which allows for inferring disaggregated information on local income from more aggregated data. In addition to a description of the main characteristics of the proposed technique, the paper illustrates how the procedure works taking as an empirical application the estimation of income for different classes of Mexican municipalities. It would be desirable to apply the suggested technique to a study case where some observable data are available and confront the estimates with the actual observations. For this purpose, we have taken the information contained in the Mexican census as a benchmark for our estimation technique. Assuming that the only available data are the income aggregates per type of municipality and State, we make an exercise of ecological inference and disaggregate these margins to recover individual (local) data.

Management of direct antiviral agent failures

The current standard of care for patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a combination of direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs). Most HCV patients treated with these drugs achieve viral elimination, but 1% to 15% fail to attain this objective. Treatment failures are usually related to relapse, and less often to on-treatment viral breakthrough. HCV drug resistant associated substitutions are detected in most patients who do not eliminate the virus. The risk of developing these variants depends on host- and virus-related factors, the properties of the drugs used, and the treatment strategies applied. Patients who carry Resistant Associated Substitutions (RASs) may not obtain benefits from treatment, and are at a risk of disease progression. Whether HCV RASs persist depends on their type: NS3-4A variants often disappear gradually after DAA therapy is stopped, whereas NS5A variants tend to persist for more than 2 years. The best way to prevent emergence of resistant variants is to eliminate the virus at the first treatment using highly potent DAAs with genetic barriers to resistance. For those who fail an NS5A inhibitor, deferral of treatment is recommended pending the availability of additional data if they do not have cirrhosis or reasons for urgent re-treatment. If re-treatment is needed, the most commonly used strategy is sofosbuvir as backbone therapy plus a drug from a class other than that previously used, for 24 weeks. Unless it is contraindicated, weight-based ribavirin should also be added. If available, nucleotide-based (eg, sofosbuvir) triple or quadruple DAA regimens may be considered. The optimal treatment for patients who fail an NS5A inhibitor and those with multidrug-resistant variants remains to be defined, and research efforts should continue to focus on treatment for these patients

A new self-organizing neural gas model based on Bregman divergences

In this paper, a new self-organizing neural gas model that we call Growing Hierarchical Bregman Neural Gas (GHBNG) has been proposed. Our proposal is based on the Growing Hierarchical Neural Gas (GHNG) in which Bregman divergences are incorporated in order to compute the winning neuron. This model has been applied to anomaly detection in video sequences together with a Faster R-CNN as an object detector module. Experimental results not only confirm the effectiveness of the GHBNG for the detection of anomalous object in video sequences but also its selforganization capabilities.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tec

Propuesta de diseño del proceso productivo para la obtención de pectina a base de residuos cítricos en Colombia, de acuerdo a las necesidades técnicas, comerciales y financieras requeridas

Ingeniero (a) IndustrialPregrad

La inmigración catalana en Valencia según las fuentes del Hospital General (1557-1849)

-

Pixel Features for Self-organizing Map Based Detection of Foreground Objects in Dynamic Environments

Among current foreground detection algorithms for video sequences, methods based on self-organizing maps are obtaining a greater relevance. In this work we propose a probabilistic self-organising map based model, which uses a uniform distribution to represent the foreground. A suitable set of characteristic pixel features is chosen to train the probabilistic model. Our approach has been compared to some competing methods on a test set of benchmark videos, with favorable results.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

The tadpole of Pseudis minuta (Anura: Pseudidae), an apparent case of heterochrony

The external morphology, oral disc, and coloration pattern of the larva of Pseudis minuta are described. Tadpoles are mostly bottom dwellers that have a small, terminal oral disc with a labial tooth row formula 1(1-1)/(1-1)2. Internal oral anatomy is characterized using scanning electron microscopy, representing the only description available for the family Pseudidae. The coloration pattern of P. minuta tadpoles is compared with that of other pseudids. Pseudis minuta larvae do not exhibit the ontogenetic coloration change reported for P. paradoxa. Considering larval coloration, larval size, and reports of adult size, acceleration or hypermorphosis are suggested as possible heterochronic mechanisms involved in the evolution of Pseudis

Efectos de la donación de la sangre del cordón umbilical sobre la madre

Introducción: La donación de sangre de cordón umbilical, es una de las fuentes principales para la obtención de células madre hematopoyéticas pluripotenciales, y un tratamiento potencialmente curativo, sobre todo, en pacientes con hemopatías malignas. La hemorragia postparto en la actualidad, es la principal causa de muerte materna en los países de bajos recursos y el 25% de las muertes maternas a nivel global, apareciendo de forma súbita e inesperada incluso sin ningún factor de riesgo. En la praxis actual, coexisten dos tendencias contrapuestas, respecto al volumen de sangre intraplacentaria tras el nacimiento y su relación con la expulsión placentaria. Una, que tiende a disminuir el volumen intraplacentario, representada por la donación de sangre de cordón umbilical, el drenaje libre de la misma e incluso, el pinzamiento tardío del cordón, y su opuesta, que tiende a aumentar el volumen intraplacentario, representada por la expresión del cordón umbilical en sentido cefálico (hacia la placenta) y/o la inyección de suero fisiológico acompañado de oxitocina. Estas dos tendencias presuponen que su uso facilita el despegamiento placentario y el alumbramiento de la misma, tendencias cuyo objetivo final es evitar la hemorragia postparto. Objetivo: Evaluar la seguridad del método para la madre. Material y métodos: Se diseñó un estudio prospectivo y otro retrospectivo con dos subestudios. En el estudio prospectivo, la asignación a grupos fue a voluntad de la mujer. Se incluyeron a 144 (73+71) mujeres que cumplieron criterios, con parto vaginal eutócico en un hospital terciario. En las donantes, al cordón umbilical una vez pinzado se le extrajo su sangre para donación, en las no donantes permaneció pinzado hasta el alumbramiento placentario. El estudio retrospectivo, se realizó mediante diagnósticos médicos y procedimientos de la CIE versión 9 relacionados con la hemorragia postparto, se dividió en dos subestudios; uno incluyendo los diagnósticos relacionados con las enfermedades de la sangre y órganos hematopoyéticos (B2), y el otro subestudio sin los mismos (B1). En los dos, se aplicaron los criterios de exclusión. Se incluyeron a 4463 mujeres, de las cuales 2335 cumplieron criterios, su asignación a grupos fue para las donantes la totalidad de la población (mujeres que donaron sangre de cordón umbilical en banco público, durante el periodo comprendido entre el 2009 y el 2013), y en las no donantes fueron pareados con las donantes del orden de 3 a 1, una vez aplicados los criterios de exclusión a las donantes. En ambos estudios prospectivo y retrospectivo, se administró oxitocina profiláctica antes del primer minuto de vida. Resultados: No hubo diferencia significativa en el tiempo de alumbramiento (prospectivo; 11,11±10,05 donantes vs 7,99±5,92 pinzamiento, p=0,10), retención placentaria (prospectivo; 4 donantes y 1 pinzamiento, p>0,05 y retrospectivo; 17 donantes vs 14 pinzamiento, p=0,23), extracciones manuales de placenta (2 donantes frente a ningún pinzamiento, p>0,05; prospectivo y 17 donantes vs 14 pinzamiento, p=0,23, retrospectivo ), pérdida hemática (diferencia hematocrito pre y pos; 3,63±4,25 donantes vs 3,23±3,07 pinzamiento, p=0,53, diferencia hemoglobina pre y post 1,31±1,42 en donantes y 1,2±1,02 en pinzamiento, p=0,63, prospectivo), necesidad de transfusión sanguínea (2 donantes frente a ningún pinzamiento, p=0.5, prospectivo y 4 donantes y 2 pinzamiento, p=1,00, en el retrospectivo) y Hemorragia posparto (En el diagnóstico de anemias 648.21 y 648.22, relacionadas con el parto y complicación postparto, hubo 181 donantes vs 238 pinzamiento, p=0,81 , además de 14 donantes y 17 pinzamiento con p=0,91, respectivamente. El diagnóstico 666.12 de HPP, hubo 3 donantes vs 5 pinzamiento, p=1,00), entre el grupo de mujeres que donaron sangre de cordón umbilical y la que no lo hicieron. Conclusión: La donación de sangre de cordón umbilical no se asocia a la hemorragia postparto ni a otras complicaciones maternas. Es un método seguro.Introduction: Umbilical cord blood donation is one of the main sources of pluripotent haematopoietic stem cells and a potentially curative treatment, especially in patients with haematological malignancies. Postpartum haemorrhage is currently the leading cause of maternal death in low-resource countries and accounts for 25% of maternal deaths globally, occurring suddenly and unexpectedly even in the absence of any risk factors. In current practice, there are two opposing trends regarding intraplacental blood volume after birth and its relation to placental expulsion. One tends to decrease intraplacental volume, represented by umbilical cord blood donation, free cord blood drainage and even late cord clamping, and the other tends to increase intraplacental volume, represented by the expression of the umbilical cord cephalad (towards the placenta) and/or the injection of physiological saline accompanied by oxytocin. These two tendencies presuppose that their use facilitates placental detachment and delivery of the placenta, tendencies whose ultimate goal is to avoid postpartum haemorrhage. Objective: To assess the safety of the method for the mother. Material and methods: A prospective and a retrospective study with two substudies were designed. In the prospective study, allocation to groups was at the woman's discretion. A total of 144 (73+71) women fulfilling criteria were included who delivered euthanically vaginally in a tertiary hospital. In donors, the umbilical cord was clamped and blood was collected from the umbilical cord for donation, in non-donors it remained clamped until delivery of the placenta. The retrospective study was conducted using medical diagnoses and ICD version 9 procedures related to postpartum haemorrhage, and was divided into two sub-studies; one including diagnoses related to diseases of the blood and haematopoietic organs (B2), and the other sub-study without (B1). In both, exclusion criteria were applied. A total of 4463 women were included, of whom 2335 fulfilled the criteria, their group assignment was for donors the entire population (women who donated umbilical cord blood in a public bank, during the period between 2009 and 2013), and for non-donors they were matched with donors in the order of 3 to 1, once the exclusion criteria were applied to the donors. In both prospective and retrospective studies, prophylactic oxytocin was administered before the first minute of life. Results: There was no significant difference in time to delivery (prospective; 11.11±10.05 donors vs 7.99±5.92 clamping, p=0.10), placental retention (prospective; 4 donors and 1 clamping, p>0.05 and retrospective; 17 donors vs 14 clamping, p=0.23), manual placental extractions (2 donors vs no clamping, p>0.05; prospective and 17 donors vs 14 clamping, p=0.23, retrospective ), blood loss (pre and post haematocrit difference; 3.63±4.25 donors vs 3.23±3.07 clamping, p=0.53, pre and post haemoglobin difference 1.31±1.42 in donors and 1.2±1.02 in clamping, p=0.63, prospective), need for blood transfusion (2 donors vs no clamping, p=0. 5, prospective and 4 donors and 2 clamping, p=1.00, in the retrospective) and Postpartum haemorrhage (In the diagnosis of anaemias 648.21 and 648.22, related to delivery and postpartum complication, there were 181 donors vs 238 clamping, p=0.81 , in addition to 14 donors and 17 clamping with p=0.91, respectively. The 666.12 diagnosis of PPH, there were 3 donors vs 5 clamping, p=1.00), between the group of women who donated cord blood and those who did not. Conclusion: Cord blood donation is not associated with postpartum haemorrhage or other maternal complications. It is a safe method

New strategies for the treatment of hepatitis C virus infection and implications of resistance to new direct-acting antiviral agents

Persistent hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a leading cause of chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma and the major indication for liver transplantation in adults. Current standard of care treatment (SOC) with pegylated-interferon-α 2 and ribavirin (RBV) has a limited efficacy and is associated with significant side effects frequently associated with poor compliance or treatment discontinuation, requiring specialized and frequent monitoring. To overcome the limited efficacy of SOC, more than 50 direct-acting antiviral agents (DAA) designed to target viral-encoded proteins essential in the HCV life cycle are currently under development. The rapid selection of resistant mutants associated with the quasispecies nature of HCV with high mutation and replication rates is one of the main challenges for the new HCV therapies. Predictive host and viral factors together with combination of DAAs with or without IFN and/or RBV need to be accurately evaluated to design the most effective individualized treatment strategy within the shortest time interval and with minimum side effects

Oeste frente a Este: Globalización temprana y gran divergencia

JEL:C22, F15, N10, N70. Very preliminary draft, please do not quote without the authors’ permission. Rafael Dobado- González acknowledges support from the Ministry of Education of Spain under grant ECO2011- 26286. Alfredo García-Hiernaux acknowledges support from Ramón Areces Foundation.This paper extends our previous work on grain market integration across Europe and the Americas in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries (Dobado, García-Hiernaux and Guerrero, 2012). By using the same econometric methodology, we now present: 1) a search for statistical evidence in the East of an “Early Globalization” comparable to the one ongoing in the West by mid eighteenth century; 2) a study on the integration of grain markets in China and Japan and its functioning in comparison to Western countries; 3) a discussion of the relevance of our findings for the debate on the Great Divergence. Our main conclusions are: 1) substantial differences in the degree of integration and the functioning of grain markets are observed between East and West; 2) a certain degree of integration may be reached through different combinations of factors (agents, policies, etc.) and with dissimilar effects on long-run economic growth; 3) the absence of an “Early Globalization” in the East reveals the existence of some economic and institutional limitations in this part of the world and contributed to its “Great Divergence” with the West from at least the eighteenth century.Este trabajo expande nuestra investigación previa sobre la integración del mercado de granos en Europa y América (Dobado, García-Hiernaux y Guerrero, 2012). Usando la misma metodología econométrica, presentamos ahora: 1) la búsqueda de evidencia estadística en el Este de una “Globalización temprana” semejante a la encontrada en el Oeste desde mediados del siglo XVIII; 2) un estudio de la integración de los mercados en china y Japón y su funcionamiento en comparación con los países occidentales; 3) una discusión de la relevancia de nuestros resultados respecto al debate sobre la “Gran Divergencia”. Nuestras principales conclusiones son: 1) encontramos diferencias sustanciales entre Este y Oeste en lo que al grado de integración y al funcionamiento de los mercados de grano se refiere; 2) un cierto grado de integración puede ser alcanzado mediante combinaciones diferentes de factores (agentes, políticas, etc.) y con efectos distintos sobre el crecimiento económico a largo plazo; 3) la ausencia de una “Globalización temprana” en el Este revela la existencia de limitaciones económicas e institucionales en esta parte del mundo y contribuyó a la “Gran Divergencia” con el Oeste desde al menos el siglo XVIII.DecanatoFac. de Ciencias Económicas y EmpresarialesTRUEEspaña. Ministerio de EducaciónFundación Ramón Arecespu