Epsilon contaminated priors in testing point null hypothesis: a procedure to determine the prior probability

In this paper the problem of testing a point null hypothesis from the Bayesian perspective and the relation between this and the classical approach is studied. A procedure to determine the mixed prior distribution is introduced and a justification for this construction based on a measure of discrepancy is given. Then, we compare a lower bound for the posterior probability, when the prior is in the class of -contaminated distributions, of the point null hypothesis with the p-value

Algunas relaciones entre la aproximación clásica y bayesiana en el contraste de hipótesis

Tesis de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Facultad de Ciencias Matemáticas, Departamento de Estadística e Investigación Operativa, leída el 9 de Julio de 1996Para un problema de localización en una hipótesis nula puntual se relaciona el p-valor con la probabilidad final de la hipótesis nula, cuando la distribución inicial se escoge convenientemente. Se generalizan estos resultados al caso de distribuciones e-contaminadas.Depto. de Estadística e Investigación OperativaFac. de Ciencias MatemáticasTRUEpu

Molecular-dynamics simulations of liquid aluminum oxide

The total and partial radial distribution functions g(r) and the corresponding structure factors S(q) were calculated based on molecular-dynamics simulations in the microcanonical ensemble of liquid aluminum oxide. The simulations were performed in the temperature range 2300-3000 K in order to explore the temperature dependence of the structure, finding that the liquid structure is invariant as a function of temperature. With the aid of the partial radial distribution functions, it is possible to reinterpret the experimental data leading to a new assignment of peaks which differs from the one reported in a previously published work by Ansell et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 78, 464 (1997)]. The structural model for liquid aluminum oxide obtained from our simulations is essentially the same as that reported in the experimental work.Dirección General de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas PB95-124

Molecular-dynamics simulations of premelting processes in Cr2O3

Molecular-dynamics simulations of the (0001) surface Of Cr2O3 were carried out in the [300-2800 K] range of temperatures using a classical Pauling-type pair potential. The analysis of the structural data shows a strong surface relaxation in agreement with experiment. Both static and dynamic surface properties indicate that a surface melting process occurs well below the melting point, which is estimated to be about 2500 K, in excellent agreement with the experimental value of 2556 K. The diffusive properties of this disordered phase are described and it is found that the main mechanism for diffusion involves hopping of surface atoms.Comisión Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnología MAT97- 0717 y PB95-124

El periodismo de sucesos y tribunales en las facultades de comunicación españolas

Millones de personas en Españia desayunan con noticias relacionadas con sucesos y tribunales. Pero la práctica, una vez más, ha ido por delante de la teoría. Un hecho que ha provocado en la profesión del Periodismo, un gran intrusismo laboral, desde el ámbito del derecho, en los medios de comunicación. Con la presentación de esta comunicación se pretende ahondar en la situación de la formación en las Facultades de Comunicación en el ámbito del Periodismo de Sucesos y Tribunales. Una parcela poco explorada y tan sólo implantada coma materia, optativa, en la Facultad de Comunicación de la Universidad de Sevilla. No obstante, debemos considerar la cantidad de cursos, jornadas y seminarios que se imparten para tratar este ámbito

"La previa deportiva" como género del periodismo especializado

"La Previa" es un género periodístico hasta ahora poco abordado por los profesionales de los medios de comunicación desde un punto de vista teórico, a pesar del gran uso que se hace en la práctica del periodismo de este género. En el periodismo deportivo se denomina "Previa" al género interpretativo que aborda la información acerca de un evento deportivo que va a surgir con inmediatez, puede ser en unos días, al día siguiente o en las próximas horas. También nos encontramos este género en otros ámbitos del Periodismo Especializado, como es por ejemplo el ámbito político. En este curso, se está prodigando la realización de trabajo de previsión sobre diversas cumbres y acontecimientos de índole política, sobre todo dada la presidencia de turno que ostenta en este momento nuestro país: visitas de la presidenta, otros ministros o del propio presidente del gobierno a países europeos. Pero en este pequeño estudio nos proponemos indagar en la "Previa deportiva" como género del Periodismo Especializado, analizando su estructura y su peculiaridad frente a otros géneros como la noticia o la crónica. Analizamos las previas de diferentes acontecimientos deportivos aparecidos en diferentes medios de comunicación, tanto especializados como generalistas, para defender "La Previa Deportiva" como un género periodístico autónomo, con diferencias claras respecto otros géneros. Asimismo, defendemos que la "Previa Deportiva" es un género del Periodismo Especializado, en cuanto que guarda características de la interpretación más auténtica, propia de otros géneros de la especialización como el perfil o el análisis. Proponemos, por tanto, un estudio teórico-práctico para abordar la "Previa Deportiva" como género del Periodismo Especializado

Phenotypic, genomic and functional characterization reveals no differences between CD138++ and CD138low subpopulations in multiple myeloma cell lines

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.Despite recent advances in the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM), it remains an incurable disease potentially due to the presence of resistant myeloma cancer stem cells (MM-CSC). Although the presence of clonogenic cells in MM was described three decades ago, the phenotype of MM-CSC is still controversial, especially with respect to the expression of syndecan-1 (CD138). Here, we demonstrate the presence of two subpopulations - CD138++ (95-99%) and CD138low (1-5%) - in eight MM cell lines. To find out possible stem-cell-like features, we have phenotypically, genomic and functionally characterized the two subpopulations. Our results show that the minor CD138low subpopulation is morphologically identical to the CD138++ fraction and does not represent a more immature B-cell compartment (with lack of CD19, CD20 and CD27 expression). Moreover, both subpopulations have similar gene expression and genomic profiles. Importantly, both CD138++ and CD138low subpopulations have similar sensitivity to bortezomib, melphalan and doxorubicin. Finally, serial engraftment in CB17-SCID mice shows that CD138++ as well as CD138low cells have self-renewal potential and they are phenotypically interconvertible. Overall, our results differ from previously published data in MM cell lines which attribute a B-cell phenotype to MM-CSC. Future characterization of clonal plasma cell subpopulations in MM patients' samples will guarantee the discovery of more reliable markers able to discriminate true clonogenic myeloma cells.This work was supported by the Cooperative Research Thematic Network (RTICs; RD06/0020/0006), the “Junta de Castilla y León. Consejería de Sanidad” (GRS 391/B/09), the “Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación” (PS09/01897), the “Fundación Memoria D. Samuel Solórzano Barruso” (FS/2-2010) and Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer (AECC)(GCB120981SAN).Peer Reviewe

Bone mineral density, bone remodeling and osteoprotegerin in patients with acute coronary syndrome

Producción CientíficaThe objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between coronary disease and osteoporosis and determine the effect of osteoprotegerin (OPG) on bone remodeling and bone mineral density (BMD) in a group of patients with acute coronary syndrome. Eightythree patients (52 males and 31 women) with acute coronary syndrome (75 patients with acute myocardial infarction and 8 with unstable angina) with an average age of 61±10 years were studied. Levels of osteocalcin, urinarydeoxypyridinoline, OPG and the receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL) were determined during the hospital stay. Femoral neck, trochanter and lumbar spine densitometry was carried out using a DXA densitometer. Thirty percent of patients presented osteoporosis (39% of females and 26% of males). Osteoporotic patients were older and had a lower weight and height and elevated serum levels of osteocalcin (3.6±2.25 2.63 versus ±1.55, p=0.05). Levels of OPG and RANKL were similar in both groups and showed no relationship with BMD. In conclusion, no relationship was observed between the OPG/RANKL system and BMD in these patients

Function, oxidative, and inflammatory stress parameters in immune cells as predictive markers of lifespan throughout aging

According to the oxidative-inflammatory theory of aging, there is a link between the function, the oxidative-inflammatory stress state of immune cells, and longevity. However, it is unknown which immune cell parameters can predict lifespan and if there would be any changes in this prediction, depending on the age of the subject. Therefore, a longitudinal study in mice was performed analysing immune function (chemotaxis of macrophages and lymphocytes, phagocytosis of macrophages, natural killer (NK) activity, and lymphoproliferation capacity), antioxidant (catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and glutathione reductase (GR) activities as well as reduced glutathione (GSH) concentrations), oxidant (oxidized glutathione (GSSG), superoxide anion, and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations), and inflammation-related markers (basal release of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-10) in peritoneal leukocytes from mice at the adult, mature, old, very old, and long-lived ages (40, 56, 72, 96, and 120 ± 4 weeks of age, respectively). The results reveal that some of the investigated parameters are determinants of longevity at the adult age (lymphoproliferative capacity, lymphocyte chemotaxis, macrophage chemotaxis and phagocytosis, GPx activity, and GSH, MDA, IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-10 concentrations), and therefore, they could be proposed as markers of the rate of aging. However, other parameters are predictive of extreme longevity only at the very old age (NK activity, CAT and GR activities, and IL-6 and IL-1β concentrations), and as such, they could reflect some of the adaptive mechanisms underlying the achievement of high longevity. Nevertheless, although preliminary, the results of the present study provide a new perspective on the use of function, redox, and inflammatory parameters in immune cells as prognostic tools in aging research and represent a novel benchmark for future work aimed at prediction of lifespan

Transcriptome analysis reveals molecular profiles associated with evolving steps of monoclonal gammopathies

This is an open-access paper.-- et al.A multistep model has been proposed of disease progression starting in monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance continuing through multiple myeloma, sometimes with an intermediate entity called smoldering myeloma, and ending in extramedullary disease. To gain further insights into the role of the transcriptome deregulation in the transition from a normal plasma cell to a clonal plasma cell, and from an indolent clonal plasma cell to a malignant plasma cell, we performed gene expression profiling in 20 patients with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance, 33 with high-risk smoldering myeloma and 41 with multiple myeloma. The analysis showed that 126 genes were differentially expressed in monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance, smoldering myeloma and multiple myeloma as compared to normal plasma cell. Interestingly, 17 and 9 out of the 126 significant differentially expressed genes were small nucleolar RNA molecules and zinc finger proteins. Several proapoptotic genes (AKT1 and AKT2) were down-regulated and antiapoptotic genes (APAF1 and BCL2L1) were up-regulated in multiple myeloma, both symptomatic and asymptomatic, compared to monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance. When we looked for those genes progressively modulated through the evolving stages of monoclonal gammopathies, eight snoRNA showed a progressive increase while APAF1, VCAN and MEGF9 exhibited a progressive downregulation. In conclusion, our data show that although monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance, smoldering myeloma and multiple myeloma are not clearly distinguishable groups according to their gene expression profiling, several signaling pathways and genes were significantly deregulated at different steps of the transformation process.This study was partially supported by Spanish FIS (PI080568, PS09/01450 and PS0901897), “Gerencia Regional de Salud, Junta de Castilla y León” (GRS 702/A/11) grant, and the Spanish Myeloma Network Program (RD06/0020/0006, RD12/0036/0058 and RD12/0036/0046).Peer Reviewe