AIM： To examine the presence of human papillomavirus （HPV） in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma （ESCC） specimens collected from Colombia and Chile located in the northern and southern ends of the continent, resp...AIM： To examine the presence of human papillomavirus （HPV） in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma （ESCC） specimens collected from Colombia and Chile located in the northern and southern ends of the continent, respectively.METHODS： We examined 47 and 26 formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded ESCC specimens from Colombia and Chile, respectively. HPV was detected using GP5＋/GP6＋ primer pair for PCR, and confirmed by Southern blot analysis. Sequencing analysis of L1 region fragment was used to identify HPV genotype. In addition, P16^INK4A protein immunostaining of all the specimens was conducted.RESULTS： HPV was detected in 21 ESCC specimens （29%）. Sequencing analysis of L1 region fragment identified HPV-16 genome in 6 Colombian cases （13%） and in 5 Chilean cases （19%）. HPV-18 was detected in i0 cases （21%） in Colombia but not in any Chilean case. Since Chilean ESCC cases had a higher prevalence of HPV-16 （without statistical significance）, but a significantly lower prevalence of HPV-18 than in Colombian cases （P = 0.011） even though the two countries have similar ESCC incidence rates, the frequency of HPV-related ESCC may not be strongly affected by risk factors affecting the incidence of ESCC. HPV-16 genome was more frequently detected in p16 positive carcinomas, although the difference was not statistically significant. HPV-18 detection rate did not show any association with p16 expression. Well-differentiated tumors tended to have either HPV-16 or HPV-18 but the association was not statistically significant. HPV genotypes other than HPV-16 or 18 were not detected in either country.CONCLUSION： HPV-16 and HPV-18 genotypes can be found in ESCC specimens collected from two South American countries. Further studies on the relationship between HPV-16 presence and p16 expression in ESCC would aid understanding of the mechanism underlying the presence of HPV in ESCC.展开更多
AIM- To examine histology- and tumor-location specific risk factors of gastric cancer （GC）.METHODS： This was subjects were 216 GC the period 2000-2002 non-cancer patients hospital. We obtained habits, and others by...AIM- To examine histology- and tumor-location specific risk factors of gastric cancer （GC）.METHODS： This was subjects were 216 GC the period 2000-2002 non-cancer patients hospital. We obtained habits, and others by a a case-control study. The study patients newly diagnosed during and 431 controls selected from matching in age, gender, and information on lifestyles, dietary questionnaire.RESULTS： The subjects who were not eldest among his/her siblings were at a slightly elevated GC risk （OR 1.3; 95% CI 0.8-2.0）. Salting meals before tasting was related to an increased GC risk （OR 3.5; 95% CI 1.6- 7.3）. Frequent consumptions of fruits （OR 0.3; 95% CI 0.1-1.0） and vegetables （OR 0.3; 95% CI 0.1-1.0） were related to decreased GC risks. On the other hand, frying foods （OR 1.9; 95% CI 1.0-3.6） and cooking with coal （OR 1.8; 95% CI 1.3-2.6） were related to increased GC risks. Neither Lauren＇s histological classification （intestinal and diffuse types） nor tumor location significantly affected those associations except birth order. The subjects who were not eldest among his/her siblings had an increased risk of GCs in the distal and middle thirds, and their ORs were 1.7 （95% CI 1.0-2.8） and 1.9 （95% CI 0.8-4.3）, respectively. The corresponding OR in the upper third stomach was 0.3 （95% CI 0.1-0.9）. The differences of those three ORs were statistically significant （P = 0.010）.CONCLUSION： The present study shows that birth order, salt intake, consumption of fruits and vegetables, the type of cooking, and cigarette smoking are related to GC risk. In histology and tumor-location specific analyses, non-eldest person among their siblings is related to an increased GC risk in the distal and middle thirds of the stomach, and is related to a decreased GC risk in the cardia.展开更多
Data gaps and biases are two important issues that affect the quality of biodiversity information and downstream results.Understanding how best to fill existing gaps and account for biases is necessary to improve our ...Data gaps and biases are two important issues that affect the quality of biodiversity information and downstream results.Understanding how best to fill existing gaps and account for biases is necessary to improve our current information most effectively.Two current main approaches for obtaining and improving data include(1)curation of biological collections,and(2)fieldwork.However,the comparative effectiveness of these approaches in improving biodiversity data remains little explored.We used the Flora de Bogota project to study the magnitude of change in species richness,spatial coverage,and sample coverage of plant records based on curation versus fieldwork.The process of curation resulted in a decrease in species richness(synonym and error removal),but it significantly increased the number of records per species.Fieldwork contributed to a slight increase in species richness,via accumulation of new records.Additionally,curation led to increases in spatial coverage,species observed by locality,the number of plant records by species,and localities by species compared to fieldwork.Overall,curationwas more efficient in producing new information compared to fieldwork,mainly because of the large number of records available in herbaria.We recommend intensive curatorial work as the first step in increasing biodiversity data quality and quantity,to identify bias and gaps at the regional scale that can then be targeted with fieldwork.The stepwise strategy would enable fieldwork to be planned more costeffectively given the limited resources for biodiversity exploration and characterization.展开更多
The Latin American Migration Project-Colombia is used to study the Body Mass Index (BMI) of Colombian migrants to determine whether their BMI score increased the longer they were abroad. The study contributes to the l...The Latin American Migration Project-Colombia is used to study the Body Mass Index (BMI) of Colombian migrants to determine whether their BMI score increased the longer they were abroad. The study contributes to the literature on BMI by studying Colombian migrants, an understudied migrant group. Duration of trip is used as a measure of acculturation. The study also evaluates the claim that trip duration is a measure of acculturation using data specific to migrants, which shows that trip duration is an adequate proxy measure of acculturation. The study includes current migrants, returned migrants and non-migrants. The study accounts for the selectivity of migration by comparing migrants to non-migrants, as some studies highlight the health selectivity of migration. The study uses multinomial regression to test whether the probability of being overweight and/or obese is associated with spending more time abroad. Consistent with studies conducted within the receiving countries, the study finds that increased duration of trip is positively and significantly associated with the probability of being overweight and obese. Furthermore, the study also shows that among return migrants there is a negative relationship between time they had remained in Colombia and probability of being obese. The findings show that migrants put on weight while abroad and lose that weight the longer they remain in Colombia. The findings show that place has an indelible impact on health through migrant’s weight.展开更多
In this work a Support Vector Machine Regression（SVMR） algorithm is used to calculate local magnitude（MI） using only five seconds of signal after the P wave onset of one three component seismic station. This algor...In this work a Support Vector Machine Regression（SVMR） algorithm is used to calculate local magnitude（MI） using only five seconds of signal after the P wave onset of one three component seismic station. This algorithm was trained with 863 records of historical earthquakes, where the input regression parameters were an exponential function of the waveform envelope estimated by least squares and the maximum value of the observed waveform for each component in a single station. Ten-fold cross validation was applied for a normalized polynomial kernel obtaining the mean absolute error for different exponents and complexity parameters. The local magnitude（MI） could be estimated with 0.19 units of mean absolute error. The proposed algorithm is easy to implement in hardware and may be used directly after the field seismological sensor to generate fast decisions at seismological control centers, increasing the possibility of having an effective reaction.展开更多
This work applies stress tensors inversions and quantification of fracture patterns along the Mesa de Los Santos, in the Eastern Cordillera of Colombia, to better understand the potential fluid flow. It thus contribut...This work applies stress tensors inversions and quantification of fracture patterns along the Mesa de Los Santos, in the Eastern Cordillera of Colombia, to better understand the potential fluid flow. It thus contributes to the conceptual hydrogeological model. The area was subdivided into three blocks, separated by the NW Potreros and the Los Santos faults, having minor inner faults of different orientations. This separation facilitates the analysis of the fractures measured in the field, which in general show high dip angles and a conjugate geometry in the northern block, tension fractures(Mode I) in the central block, and a random distribution in the southwestern block. WinTensor treatment of slickensides yielded a maximum horizontal stress(SHmax) of 111o, which coincides with the WNW-ESE tensor observed from the conjugate and tension joints. We then used Frac Pa Q to generate interpolation maps of fracture intensity and density. The maps show the highest values in the central block and the lowest in the northern block,where the precipitation is higher, causing intensive rock weathering and homogenization of the fracture planes. Although the highest values of connectivity by line are found to the south of the mesa, we suggest the possibility of greater flow from the recharge zone(NE) along bedding planes and open NW-SE fractures.展开更多
This paper presents the building process of an interactive instrument called the Colombian Solar Atlas able to easily visualize meteorological data but also assess the current and future potentials of solar photovolta...This paper presents the building process of an interactive instrument called the Colombian Solar Atlas able to easily visualize meteorological data but also assess the current and future potentials of solar photovoltaic generation throughout the whole territory of Colombia,South America.This new tool is based on two different meteorological databases.The first one is done with historical data extracted from satellite imagery information,and the other one corresponds to data issues from regional-scale climate change projection models.The satellite database was validated with different in-situ measurements.The Colombian Solar Atlas uses basic and advanced photovoltaic generation models to estimate the generation of a custom solar installation.With this tool,a user selects a point on the map and can have directly pertinent information to search for an optimal location with a spatial resolution of 4 km2.This tool is the first open interactive online tool particularly adapted to study the photovoltaic power potential in Colombia,considering the country’s needs and native language.展开更多
Background:Tuberculosis is a disease of great relevance since it is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide.Gastrointestinal tuberculosis is an unusual presentation.It is defined as the involvem...Background:Tuberculosis is a disease of great relevance since it is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide.Gastrointestinal tuberculosis is an unusual presentation.It is defined as the involvement of any segment of the digestive tract,associated viscera,and peritoneum.The study’s main objective is to collect information from autopsies of patients diagnosed with gastrointestinal tuberculosis in a Pathology reference center in Colombia.Methods:This is a retrospective and descriptive study of autopsy reports.A total of 4,500 autopsies were performed between January 2004 and December 2020.The inclusion criteria were authorization of a family member following local law regulations and a final autopsy diagnosis of gastrointestinal tuberculosis using microscopic visualization.Results:Forty-eight patients with gastrointestinal tuberculosis autopsies were included in our study.Most of the patients were male(n=35,72.9%)with a median age of 40.5 years old.Human immunodeficiency virus infection history was reported in 28 cases(58.33%).The most affected gastrointestinal tract site was the terminal ileum.Ulcers and thickened epithelium were common autopsies macroscopic findings.Tuberculosis multiorgan compromise was a relevant finding in patients with gastrointestinal tuberculosis.Conclusions:Gastrointestinal tuberculosis is a disease of great importance,being its diagnosis a clinical challenge.Underdiagnosis can be reported in a high percentage of cases,so autopsy diagnosis can help reveal more accurate data about this condition.展开更多
Determination of site quality is a basic tool for proper selection of locations and species, in management of forest plantations. Throughout the Caribbean studies of site quality are few and are hampered by statistica...Determination of site quality is a basic tool for proper selection of locations and species, in management of forest plantations. Throughout the Caribbean studies of site quality are few and are hampered by statistical limitations, inappropriate growth models, and limited data. We fitted growth curves for dominant height to evaluate and clas- sify site quality ofteak （Tectona grandis） plantations by using data from 44 permanent sample plots established since 1990 in 3--22 years old teak plantations in the Colombian Caribbean region. We used Korf＇s and yon Bertalanffy＇s models to fit curves as non-linear effects models. Both models, with a single random parameter, were considered as adequate for dominant height growth modelling, but Korf＇s model was superior. The resulting curves were anamorphic and closely reflected high variability in site quality. Five site classes were clarified： at a base age of 12 years old, teak reached a mean dominant height of 24.8 m on the best sites, 9.8 m in the worst sites, and in the averages sites, 15.8-18.8 m. Using this model, we identified the best and the worst sites for teak plantations in the Caribbean region. This model proved a useful tool, not only for site quality evaluation, but also for improved teak plantation planning and management.展开更多
基金Supported by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Priority Areas of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan, No. 12218231 and 17015037
文摘AIM： To examine the presence of human papillomavirus （HPV） in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma （ESCC） specimens collected from Colombia and Chile located in the northern and southern ends of the continent, respectively.METHODS： We examined 47 and 26 formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded ESCC specimens from Colombia and Chile, respectively. HPV was detected using GP5＋/GP6＋ primer pair for PCR, and confirmed by Southern blot analysis. Sequencing analysis of L1 region fragment was used to identify HPV genotype. In addition, P16^INK4A protein immunostaining of all the specimens was conducted.RESULTS： HPV was detected in 21 ESCC specimens （29%）. Sequencing analysis of L1 region fragment identified HPV-16 genome in 6 Colombian cases （13%） and in 5 Chilean cases （19%）. HPV-18 was detected in i0 cases （21%） in Colombia but not in any Chilean case. Since Chilean ESCC cases had a higher prevalence of HPV-16 （without statistical significance）, but a significantly lower prevalence of HPV-18 than in Colombian cases （P = 0.011） even though the two countries have similar ESCC incidence rates, the frequency of HPV-related ESCC may not be strongly affected by risk factors affecting the incidence of ESCC. HPV-16 genome was more frequently detected in p16 positive carcinomas, although the difference was not statistically significant. HPV-18 detection rate did not show any association with p16 expression. Well-differentiated tumors tended to have either HPV-16 or HPV-18 but the association was not statistically significant. HPV genotypes other than HPV-16 or 18 were not detected in either country.CONCLUSION： HPV-16 and HPV-18 genotypes can be found in ESCC specimens collected from two South American countries. Further studies on the relationship between HPV-16 presence and p16 expression in ESCC would aid understanding of the mechanism underlying the presence of HPV in ESCC.
基金Supported by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Priority Areas of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan, No. 12218231 and 17015037
文摘AIM- To examine histology- and tumor-location specific risk factors of gastric cancer （GC）.METHODS： This was subjects were 216 GC the period 2000-2002 non-cancer patients hospital. We obtained habits, and others by a a case-control study. The study patients newly diagnosed during and 431 controls selected from matching in age, gender, and information on lifestyles, dietary questionnaire.RESULTS： The subjects who were not eldest among his/her siblings were at a slightly elevated GC risk （OR 1.3; 95% CI 0.8-2.0）. Salting meals before tasting was related to an increased GC risk （OR 3.5; 95% CI 1.6- 7.3）. Frequent consumptions of fruits （OR 0.3; 95% CI 0.1-1.0） and vegetables （OR 0.3; 95% CI 0.1-1.0） were related to decreased GC risks. On the other hand, frying foods （OR 1.9; 95% CI 1.0-3.6） and cooking with coal （OR 1.8; 95% CI 1.3-2.6） were related to increased GC risks. Neither Lauren＇s histological classification （intestinal and diffuse types） nor tumor location significantly affected those associations except birth order. The subjects who were not eldest among his/her siblings had an increased risk of GCs in the distal and middle thirds, and their ORs were 1.7 （95% CI 1.0-2.8） and 1.9 （95% CI 0.8-4.3）, respectively. The corresponding OR in the upper third stomach was 0.3 （95% CI 0.1-0.9）. The differences of those three ORs were statistically significant （P = 0.010）.CONCLUSION： The present study shows that birth order, salt intake, consumption of fruits and vegetables, the type of cooking, and cigarette smoking are related to GC risk. In histology and tumor-location specific analyses, non-eldest person among their siblings is related to an increased GC risk in the distal and middle thirds of the stomach, and is related to a decreased GC risk in the cardia.
基金supported by Colciencias Doctoral funding (727-2015)Universidad del Rosario, through a teaching assistantship and a doctoral grant
文摘Data gaps and biases are two important issues that affect the quality of biodiversity information and downstream results.Understanding how best to fill existing gaps and account for biases is necessary to improve our current information most effectively.Two current main approaches for obtaining and improving data include(1)curation of biological collections,and(2)fieldwork.However,the comparative effectiveness of these approaches in improving biodiversity data remains little explored.We used the Flora de Bogota project to study the magnitude of change in species richness,spatial coverage,and sample coverage of plant records based on curation versus fieldwork.The process of curation resulted in a decrease in species richness(synonym and error removal),but it significantly increased the number of records per species.Fieldwork contributed to a slight increase in species richness,via accumulation of new records.Additionally,curation led to increases in spatial coverage,species observed by locality,the number of plant records by species,and localities by species compared to fieldwork.Overall,curationwas more efficient in producing new information compared to fieldwork,mainly because of the large number of records available in herbaria.We recommend intensive curatorial work as the first step in increasing biodiversity data quality and quantity,to identify bias and gaps at the regional scale that can then be targeted with fieldwork.The stepwise strategy would enable fieldwork to be planned more costeffectively given the limited resources for biodiversity exploration and characterization.
文摘The Latin American Migration Project-Colombia is used to study the Body Mass Index (BMI) of Colombian migrants to determine whether their BMI score increased the longer they were abroad. The study contributes to the literature on BMI by studying Colombian migrants, an understudied migrant group. Duration of trip is used as a measure of acculturation. The study also evaluates the claim that trip duration is a measure of acculturation using data specific to migrants, which shows that trip duration is an adequate proxy measure of acculturation. The study includes current migrants, returned migrants and non-migrants. The study accounts for the selectivity of migration by comparing migrants to non-migrants, as some studies highlight the health selectivity of migration. The study uses multinomial regression to test whether the probability of being overweight and/or obese is associated with spending more time abroad. Consistent with studies conducted within the receiving countries, the study finds that increased duration of trip is positively and significantly associated with the probability of being overweight and obese. Furthermore, the study also shows that among return migrants there is a negative relationship between time they had remained in Colombia and probability of being obese. The findings show that migrants put on weight while abroad and lose that weight the longer they remain in Colombia. The findings show that place has an indelible impact on health through migrant’s weight.
文摘In this work a Support Vector Machine Regression（SVMR） algorithm is used to calculate local magnitude（MI） using only five seconds of signal after the P wave onset of one three component seismic station. This algorithm was trained with 863 records of historical earthquakes, where the input regression parameters were an exponential function of the waveform envelope estimated by least squares and the maximum value of the observed waveform for each component in a single station. Ten-fold cross validation was applied for a normalized polynomial kernel obtaining the mean absolute error for different exponents and complexity parameters. The local magnitude（MI） could be estimated with 0.19 units of mean absolute error. The proposed algorithm is easy to implement in hardware and may be used directly after the field seismological sensor to generate fast decisions at seismological control centers, increasing the possibility of having an effective reaction.
基金the financial backing provided by the Universidad Industrial de Santander through project 2534 “Estudio Integral del Agua en la Mesa de Los Santos”。
文摘This work applies stress tensors inversions and quantification of fracture patterns along the Mesa de Los Santos, in the Eastern Cordillera of Colombia, to better understand the potential fluid flow. It thus contributes to the conceptual hydrogeological model. The area was subdivided into three blocks, separated by the NW Potreros and the Los Santos faults, having minor inner faults of different orientations. This separation facilitates the analysis of the fractures measured in the field, which in general show high dip angles and a conjugate geometry in the northern block, tension fractures(Mode I) in the central block, and a random distribution in the southwestern block. WinTensor treatment of slickensides yielded a maximum horizontal stress(SHmax) of 111o, which coincides with the WNW-ESE tensor observed from the conjugate and tension joints. We then used Frac Pa Q to generate interpolation maps of fracture intensity and density. The maps show the highest values in the central block and the lowest in the northern block,where the precipitation is higher, causing intensive rock weathering and homogenization of the fracture planes. Although the highest values of connectivity by line are found to the south of the mesa, we suggest the possibility of greater flow from the recharge zone(NE) along bedding planes and open NW-SE fractures.
文摘This paper presents the building process of an interactive instrument called the Colombian Solar Atlas able to easily visualize meteorological data but also assess the current and future potentials of solar photovoltaic generation throughout the whole territory of Colombia,South America.This new tool is based on two different meteorological databases.The first one is done with historical data extracted from satellite imagery information,and the other one corresponds to data issues from regional-scale climate change projection models.The satellite database was validated with different in-situ measurements.The Colombian Solar Atlas uses basic and advanced photovoltaic generation models to estimate the generation of a custom solar installation.With this tool,a user selects a point on the map and can have directly pertinent information to search for an optimal location with a spatial resolution of 4 km2.This tool is the first open interactive online tool particularly adapted to study the photovoltaic power potential in Colombia,considering the country’s needs and native language.
文摘Background:Tuberculosis is a disease of great relevance since it is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide.Gastrointestinal tuberculosis is an unusual presentation.It is defined as the involvement of any segment of the digestive tract,associated viscera,and peritoneum.The study’s main objective is to collect information from autopsies of patients diagnosed with gastrointestinal tuberculosis in a Pathology reference center in Colombia.Methods:This is a retrospective and descriptive study of autopsy reports.A total of 4,500 autopsies were performed between January 2004 and December 2020.The inclusion criteria were authorization of a family member following local law regulations and a final autopsy diagnosis of gastrointestinal tuberculosis using microscopic visualization.Results:Forty-eight patients with gastrointestinal tuberculosis autopsies were included in our study.Most of the patients were male(n=35,72.9%)with a median age of 40.5 years old.Human immunodeficiency virus infection history was reported in 28 cases(58.33%).The most affected gastrointestinal tract site was the terminal ileum.Ulcers and thickened epithelium were common autopsies macroscopic findings.Tuberculosis multiorgan compromise was a relevant finding in patients with gastrointestinal tuberculosis.Conclusions:Gastrointestinal tuberculosis is a disease of great importance,being its diagnosis a clinical challenge.Underdiagnosis can be reported in a high percentage of cases,so autopsy diagnosis can help reveal more accurate data about this condition.
基金Reforestadora del Caribe S.A and the DIME (Research Direction of the National University of Colombia, Medellin Branch) for providing the funds for this project
文摘Determination of site quality is a basic tool for proper selection of locations and species, in management of forest plantations. Throughout the Caribbean studies of site quality are few and are hampered by statistical limitations, inappropriate growth models, and limited data. We fitted growth curves for dominant height to evaluate and clas- sify site quality ofteak （Tectona grandis） plantations by using data from 44 permanent sample plots established since 1990 in 3--22 years old teak plantations in the Colombian Caribbean region. We used Korf＇s and yon Bertalanffy＇s models to fit curves as non-linear effects models. Both models, with a single random parameter, were considered as adequate for dominant height growth modelling, but Korf＇s model was superior. The resulting curves were anamorphic and closely reflected high variability in site quality. Five site classes were clarified： at a base age of 12 years old, teak reached a mean dominant height of 24.8 m on the best sites, 9.8 m in the worst sites, and in the averages sites, 15.8-18.8 m. Using this model, we identified the best and the worst sites for teak plantations in the Caribbean region. This model proved a useful tool, not only for site quality evaluation, but also for improved teak plantation planning and management.
