Bogota Research Articles

Psychopathology in paediatric systemic lupus erythematosus

IntroductionAlthough systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is more common in adults, when it is diagnosed before the age of 16, it has a worse prognosis. Depressive and anxious symptoms are common in this population but few studies have examined anxiety or its relationship with manifestations of the disease or type of treatment received. ObjectiveTo determine the frequency of anxious and depressive symptoms in children and adolescents with SLE, as well as their relationship with disease activity and the immunosuppressive treatment used. MethodsA cross-sectional study in which paediatric patients with SLE from 9 to 17 years of age from a paediatric referral centre in the city of Bogota were included. Each patient was interviewed and immunosuppressive treatment, time to diagnosis and disease activity were recorded. The frequency of depressive and anxious symptoms and quality of life were measured with validated questionnaires. The relationship between anxious or depressive symptoms and disease activity and immunosuppressive treatment was sought. Results40 patients with a mean age of 14 ± 2 years were interviewed. 52% of cases had active disease. 60% presented scores indicating anxiety and one patient a score suggesting depression. 37% reported suicidal thoughts following the diagnosis of SLE. No relationship was found between disease activity and psychiatric manifestations. Of the different drugs used, only prednisone was associated with higher anxiety symptom scores (p = 0.002). ConclusionsAnxiety was more prevalent than depression in patients with paediatric SLE. This disorder and the use of corticosteroids were factors of vulnerability to manifest psychopathology. Lupus activity is not related to psychiatric symptoms. SLE has a significant impact on the quality of life of patients.

Crime and Gender Segregation: Evidence from the Bogota "Pico Y Genero" Lockdown

This paper investigates the link between gender and crime using information from a gender-based lockdown policy in Bogota Colombia during the pandemic. Under the policy, men were allowed out on odd days and women on even days, and we investigate whether overall crime rates differed and whether crime was lower on women-only days. We compare crime in Bogota to other cities and, within Bogota, the gender-based lockdown period to weeks with other lockdown policies. Our key findings are that crime rates are higher during the gender-based lockdown policy and that this is driven by more crime involving male victims and on men-only days. There is no evidence that higher crime on men-only days is offset by less crime on women-only days. The higher crimes on men-only days is driven by robbery, stolen cars and motorcycles, and homicides. We find higher sexual crimes on women-only days and an increase in domestic violence on both types of days. Taken together, our results suggest that gender segregation, if anything, tends to increase crime.

Who is Benefiting Downstream? Experimental Evidence on the Relevance of Upstream-Downstream Geographic Distance for Water Provision

One of the greatest challenges of water management in watersheds arises from the asymmetry in water appropriation: people upstream always have first access to water supplies and their decisions affect downstream users. Payments for watershed services (PWS) aim to incentivize water provision upstream by directly paying upstream land users for the water services they provide for downstream water users. Nevertheless, since people often exhibit parochial behavior, the question of how to frame who benefits from the ecosystem services provided needs to be addressed with caution. We implemented a modified dictator game in the field to study the effect of varying the geographical identity of downstream beneficiaries on 1) baseline water provision in the absence of PWS, 2) PWS effectiveness and 3) provision decisions after the payments end (‘motivation crowding’). Our experiments involved 60 rural farmers from the Colombian municipality of Junin, whose water provision decisions affected passive downstream beneficiaries in either the same municipality or the capital city of Bogota. Our findings suggest that sharing a closer place identity with downstream beneficiaries is relevant to determine baseline water provision, but does not affect PWS effectiveness or the emergence of motivation crowding effects.

Differences in road-traffic crash rates during construction and non-construction times on arterial streets: a comparative statistical analysis

Different studies over the past 30 years have shown an increase in the rates of crash frequencies during road construction time, but this trend is not reported as valid for all cities. A question is raised whether higher rates are observed in arterial roads in Bogotá, Colombia. It is possible to apply descriptive statistics and hypothesis tests to prove them and identify the variables that affect the accident rate during road construction. Our research aims to verify the incidence of high impact construction zones, in the crash rate at the arterial road network of Bogotá. We use descriptive statistics and inferential statistical tests to analyze whether crash rates are statistically higher during construction time than during non-construction time at the same highway sections considering different crash severities (damages-only, injuries, and fatalities). Our database considered 871 road links that make up 68 artery corridors for the city of Bogota, and 5.450 road construction zones, from 2015 to 2019. An analysis by corridor was performed, in which we identified seven patterns in the behavior of accident rates influenced by the presence of a road intervention in the corridor. Within the patterns, it was evident that some corridors reported an increase in the accident rate during the time of construction, while others showed a decrease in the same comparison. We used the Wilcoxon test to establish the statistical significance of our conclusions, with a significance level of 10%. We also found that those construction interventions that do not require excavation of more than half a meter there was a decrease in the accident severity, as damages-only crashes, diminished during the construction time, while for those interventions that include excavation greater than half a meter there was an increase in overall accident rates during construction time.

Institutional practices in maternal health according to social class. Bogotá, Colombia, 2018.

To understand institutional practices in healthcare as relates to women during pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period according to social class in Bogota. Qualitative study based on the critical hermeneutics paradigm. Critical ethnographic method with theoretical sampling. The participants included 9 women and 8 health-care professionals from the city of Bogotá, attending public and private healthcare institutions that serve populations under both the subsidized as well as the contributive regimes of the General Social Security System. Overall, 38 in-depth interviews were conducted during a 13 month period, with 62 instances of support to the mothers in terms of prenatal care, vaccination, labor, postpartum visits, follow-up tests, psychoprophylactic course, hospitalization and waiting room. Triangulation analysis on Atlas Ti. Taking into account the discourse of the different players, observations and context, two categories were found to be determining factors of inequities: "Market-regulated health" and "Over- sight and control in health services". It is advisable in medical practice to build competencies in the population in order to ensure the realization of the rights of women and healthcare personnel. Qualitative research offers the opportunity to promote the transformation of medical rationale affecting women.

T- Force o Test de Squat Jump. ¿Cuál es la mejor forma de evaluar la potencia máxima en futbolistas profesionales?

En el deporte de alto rendimiento es importante llevar a cabo un control a los deportistas, el cual debe partir de la evaluación de las capacidades físicas cada cierto periodo de tiempo; para esto se deben escoger las pruebas e instrumentos adecuados considerando el gesto y patrón motriz de cada disciplina, así como las características propias de cada sujeto. El objetivo de la presente investigación se basó en la comparación de dos instrumentos de medición validados en el análisis de la fuerza: T-Force® en el cual se realizó el test de sentadilla y Optogait® con el protocolo de Squat Jump (SJ), para evaluar potencia máxima en futbolistas profesionales de dos equipos de futbol de la ciudad de Bogotá. Estudio descriptivo, de alcance correlacional de tipo transversal. Se contó con la participación de 38 deportistas de género masculino, quienes realizaron las pruebas de SJ en Optogait y test de sentadilla en T-Force; para el procesamiento y análisis de los datos se realizó una prueba T para muestras relacionadas. Se encontraron diferencias significativas entre los resultados de ambas pruebas, donde la potencia máxima obtenida fue más alta con el test de T-Force, pero la desviación de los datos fue menor en el caso del Optogait. De acuerdo con los resultados, se determinó que el mejor método para la medición de la potencia máxima en futbolistas es el T-Force.

Informality and tax evasion. An experimental test among female entrepreneurs in Bogotá

The majority of informal entrepreneurs and workers in Bogota are women, most of whom do not have social security provision or job stability.This research investigates to what extent female entrepreneurs in the city of Bogota, Colombia, prefer to situate their business in the informal labor market. Some theorists as represented by De Soto, argue informality occurs due to a preference-based rational decision to avoid paying taxes, while others consider it to be primarily related to an “escape” from poverty as a unique option. The study used an experiment, featuring a tax evasion game targeting500 women participants, formal and informal entrepreneurs, from the city of Bogota. The null hypothesis of the study was tested using Chi-square (X2) and inferential statistical model at a 5% level of significance. The findings revealed that a significant difference between attitudes towards taxation in formal and informal female entrepreneurs in Bogota does not exist.

El uso de los «social media» en pymes y microempresas del sector publicitario

Este artículo presenta los principales resultados de una investigación que analiza el uso de los medios sociales como parte de la estrategia de marketing digital en las micro y pequeñas empresas de publicidad de Bogotá, Colombia. Enmarcado en el tema de las economías creativas y la vigencia de la “Ley Naranja” en Colombia, aprobada por la Presidencia de la República en 2017 con el fin de apoyar y fomentar la industria creativa, es un estudio exploratorio descriptivo, con un diseño transversal y muestreo con representatividad estadística, con la técnica de análisis de contenido. Aunque las empresas publicitarias ofrecen servicios de estrategia digital para sus clientes, la forma en que se promueven a sí mismas es aún tradicional. Los resultados muestran que no se está aprovechando todo el potencial del entorno digital, salvo casos y acciones aisladas. Se plantea una discusión en torno a la forma en que la pequeña empresa publicitaria ofrece sus servicios y mantiene las relaciones con sus clientes en medio de una gran oportunidad para la digitalización de este sector.

Del discurso publicitario propagandístico de Herbalife y la Iglesia de la Cienciología a la construcción de un culto comercial en Bogotá

Esta investigación presenta a las marcas: Herbalife y la Iglesia de la Cienciología, quienes por medio de la construcción y difusión de su comunicación tienen una cercanía estructural con el término religión, lo que facilitó su ingreso al mercado bogotano, ciudad en la cual se realizó el estudio de estas marcas. Por medio de la inmersión etnográfica se pudo observar y argumentar que la marca Iglesia de la Cienciología es una religión, como se autodenomina, y por otra parte, se concluye que la marca Herbalife, por su estructura corporativa, también responde al término de una religión. Se encontró cómo el discurso publicitario propagandístico asociado a varios elementos de la anatomía de marca, permiten consolidar una fuerte estructura de marca y gracias a esta se puede construir una relación estrecha y fidelizada por parte de sus usuarios. En está investigación de corte cualitativo, se empleó la etnografía como herramienta principal, se realizó un proceso de inmersión, entrevistas semiestructuradas y diarios de campo. Para el análisis de la información se usó la disciplina del Branding, para construir un análisis comparativo; partiendo de veintisiete elementos que conforman la anatomía de marca, se escogieron tres de ellos para el desarrollo del análisis, la personalidad, la publicidad y la atención al cliente. Finalmente, se presentan unas conclusiones acerca de la cercanía entre la estructural comercial de Herbalife y la estructura religiosa de la Iglesia de la Cienciología, como marcas de culto, donde la comunicación y los canales de emisión del discurso juegan un papel primordial para su desarrollo y fortalecimiento.

E-Procurement Practices and Performance of Manufacturing Firms in Bogota, Colombia

Advances in technology are changing the manner in which purchasers and providers acquire goods and services. Procurement functions have therefore become a strategic unit for many organizations because huge costs can be cut down through prudent procurement hence increase in profitability. The study assessed the impact of e-procurement practices on performance in large manufacturing firms in Bogota, Colombia. The procurement practices included e-bidding, e-tendering, e-purchasing and e-sourcing. This study was based on contingency theory and technology acceptance theory. The target population for the study was 50 large sized manufacturing firms in Bogota Colombia where the unit of analyses were procurement managers and procurement supervisors. SPSS software for analysis. Regression analysis results indicated that E-bidding (?=.124, p=0.002, E-tendering (?=.111, p=0.005) E-purchasing and performance, the regression analysis revealed a positive and significant relationship (?=.089, p=0.023) E-sourcing (?=.125, p=0.004) were positively and significantly related with performance pf large manufacturing firms in Bogota, Colombia. The study concluded that the firms adopt various E-procurement practices which includes; E-bidding, E-tendering, E-purchasing and E-sourcing as a way of improving their financial performance. The study recommends that the large manufacturing should adopt E-procurement practices owing to their immense benefits to the performance of the firm which include; improved financial performance, reduced inbound lead time and efficiency and increased procurement volumes processed. The study further recommends that large manufacturing firms contemplating adopting E-procurement practices should integrate their systems since lack of system integration is a major challenge to E-procurement. Keywords: E-Procurement, Manufacturing Firms, Bogota, Colombia

Abastópolis

This article aims to present the "Design of more human and efficient cities, using mathematical modeling and computational simulation" within the city of Bogota, Colombia. MIT's "last mile" methodology, in one Square Kilometer is used. It takes place in the largest food supply center in the city, where large transport conflicts are evident, leading to high rates of road accidentality on its peripheries. Abastópolis, a game with which the increasing of awareness in road actors is aspired through their playful learning, has been designed. As a result it is expected to obtain an adoption of the regulations that the city has for transit and mobility issues, thus demonstrating the reduction of accident figures in the area studied. However, so far the play has not been validated.

On the financial literacy, indebtedness, and wealth of Colombian households

AbstractIn this paper we attempt to find existing linkages of financial literacy with indebtedness and wealth accumulation of households in Bogotá, the capital of Colombia. We analyze an econometric model where we regress a household’s debt usage, cost of debt servicing, and wealth indicators against its financial literacy. Financial literacy is assessed according to the financial numeracy and money management skills of the head of households. Numeracy skills are found to have a positive correlation with the decision to use debt and have a mortgage and with the total number of lending sources, debt‐to‐income, and net worth. Money management skills decrease the household’s likelihood of using all of the debt types considered in the analysis and increase with net worth. We also uncover important debt and wealth accumulation conducts closely tied to the city’s economic stratification and the gender of the head of household. A number of public policy implications are derived from the results of the analysis.

Producción social de cuerpos, divisiones sociales y marginación en el desarrollo urbano de la ciudad de Bogotá

Desde el siglo XIX, la ciudad de Bogotá se ha caracterizado por el auge de una sensibilidad moderna promovida por una educación estética (aisthesis). Esta función educadora, adelantada por un grupo de letrados, permitió coconstruir y perpetuar sujetos diferentes y desiguales y, por tanto, una marginalidad con disímiles estilos de vida. Fue así como la ciudad se dividió en un pueblo ordinario y violento que se opuso al de gente de buen gusto, de buen tacto, de las buenas formas y del hablar con buen tono; que es la misma dicotomía entre gente sensible e insensible. A partir de esto, nos proponemos analizar algunos efectos de esta formación corporal, centrando el esfuerzo en la controversia suscitada cuando, en 1982, el mundo conoció que Gabriel García Márquez había ganado el Nobel de Literatura. Esto nos permite concluir que perdura una división de sujetos sociales anclada como base de la epistemología social que puede ser interpretada desde los conceptos de violencia epistémica o complejo de ilegitimidad.

PCN228 Delays in Time to Treatment Initiation and Its Associated Factors in Colombian Women with Cervical Cancer: A CROSS-Sectional Analysis

Cervical cancer (CC) is one of the leading causes of morbidity in upper-middle income countries such as Colombia. Several studies have reported poor prognosis when treatment is delayed. To describe the associated factors to delays in time to treatment initiation (TTI) in Colombian women with CC. Cross-sectional analysis including new cases of CC diagnosed during 2018 and reported to the National Administrative Cancer Registry, managed by the High Cost Account (CAC, by its acronym in Spanish). TTI was defined as days from diagnosis (clinical or histopathological) to the first treatment (chemotherapy, radiation or surgery). Associated factors were identified by estimating a linear model adjusted by age, stage, region of residence, health insurance, race/ethnicity and first treatment. 1,930 new cases of CC were included (27.72% in-situ and 38.08% advanced stages). Median age was 47 years (IQR: 37-59). Median TTI was 71 days (IQR: 42-105) and surgery was the most frequent treatment (31.30%, n=604). The longest TTI was observed for chemotherapy (median= 74 days, IQR: 38-113). TTI was significantly longer in women living in the Pacific region (β=10.64 days, CI 95%: 0.51-20.77, p=0.04), compared to Bogotá, the capital of Colombia. Women with state insurance had a significantly longer TTI than those insured by the third payer (β=18.35 days, CI 95%: 11.40-25.30, p=0.01). Demographic variables (region of residence and health insurance) which are proxies of social disparities and poor access to quality health care services, were associated with delays in TTI in Colombian women with CC.

Prediction of particle level behavior in atmospheric air based on laws of physics of motion and geographic interpolation

Given the global problem of high levels of pollutants in the atmosphere, it is essential to use tools to measure and determine these levels. Unfortunately, it is impossible to have devices that allow direct pollutants’ direct measurements in a place of interest. Due to this limitation, in this work, a computer tool was developed to predict contaminants’ behavior and their concentration levels in a reliable way. In this methodology, equations of the physics of motion were implemented to predict particles’ behavior in a given area and an interpolation technique based on the Kriging method. In the initial stage, a preliminary analysis of the pollution data of the city of Bogota, Colombia, downloaded from the Air quality monitoring network of Bogota, Colombia, was performed. In the next stage, the variables of most significant interest in the analysis were defined, and the data to be characterized is explored. Finally, the selected method’s calculation algorithm is implemented in Python, taking an ArcGIS library as a programming reference. From the results, it was possible to determine the contaminants’ levels for some regions of Bogota, Colombia, between values of 0.067 to a maximum weight of 0.4039 ¼g/m3, for January 2013.

Formación interdisciplinar STEAM + A: vocaciones por género y resultados de la experiencia

El presente artículo da cuenta de la implementación de una estrategia de apropiación social del conocimiento a través del semillero denominado STEAM +A el cual busca aportar al desarrollo social y económico del país a través de la promoción de vocaciones en ciencia, tecnología, ingeniería, artes y matemáticas en educación media articulada con educación superior. La experiencia adquirida ha generado la necesidad de validar, a través de un estudio observacional, la relación existente entre la percepción frente a las disciplinas STEAM +A y el género. En la recolección de información se implementó una encuesta de percepción que fue implementada en un periodo de dos años con un total de cinco mediciones. Debido a la fluctuación de los estudiantes en el servicio de educación pública de la ciudad de Bogotá D.C. (Colombia) la muestra presentó algunas modificaciones por lo que no se puede basar solo en los datos numéricos, sino que se requiere de información cualitativa para lograr una mayor comprensión de lo que sucede. Los resultados indican que no existe una asociación significativa entre el género y las vocaciones en las disciplinas anteriormente mencionadas.

Prevalence of skin diseases in children 1 to 6 years old in the city of Bogota, Colombia

BackgroundSkin diseases represent an important part of the morbidity among children and are possibly influenced by geographic, racial, social, cultural, and economic factors. Despite being so frequent around the world, skin diseases have not been important in developing strategies in public health. AimThe purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of skin diseases among the student population between 1 and 6 years of age in Bogotá, Colombia between March 2009 and June 2011. Materials and methodsThis cross-sectional study was performed across a probabilistic, stratified, randomized sampling by proportional assignment (based on locality and type of institution) and was developed in schools in Bogotá, Colombia. ResultsA total of 2437 children between 1 and 6 years of age were examined, and 42.8% (1035) presented a dermatologic disease. Papular urticaria was the most frequent (62.9%) (IC: 58.4%; 67.1%), followed by dermatitis/eczema (13.0%) (IC: 10.8%; 15.4%), and infectious diseases (12.3%) (IC: 9.7%; 15.3%). ConclusionThe research demonstrates a high prevalence of papular urticaria as a result of flea and mosquito bites and infectious diseases of the skin in the studied population. The dermatologic diseases found are easy to diagnose, respond to the proper treatment, and are preventable. However, the fact that many of the examined children likely had not visited the doctor for the detected pathology could indicate the lack of access to health services affecting this population.

Con los nervios de punta: de la medicalización a la psicologización de los quebrantos mentales en el trabajo. Bogotá y Medellín, 1898-1961

En este artículo se analizará el modo en que la neurastenia y la fatiga fueron objetivadas por la medicina dentro del ámbito laboral en las ciudades de Bogotá y Medellín, durante la primera mitad del siglo XX. De ahí la necesidad de tomar como referencia la identificación de los presuntos padecimientos ligados a la esfera del trabajo intelectual y físico. A la reivindicación de los comportamientos frugales para aminorar los efectos de aquellos padecimientos, se le vino a adicionar la creciente psicologización del mundo del trabajo promediando dicha centuria. Aquella psicologización se volvió una herramienta que amplió el espectro de la anormalidad, en medio de la metamorfosis experimentada por el aparato productivo y la diversificación de la estructura laboral a nivel nacional.

Riesgo en salud y habitabilidad de viviendas en zonas de alta vulnerabilidad en Bogotá, Colombia

Objetivos Evaluar las condiciones de habitabilidad de las viviendas y su incidencia sobre la salud en el sector de Mochuelo Bajo, en Bogotá (Colombia), en el marco del proyecto Hábitat Saludable, que es liderado por el Centro de estudios en Vivienda, Hábitat e Innovación Social (CENVIS).Métodos Se elaboró una herramienta de toma de información en campo sobre condiciones socioeconómicas y saludables de la unidad habitacional de familias adscritas al proyecto. Posteriormente, se realizó un análisis cuantitativo de la información recolectada para responder al objetivo de la investigación.Resultados Al aplicar la herramienta, se encontró: a) inadecuado abastecimiento, almacenamiento y manejo del agua potable, b) mala disposición de excretas humanas y desechos sólidos domiciliarios, c) mal manejo en el aprovechamiento del agua lluvia, d) inadecuada convivencia con animales domésticos y de consumo, e) contaminación del aire al interior y; f) sistemas autoconstrucción con materiales no seguros y sin asesoría técnica, además de construcción en terrenos inestables.Conclusiones En el sector de Mochuelo Bajo, existen falencias generalizables relacionadas con un inadecuado abastecimiento, almacenamiento y manejo del agua potable, una mala disposición de excretas humanas y de desechos sólidos domiciliarios. También respecto al manejo del agua lluvia, y la convivencia con animales tanto domésticos como de consumo.

Air traffic forecast and its impact on runway capacity. A System Dynamics approach

The uninterrupted growth of air traffic in Colombia has been reinforced since the 1990s by a public policy of liberalization of airspace, and by redirecting public and private investment towards the modernization and updating of airport infrastructures, giving in concession the busiest airports in the country, 19 to date. In the commercial air sector, and in this same period, the flag airline was privatized and new air operators, including low cost airlines (LCC), entered the market. Since 2012, air fares are completely deregulated. Consequently, in the last two and a half decades, passenger transport in Colombia grew by 863%. This important growth rate has been driven and led by the country's main airport, the Bogotá-El Dorado International Airport (BOG), in the capital of Colombia. But some technical reports consider the airport will reach its maximum capacity in the short term mainly because of its inability to expand its airfield (runway system). Due to this circumstance, the aeronautical public authority of Colombia gave course to the planning, design and construction of a new airport (complementary) on the outskirts of the city of Bogotá, which will enter the design phase in 2026/2027. Therefore, it is considered suitable the development of a traffic forecast for BOG in the medium term and to evaluate the impact of future demand on the runway capacity of the airport. Then, and due to the complexity of the air transport forecast, the use of System Dynamics (SD), is considered to be appropriate as an analysis approach. System Dynamics is based on feedback control theory and it is equipped with mathematical computer simulation models, which uses linear and non-linear differential equations. The results suggests a need to expand the airport case study (runway system) after mid-2019, where the current capacity utilization factor is around 100% and two to three runways will be required for the normal operation; after October 2022 the number runways required is set to three until the last period simulated (2023).