Los Hot Spots: ¿Una alternativa para reducir los niveles de delincuencia en Bogotá?

El interés de esta monografía es analizar la incidencia de la estrategia de seguridad ciudadana de los Hot Spots en los niveles de delincuencia de Bogotá durante el periodo de la Alcaldía de Samuel Moreno 2009-2011, tomando como casos de estudio la Avenida 19 y la Zona Rosa (Chicó El Lago). Esta investigación se realiza desde los conceptos teórico-prácticos que ha arrojado el modelo de Hot Spot tras su aplicación en 18 ciudades del mundo, y que sirven como herramienta para analizar las transformaciones del delito en las zonas de estudio. De esta manera se avanza hacia el resultado que permite identificar los factores que impidieron que el modelo de Hot Spots se formulara y ejecutara efectivamente y por lo tanto no disminuyera los niveles de delincuencia en Bogotá.

Family Characterization of Young Experimental Consumers of Psychoactive Substances Seen in the Toxicology Department at Colsubsidio

This investigation characterized families of adolescents experimenting with psychoactive substances (PAS) consumption. Materials and methods: For this purpose, a qualitative study with a hermeneutical emphasis was conducted among a population of adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 who have experimented with PAS. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with patients and their families employing a flexible protocol of 14 categories. Results: The findings showed low levels of family cohesion and sense of family identity, inconsistency between educational patterns followed by the parents, as well as deficient parental support. Similarly, the findings indicate significant peer influence during the first stages of consumption of illegal substances. In this regard, the findings suggest that more than providing physical satisfaction, consumption represents a form of acquiring prestige and social position while granting a sensation of psychological, emotional and social well-being. Conclusions: Parental influence was also found considerable in regarding the consumption of legal PAS, like alcohol and tobacco. The study identified as a high-priority need to promote and incorporate communication and conflict resolution skills within the family dynamics by means of prevention and monitoring programs. Those skills and programs would be aimed at providing parents of adolescents experimenting with PAS consumption with new educational tools to orientate new raising guidelines so as to respond appropriately to the problems identified in this study.

Deletion Analysis of 15 exons located outside and inside a “Hot Spot” in the Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy gene in Duchenne’s Muscular dystrophy patients

Introduction. Duchenne and Becker Muscular Dystrophies (DMD/DMB) are X-linked recessive diseases characterized by progressive muscle weakness and wasting, loss of motor skills and death after the second decade of life. Deletions are the most prevalent mutations that affect the dystrophin gene, which spans 79 exons.Objective: Identify deletions on the dystrophin gene in 58 patients affected with DMD.Methods: Through multiplex PCR identify deletions on the dystrophin gene in 58 patients with DMD and observe the frequency of this mutation in our population.Results: We found deletions in 1.72% of patients (1 of 58 persons). Deletions were not the principal cause of disease in our population. It is possible that duplications and point mutations caused this illness in our patients.Conclusions: The frequency of deletions in the 15 exons analyzed from the dystrophin gene was low. The predominant types of mutation in our patients` samples were not deletions as has been observed in the literature worldwide, therefore, it is important to determine other types of mutations as are duplications and point mutations.

"Tell me who you hang out with": Classroom peer effects on psychoactive substances consumption

I look for classroom peer effects for psychoactive substance consumption among Colombian high school students and attempt to identify channels that rationalize for these effects. To do so, I use data for Colombian schools from 2011. I identify peer effects using household consumption behavior to instrument average classroom consumption. I find that an increase of 10% in the proportion of classroom users of alcohol, cannabis, and cocaine increases the probability of students to use alcohol, cannabis, and cocaine in 3.14%, 4.29%, and 2.38% respectively. I find no significant effect on cigarette smoking for the full sample but after exploring heterogeneous effects I find suggestive evidence that the effect is positive in some grades. I find some evidence that indicate that peer effects on alcohol, cannabis, and cocaine consumption operate through risk perception and easiness of access to psychoactive substances, meaning that the increase of likelihood of consumption could be explained because it is easier to access to drugs for students that interact with consumers or because a decrease in the risk students perceive of consuming these substances. Finally, through the use of a SUR and a 3SLS estimator I find strong correlations between smoking cigarettes and consuming cannabis (55 %), and cocaine (60 %).