Innovations and ICT: do they favour economic growth and environmental quality?

In this paper, we examine whether innovation and information and communication technology (ICT) contribute to reducing producer prices, thus promoting economic growth. We also check whether the contributions of ICT enhance environmental quality, leading to sustainable economic growth. To this end, we apply panel data techniques to the 27 EU countries over the period of recovery from the financial crisis. Our results suggest that technological progress leads to a significant reduction in producer prices. Moreover, controlling for some macroeconomics factors, ICT fosters per capita economic growth in the European countries. Finally, we found that the higher the ICT employment is, the lower greenhouse gas emissions ar

Sustainability of external imbalances in the OECD countries

The authors wish to thank three anonymous referees for helpful comments to a previous version. Financial support from the Spanish Institute for Fiscal Studies, the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Projects ECO2011-29314-C02-02–O. Bajo-Rubio and C. Díaz-Roldán– and ECO2011-30260-C03-01–V. Esteve–), and the Department of Education and Science of the regional government of Castilla-La Mancha (Project PEII09-0072-7392), is also gratefully acknowledged. V. Esteve also acknowledges support from the Generalitat Valenciana (Project GVPROMETEO2009-098)En este artículo, ofrecemos un test de la sostenibilidad de los desequilibrios exteriores en los países de la OCDE durante los años 1970-2007, es decir, antes del inicio de la crisis financiera internacional. En concreto, nos ocupamos del caso de aquellos países que han experimentado un déficit por cuenta corriente en más de la mitad de los años de todo el período de análisis, y abordar la reciente crítica de Bohn (2007) sobre la raíz unitaria y tests de cointegración de la restricción presupuestaria intertemporalIn this paper, we provide a test of the sustainability of external imbalances in the OECD countries over the years 1970-2007, i.e., before the beginning of the international financial crisis. Specifically, we deal with the case of those countries that have experienced current account deficits in more than half of the years throughout the period of analysis, and address the recent critique of Bohn (2007) on unit root and cointegration tests of the intertemporal budget constrain

Government deficit sustainability, and monetary versus fiscal dominance : the case of Spain, 1850-2000

The authors acknowledge financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Projects ECO2011-29314-C02-02–O. Bajo-Rubio and C. Díaz-Roldán– and ECO2011-30260-CO3-01 –V. Esteve–), and the Department of Education and Science of the regional government of Castilla-La Mancha (Project PEII09-0072-7392). V. Esteve also acknowledges support from the Generalitat Valenciana (Project GVPROMETEO2009-098)In this paper, we provide a test of the sustainability of the Spanish government deficit over the period 1850-2000, emphasizing the role played by monetary and fiscal dominance in order to get fiscal solvency. Since the condition of fiscal solvency was satisfied, government deficit would have been sustainable along the sample period. In addition, the whole period can be characterized as one of fiscal dominanceEn este artículo, ofrecemos un test de la sostenibilidad del déficit público español durante el periodo 1850-2000, haciendo hincapié en el papel desempeñado por la dominancia monetaria y fiscal con el fin de obtener la solvencia fiscal. Puesto que la condición de la solvencia fiscal estaba satisfecha, el déficit público habría sido sostenible a lo largo del período de la muestra. Además, todo el período puede ser caracterizado como uno de dominancia fisca

NUEVAS TECNOLOGÍAS Y COMPETITIVIDAD: IMPLICACIONES EN UNA UNIÓN MONETARIA

En este trabajo pretendemos analizar el modo en que la adopción de Nuevas Tecnologías (NTs) puede influir en la productividad del factor trabajo, el diferencial de precios y, por lo tanto, la competitividad de la economía. A tal fin, examinaremos brevemente las teorías explicativas sobre la productividad y los diferenciales de precios, así como las contribuciones empíricas sobre estas cuestiones. Finalmente, ilustraremos los efectos del uso de NTs para los países de la zona euro, utilizando los datos proporcionados por Eurostat. Nos centraremos en dos de las formas principales a través de las cuales las NTs podrían contribuir a mejorar la productividad del trabajo: a través de las externalidades derivadas del gasto en investigación y desarrollo, y del empleo en sectores intensivos en NTs

On the Vulnerability of Economies to Covid-19: An Empirical Approach

During the confinement due to the Covid-19 crisis, economies survived thanks to the available technology and changes of the production model. To study the vulnerability of the economies against the challenges of the recovery, in this paper, we study the role of some factors related to the development of productive sectors, the use of technology, and the structure of public finances. Using panel data estimations, for the European Union, we identify some characteristics that would help economies to boost economic growth. We find that the employment in sectors with a high technological content is the variable that most drives output growth

Derecho ex cathedra. 1847-1936 Diccionario de catedráticos españoles

Edición revisada 2020.Publicación de las entradas biográficas del Diccionario de catedráticos españoles de Derecho, accesible en http://www.uc3m.es/diccionariodecatedraticos. Al dar forma de libro al material hemos prescindido de algunos elementos informativos, que se mantienen en la página electrónica indicada. Se recogen ahora solamente a los ingresados en el cuerpo con anterioridad a la guerra civil.Publication of the biographical entries of the Diccionario de catedráticos españoles de Derecho, accessible at http://www.uc3m.es/diccionariodecatedraticos. By giving those material book form, we have dispensed with some informative elements, however kept on the web page. Only professors apointed prior to the Civil War are now included.Esta publicación forma parte del proyecto “La memoria del jurista español: génesis y desarrollo de las disciplinas jurídicas” (ref. DER2014-55035-C2-1-P/DER2014-55035-C2-2-P), financiado por el Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (España)

Treatment with tocilizumab or corticosteroids for COVID-19 patients with hyperinflammatory state: a multicentre cohort study (SAM-COVID-19)

Objectives: The objective of this study was to estimate the association between tocilizumab or corticosteroids and the risk of intubation or death in patients with coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) with a hyperinflammatory state according to clinical and laboratory parameters. Methods: A cohort study was performed in 60 Spanish hospitals including 778 patients with COVID-19 and clinical and laboratory data indicative of a hyperinflammatory state. Treatment was mainly with tocilizumab, an intermediate-high dose of corticosteroids (IHDC), a pulse dose of corticosteroids (PDC), combination therapy, or no treatment. Primary outcome was intubation or death; follow-up was 21 days. Propensity score-adjusted estimations using Cox regression (logistic regression if needed) were calculated. Propensity scores were used as confounders, matching variables and for the inverse probability of treatment weights (IPTWs). Results: In all, 88, 117, 78 and 151 patients treated with tocilizumab, IHDC, PDC, and combination therapy, respectively, were compared with 344 untreated patients. The primary endpoint occurred in 10 (11.4%), 27 (23.1%), 12 (15.4%), 40 (25.6%) and 69 (21.1%), respectively. The IPTW-based hazard ratios (odds ratio for combination therapy) for the primary endpoint were 0.32 (95%CI 0.22-0.47; p < 0.001) for tocilizumab, 0.82 (0.71-1.30; p 0.82) for IHDC, 0.61 (0.43-0.86; p 0.006) for PDC, and 1.17 (0.86-1.58; p 0.30) for combination therapy. Other applications of the propensity score provided similar results, but were not significant for PDC. Tocilizumab was also associated with lower hazard of death alone in IPTW analysis (0.07; 0.02-0.17; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Tocilizumab might be useful in COVID-19 patients with a hyperinflammatory state and should be prioritized for randomized trials in this situatio

Complement component C4 structural variation and quantitative traits contribute to sex-biased vulnerability in systemic sclerosis

Altres ajuts: Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER), "A way of making Europe".Copy number (CN) polymorphisms of complement C4 play distinct roles in many conditions, including immune-mediated diseases. We investigated the association of C4 CN with systemic sclerosis (SSc) risk. Imputed total C4, C4A, C4B, and HERV-K CN were analyzed in 26,633 individuals and validated in an independent cohort. Our results showed that higher C4 CN confers protection to SSc, and deviations from CN parity of C4A and C4B augmented risk. The protection contributed per copy of C4A and C4B differed by sex. Stronger protection was afforded by C4A in men and by C4B in women. C4 CN correlated well with its gene expression and serum protein levels, and less C4 was detected for both in SSc patients. Conditioned analysis suggests that C4 genetics strongly contributes to the SSc association within the major histocompatibility complex locus and highlights classical alleles and amino acid variants of HLA-DRB1 and HLA-DPB1 as C4-independent signals

Clonal chromosomal mosaicism and loss of chromosome Y in elderly men increase vulnerability for SARS-CoV-2

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) had an estimated overall case fatality ratio of 1.38% (pre-vaccination), being 53% higher in males and increasing exponentially with age. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, we found 133 cases (1.42%) with detectable clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations (mCA) and 226 males (5.08%) with acquired loss of chromosome Y (LOY). Individuals with clonal mosaic events (mCA and/or LOY) showed a 54% increase in the risk of COVID-19 lethality. LOY is associated with transcriptomic biomarkers of immune dysfunction, pro-coagulation activity and cardiovascular risk. Interferon-induced genes involved in the initial immune response to SARS-CoV-2 are also down-regulated in LOY. Thus, mCA and LOY underlie at least part of the sex-biased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in aging patients. Given its potential therapeutic and prognostic relevance, evaluation of clonal mosaicism should be implemented as biomarker of COVID-19 severity in elderly people. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, individuals with clonal mosaic events (clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations and/or loss of chromosome Y) showed an increased risk of COVID-19 lethality

Non-motor symptom burden in patients with Parkinson's disease with impulse control disorders and compulsive behaviours : results from the COPPADIS cohort

The study was aimed at analysing the frequency of impulse control disorders (ICDs) and compulsive behaviours (CBs) in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and in control subjects (CS) as well as the relationship between ICDs/CBs and motor, nonmotor features and dopaminergic treatment in PD patients. Data came from COPPADIS-2015, an observational, descriptive, nationwide (Spain) study. We used the validated Questionnaire for Impulsive-Compulsive Disorders in Parkinson's Disease-Rating Scale (QUIP-RS) for ICD/CB screening. The association between demographic data and ICDs/CBs was analyzed in both groups. In PD, this relationship was evaluated using clinical features and treatment-related data. As result, 613 PD patients (mean age 62.47 ± 9.09 years, 59.87% men) and 179 CS (mean age 60.84 ± 8.33 years, 47.48% men) were included. ICDs and CBs were more frequent in PD (ICDs 12.7% vs. 1.6%, p < 0.001; CBs 7.18% vs. 1.67%, p = 0.01). PD patients had more frequent previous ICDs history, premorbid impulsive personality and antidepressant treatment (p < 0.05) compared with CS. In PD, patients with ICDs/CBs presented younger age at disease onset, more frequent history of previous ICDs and premorbid personality (p < 0.05), as well as higher comorbidity with nonmotor symptoms, including depression and poor quality of life. Treatment with dopamine agonists increased the risk of ICDs/CBs, being dose dependent (p < 0.05). As conclusions, ICDs and CBs were more frequent in patients with PD than in CS. More nonmotor symptoms were present in patients with PD who had ICDs/CBs compared with those without. Dopamine agonists have a prominent effect on ICDs/CBs, which could be influenced by dose