The relationship of drug reimbursement with the price and the quality of pharmaceutical innovations

This paper studies the strategic interaction between pharmaceutical firms' pricing decisions and government agencies' reimbursement decisions which discriminate between patients by giving reimbursement rights to patients for whom the drug is most effective. We show that if the reimbursement decision preceeds the pricing decision, the agency only reimburses some patients if the private and public health benefits from the new drug diverge. That is, when (i) there are large externalities of consuming the drug and (ii) the difference in costs between the new drug and the alternative treatment is large. Alternatively, if the firm can commit to a price in advance of the reimbursement decision, we identify a strategic effect which implies that by committing to a high price ex ante, the firm can force a listing outcome and make the agency more willing to reimburse than in the absence of commitment

Variable stars in the VVV globular clusters

Indexación: Scopus.The VVV survey observed some of the most crowded and most obscured regions in the inner Milky Way during the last years. A significant sample of the less known globular clusters in our galaxy lie there. Combining the high-resolution, wide-field, near infrared capabilities of the survey camera, the use of 5 different filters, and multi-epoch observations, we are able to overcome many of the previous challenges that prevented a proper study of these objects. Particularly, the identification of the RR Lyrae stars in these globular clusters is proving to be a fundamental tool to establish accurately their distances and reddenings, and to infer information about the Oosterhoff dichotomy that Galactic globular clusters seem to follow. © The Authors, published by EDP Sciences, 2017.https://www.epj-conferences.org/articles/epjconf/pdf/2017/21/epjconf_puls2017_01022.pd

Seasonal dynamic factor analysis and bootstrap inference : application to electricity market forecasting

Year-ahead forecasting of electricity prices is an important issue in the current context of electricity markets. Nevertheless, only one-day-ahead forecasting is commonly tackled up in previous published works. Moreover, methodology developed for the short-term does not work properly for long-term forecasting. In this paper we provide a seasonal extension of the Non-Stationary Dynamic Factor Analysis, to deal with the interesting problem (both from the economic and engineering point of view) of long term forecasting of electricity prices. Seasonal Dynamic Factor Analysis (SeaDFA) allows to deal with dimensionality reduction in vectors of time series, in such a way that extracts common and specific components. Furthermore, common factors are able to capture not only regular dynamics (stationary or not) but also seasonal one, by means of common factors following a multiplicative seasonal VARIMA(p,d,q)×(P,D,Q)s model. Besides, a bootstrap procedure is proposed to be able to make inference on all the parameters involved in the model. A bootstrap scheme developed for forecasting includes uncertainty due to parameter estimation, allowing to enhance the coverage of forecast confidence intervals. Concerning the innovative and challenging application provided, bootstrap procedure developed allows to calculate not only point forecasts but also forecasting intervals for electricity prices

Electricity Price Forecasting by Averaging Dynamic Factor Models

In the context of the liberalization of electricity markets, forecasting prices is essential. With this aim, research has evolved to model the particularities of electricity prices. In particular, dynamic factor models have been quite successful in the task, both in the short and long run. However, specifying a single model for the unobserved factors is difficult, and it cannot be guaranteed that such a model exists. In this paper, model averaging is employed to overcome this difficulty, with the expectation that electricity prices would be better forecast by a combination of models for the factors than by a single model. Although our procedure is applicable in other markets, it is illustrated with an application to forecasting spot prices of the Iberian Market, MIBEL (The Iberian Electricity Market). Three combinations of forecasts are successful in providing improved results for alternative forecasting horizons

Electricity Price Forecasting by Averaging Dynamic Factor Models

In the context of the liberalization of electricity markets, forecasting prices is essential. With this aim, research has evolved to model the particularities of electricity prices. In particular, dynamic factor models have been quite successful in the task, both in the short and long run. However, specifying a single model for the unobserved factors is difficult, and it cannot be guaranteed that such a model exists. In this paper, model averaging is employed to overcome this difficulty, with the expectation that electricity prices would be better forecast by a combination of models for the factors than by a single model. Although our procedure is applicable in other markets, it is illustrated with an application to forecasting spot prices of the Iberian Market, MIBEL (The Iberian Electricity Market). Three combinations of forecasts are successful in providing improved results for alternative forecasting horizons

Reelin sets the pace of neocortical neurogenesis

12 p., 7 figures and references.Migration of neurons during cortical development is often assumed to rely on purely post-proliferative reelin signaling. However, Notch signaling, long known to regulate neural precursor formation and maintenance, is required for the effects of reelin on neuronal migration. Here, we show that reelin gain-of-function causes a higher expression of Notch target genes in radial glia and accelerates the production of both neurons and intermediate progenitor cells. Converse alterations correlate with reelin lossof-function, consistent with reelin controlling Notch signaling during neurogenesis. Ectopic expression of reelin in isolated clones of progenitors causes a severe reduction in neuronal differentiation. In mosaic cell cultures, reelin-primed progenitor cells respond to wild-type cells by further decreasing neuronal differentiation, consistent with an increased sensitivity to lateral inhibition. These results indicate that reelin and Notch signaling cooperate to set the pace of neocortical neurogenesis, a prerequisite for proper neuronal migration and cortical layering.This work was supported in part by grants from the Generalitat Valenciana-Prometeo [2008-134 to L.G.-A.]; the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation [SAF2004-07685 to J.M.L.]; and the Fundación Médica Mutua Madrileña [to J.M.L.]. J.L. holds a Junta para la Ampliación de Estudios (JAE) Programme/Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) pre-doctoral fellowship.Peer reviewe

Complicaciones a corto plazo de la artroplastia total primaria de cadera

Objetivos: Se pretende analizar las principales complicaciones a corto plazo (seis semanas) tras la Artroplastia total primaria de cadera. ;aterial y métodos: Se revisaron todos los pacientes a los que se realizó artroplastia total de cadera durante el año 2003. Las variables estudiadas fueron el índice de luxaciones, sangrado, infección, fracturas periprotésicas, complicaciones vásculo-nerviosas y mortalidad. Resultados: Obtuvimos una tasa del 4,4% de luxaciones; 1,7% de trombosis venosa profunda con un 0,87% de embolismo pulmonar, 1,7% de infecciones superficiales sin casos de infección profunda. El 14,9% de los casos necesitaron una transfusión postquirúrgica. Intraoperatoriamente observamos apertura del cálcar en el 3,5%, y fracturas periprotésicas postoperatorias en el 0,87%. No registramos complicaciones neurológicas ni mortalidad en estas primeras seis semanas del estudio. Conclusiones: La complicación más frecuente es la luxación, fundamentalmente en los casos secundarios a fractura. La trombosis venosa profunda, a èsar de la profilaxis, continúa siendo una complicación frecuente.Objectives: Our purpose was to analyze the main early complications (six weeks) after primary total hip arthroplasty. Materials and Methods: All patients who had undergone primary total hip replacement during 2003 were reviewed. The studied outcomes were the rates of dislocation, blood loss, infection, periprosthetic fractures, neural and vascular complications, and mortality. Results: Our rates were 4,4% for hip dislocation, 1,7% for deep vein thrombosis with 0,87% for pulmonary embolism, 1,7% for wound infection without cases of deep infection. 14,9% of the patients needed postoperative transfusion. We reported 3,5% fractures of the calcar during surgery and 0,87% of postoperative periprosthetic fractures. We didn ́t reported any neural complications or mortality within six weeks postoperatively. Conclusions: The most frequent complication is dislocation, mainly in cases whose underlying diagnose was hip fracture. Although prophylaxis is done, deep vein thrombosis goes on being a frequent complication

Recomendaciones de dieta y ejercicio en niños y adolescentes

Los niños constituyen uno de los grupos vulnerables en el ámbito de la nutrición, el instaurar hábitos saludables de dieta y ejercicio durante la infancia conduciría a la prevención de muchas enfermedades crónicas (diabetes tipo II, hipertensión y obesidad entre otras), cada vez más frecuentes y de más temprana aparición en países desarrollados. Por otra parte, la actividad física habitual produce una sensación de bienestar general relacionada con la mejora dela auto-estima, entre sus efectos psicológicos positivos se encuentra un efecto antidepresivo y una mejora del control de la ansiedad y del stress. Por todos estos motivos, durante la infancia y la adolescencia se recomiendan programas de actividad física ya que éstos, se han asociado con beneficios de tipo fisiológico, sociológico y psicológico tanto a corto como a largo plazo