Strictness of Environmental Policy and Investment in Abatement

In this paper we model an oligopoly where .rms invest in abatement technologies and emissions are taxed by the government. We show that a stricter environmental policy does not necessarily lead to an increase in .rms.R&D investment into cleaner production methods. In fact, the emission-to-output ratio may be a U-shaped function of the environmental damage parameter. This result holds both when the government can commit and in the social optimum. When the government cannot commit, this relationship is ambiguous except in markets with few .rms. Our results further suggest that if the emission-to-output ratio is decreasing throughout, output is a U-shaped function of the environmental damage.Environmental innovation; environmental taxation; commitment; oligopoly

Entry and Exit in a Liberalised Market.

We analyze the determinants of entry and exit in the European Airline Markets in the post-liberalization period. Unlike previous studies, we find that the presence of charter or seasonal operators and the level of quality provided by the incumbents are relevant to explain entry and exit. Differential traits in the main low cost airlines' entry and exit behavior are also analysed.Entry, Exit, Airlines, Conditional Logit

El homicidio de sí mismo. Revisión histórica y estudio comparativo entre la Legislación española y francesa en materia de suicidio. Meurtre de soi-même.

La publicación en Francia, en 1982, del libro "Suicide mode d'emploi" suscitó, de manera casi generalizada, indignación y sorpresa, ya que muchas personas descubrieron que lo que para ellos era condenable moral, ética o deontológicamente, era, en cambio, totalmente legal según el ordenamiento jurídico francés, el cual, por aquel entonces, no disponía (a diferencia de otros países como España) de ninguna ley que impidiera la publicación del libro. Ello originó un largo debate social que tendría entre otras consecuencias la promulgación (cinco años después de la aparición del libro) de una ley penalizando la provocación al suicidio. Este trabajo analiza estos hechos recientes situándolos en un contexto histórico que tiene en cuenta el origen y la evolución de las respuestas de los grupos y sociedades frente al suicidio y, particularmente, las que se expresan a través de las leyes. Se estudiarán las circunstancias en las que emerge el ámbito de la psiquiatría en relación al "homicidio de sí mismo': y el problema reciente de la eutanasia. La investigación está centrada en torno a un estudio comparativo entre Francia y España

El homicidio de sí mismo. Revisión histórica y estudio comparativo entre la Legislación española y francesa en materia de suicidio. Meurtre de soi-même.

La publicación en Francia, en 1982, del libro "Suicide mode d'emploi" suscitó, de manera casi generalizada, indignación y sorpresa, ya que muchas personas descubrieron que lo que para ellos era condenable moral, ética o deontológicamente, era, en cambio, totalmente legal según el ordenamiento jurídico francés, el cual, por aquel entonces, no disponía (a diferencia de otros países como España) de ninguna ley que impidiera la publicación del libro. Ello originó un largo debate social que tendría entre otras consecuencias la promulgación (cinco años después de la aparición del libro) de una ley penalizando la provocación al suicidio. Este trabajo analiza estos hechos recientes situándolos en un contexto histórico que tiene en cuenta el origen y la evolución de las respuestas de los grupos y sociedades frente al suicidio y, particularmente, las que se expresan a través de las leyes. Se estudiarán las circunstancias en las que emerge el ámbito de la psiquiatría en relación al "homicidio de sí mismo': y el problema reciente de la eutanasia. La investigación está centrada en torno a un estudio comparativo entre Francia y España

The genetic contribution of the NO system at the glutamatergic post-synapse to schizophrenia : further evidence and meta-analysis

NO is a pleiotropic signaling molecule and has an important role in cognition and emotion. In the brain, NO is produced by neuronal nitric oxide synthase (NOS-I, encoded by NOS1) coupled to the NMDA receptor via PDZ. interactions; this protein-protein interaction is disrupted upon binding of NOS1 adapter protein (encoded by NOS1AP) to NOS-I. As both NOS1 and NOS1AP were associated with schizophrenia, we here investigated these genes in greater detail by genotyping new samples and conducting a meta-analysis of our own and published data. In doing so, we confirmed association of both genes with schizophrenia and found evidence for their interaction in increasing risk towards disease. Our strongest finding was the NOS1 promoter SNP rs41279104, yielding an odds ratio of 1.29 in the meta-analysis. As findings from heterologous cell systems have suggested that the risk allele decreases gene expression, we studied the effect of the variant on NOS1 expression in human post-mortem brain samples and found that the risk allele significantly decreases expression of NOS1 in the prefrontal cortex. Bioinformatic analyses suggest that this might be due the replacement of six transcription factor binding sites by two new binding sites as a consequence of proxy SNPs. Taken together, our data argue that genetic variance in NOS1 resulting in lower prefrontal brain expression of this gene contributes to schizophrenia liability, and that NOS1 interacts with NOS1AP in doing so. The NOS1-NOS1AP PDZ interface may thus well constitute a novel target for small molecules in at least some forms of schizophrenia. PostprintPeer reviewe

Are anti-ganglioside antibodies detectable in serum from patients with critical illness myopathy and polyneuropathy?

Introduction: Critical illness myopathy (CIM) and polyneuropathy (CIP) are the most common cause of acquired weakness in intensive care units (ICU). However, its exact pathogenesis remains unclear. Abnormal excitability of muscle due to a sodium channelopathy is one of the mechanisms proposed. The aim of this study is to test for the presence of anti-ganglioside antibodies in serum from patients with CIM or both combined CIM/CIP, since there is evidence that they can cause reversible dysfunction of voltage-gated sodium channels.Methods: In a prospective way, we studied 35 patients admitted in ICU by weekly EMG. When positive spontaneous activity (PSA) was detected, a muscle biopsy was performed. Twenty patients met criteria of CIM; five of them also developed overlapping CIP. We did not detect any kind of abnormality in 10 patients during the follow up period. Sera were analyzed for the presence of anti-ganglioside antibodies (Ganglioside-profile 2 Euroline, Euroimmun). Results: Overall, positive reactivity against anti-GT1b was found in one patient with CIM, representing 2.8% (1/35) of the total sample.Conclusion: Reduced percentage of patients affected of CIM or CIM/CIP exhibits positive reactive against anti-ganglioside antibodies. Thus, it could be suggested they do not play a primary role in their pathogenesis. Key words: Critical illness myopathy, critical illness polineuropathy, difficult weaning, channelopathy, muscle fiber inexcitability, anti-ganglioside antibodies  DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17268/rmt.2020.v15i01.0