José Ramón García

Optimal Taxation and Public Expenditure in a Model of Endogenous Growth

This paper analyses the optimal choice of fiscal policy in a model where public spending enters the production and utility functions and can be financed using flat rate taxes on consumption and on capital and labor incomes. Within this framework we generalize some previous results in the literature. Our results show that the optimal tax structure involves positive values of all the tax rates, which depend on structural parameters and how the returns to public capital are appropriated by private factors. We also conclude that the correct allocation of public spending is more important for welfare than the choice of the tax structure.

Intravenous BQ-123 and phosphoramidon reduce ventricular ectopic beats and myocardial infarct size in dogs submitted to coronary occlusion and reperfusion.

The aim of this work was to investigate the influence of endothelin on myocardial ischemia and reperfusion in anaesthetized dogs. Animals were submitted to left thoracotomy and 120 min of left anterior descending coronary occlusion, followed by 180 min of reperfusion. Arterial blood pressure and electrocardiogram (ECG) were recorded in order to analyze heart rate (HR)-pressure product and production of ectopic beats. Infarcted areas were identified by a macroscopic staining method and infarct size was expressed as percentage of risk zone. To inhibit the effects of endothelin in a group of animals, we administered intravenously an endothelin synthesis inhibitor (phosphoramidon) and in another group, an endothelin-1 A receptor blocker (BQ-123). Phosphoramidon decreased the HR-pressure product during reperfusion period, and both, phosphoramidon and BQ-123 decreased infarct size by 40% and the number of ventricular ectopic beats by 88% and 68%, respectively, as compared to the saline treated dogs. In conclusion, endothelin seems to play a deleterious role on the myocardium submitted to ischemia and reperfusion.

Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Cognitive Correlates of FDDNP PET and CSF Amyloid-β and Tau in Parkinson’s Disease1

Tau and amyloid-β (Aβ) aggregates have been suggested to play a role in the development of dementia in Parkinsons disease (PD). Positron emission tomography (PET) with [18F]FDDNP and the determination of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of these proteins constitute a means to visualize in vivo Aβ and tau brain accumulation. Information about longitudinal changes of these CSF and PET biomarkers in PD with regard to progression to dementia is lacking. We assessed the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of CSF and PET biomarkers of tau and Aβ with PD-related cognitive dysfunction in 6 healthy-controls (HC), 16 patients with PD without dementia (PDND), and 8 PD with dementia (PDD). All subjects underwent comprehensive neuropsychological testing, [18F]FDDNP PET, and CSF Aβ-tau determination. After 18 months, the PDND group was re-assessed clinically and by neuropsychological, PET, and CSF determinations. Cross-sectionally, PDD had higher [18F]FDDNP binding in lateral temporal regions and lower levels of CSF Aβ levels compared to PDND, with a congruent correlation between the [18F]FDDNP binding and CSF Aβ levels. Longitudinally, higher baseline lateral temporal [18F]FDDNP binding was associated to longitudinal worsening in cognitive performances and progression to dementia among subjects classified as PDND at baseline, who additionally disclosed at follow-up an increase in lateral-temporal FDDNP binding, as well as a reduction in CSF Aβ and an increase in CSF tau levels. These results confirm the relevance of these CSF and PET biomarkers to PDD, being specifically the first to show [18F]FDDNP PET as a dementia risk biomarker in PD, along with longitudinal CSF and PET changes over time.

18F-FDG PET/CT in the Staging and Management of Breast Cancer: Value in Disease Outcome and Planning Therapy.

In hormone receptor-positive locally advanced breast cancer, endocrine therapy becomes an integral part of the therapeutic strategy. There are now significant numbers of available hormonal directed compounds, including selective aromatase and mTOR inhibitors, which allow an important therapeutic advance in these patients. Sequential F-FDG PET/CT studies provided essential information regarding response to different treatments, including targeted therapies, and adverse therapeutic effects that helped to better define the right moment to implement each therapeutic approach.

Frictional and Non-Frictional Unemployment in a Labor Market with Matching Frictions

Using the Mortensen and Pissarides model of a labor market with frictions, this paper proposes a new method, simpler than the one presented in Michaillat (2012), for decomposing unemployment into frictional and non-frictional (rationing) unemployment for a derived rigid wage-setting rule. We use it to compute the frictional and non frictional unemployment rate for two economies characterized by different labor market institutions, namely the US and the Spanish economy. For the entire period under study, the US frictional unemployment rate is around 36 per cent of total unemployment, whereas for Spain, approximately 20 per cent of all unemployment is due to frictions. This outcome may be explained by the fact that Spain is a country with more labor market rigidities than the US. The empirical results obtained with our method are also consistent with the main result of Michaillat (2012): in both countries, non-frictional unemployment increases in recessions.

Abstract P6-09-33: CASCADE study: Rapid survival decline per treatment line in metastatic breast cancer

BACKGROUND: Appraisal of the impact that current therapeutic strategies of advanced breast cancer (ABC) have on the survival expectancy, is vital to understand the prognosis of this disease. This entails assessing simultaneously the tumour phenotype and the therapeutic approach used per line of treatment. CASCADE is an epidemiological, retrospective, multicenter study aimed to retrieve demographic and clinical information from a representative cohort of ABC patients treated within the Spanish National Healthcare System. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 13 Spanish public hospitals serving nearly 5M inhabitants (~10% of the national population) identified 422 ABC patients between 01/2007 and 12/2008 who received active treatment for their disease and were followed until death, lost to follow-up, or until December 2013. Overall Survival (OS) was analysed per tumour immunotype and treatment line from the diagnosis until a minimum of 10 patients were still evaluable. OS resulting from the different therapeutic approaches per line was also revised. Data collected included demographical, pathological, diagnostic, and therapeutic information for the entire follow-up. Descriptive statistics were applied (Methods previously described in SABCS 2015 Poster P3-07-39). RESULTS : Remarkably, by the 2 nd line of treatment, on average, one third of the OS is already gone. Tumour type imposes clear differences in this decline rate. As expected, triple-negative patients have the shortest survival expectancy at diagnosis, but their OS attrition rate is the slowest compared to the other subgroups (Table 1). OS time derived from the five mayor therapeutic approaches used at any given line, could only be registered for chemotherapy, hormone therapy and chemo + anti-HER2 therapy. Regardless of their treatment history, patients treated exclusively with hormone therapy portray a less aggressive behaviour than those treated with chemotherapy only, resembling the natural history of HER2-/HR+ and triple-negative phenotypes (Table 2). CONCLUSION : Chances to benefit from effective treatments may be jeopardized if their start is postponed to late lines. Only the most widely used therapies and, ultimately chemotherapy, hold until very late in the treatment of the advanced disease. Citation Format: Garcia J, De La Haba J, Servitja S, Santaballa A, De Paz L, Plata Y, Garau I, Florian J, Chacon JI, Garcia P, Zamora P, Orcajo L, Rodriguez-Villanueva J, San Jose B, Martinez E, Segui MA. CASCADE study: Rapid survival decline per treatment line in metastatic breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2016 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-09-33.

Monopolistic Competition and Different Wage Setting Systems

In this paper we match the static disequilibrium unemployment model without frictions in the labor market and monopolistic competition with an infinite horizon model of growth. We compare the wages set at the firm, sector and national (centralized) levels, their unemployment rates and growth of the economic variables, for the Cobb-Douglas production function, in order to see under wich conditions the inverse U hypothesis between unemployment and centralization of wage bargain is confirmed. We also analyze, in the three wage setting systems, the effect of an increase in the monopoly power on employment and growth.