Trade, input output linkages, and productivity

This thesis investigates various aspects of international trade. In the first chapter, I study the effect of exporting on firms productivity. Specifically, I examine the extent to which export shocks are transmitted along the production chain through input-output linkages. I find that when firms expand into foreign markets, the increase in the derived demand for intermediates boosts the productivity of domestic input suppliers. In the second chapter, I focus on the determinants of markups at firm-product level. I find that when firms start to export new products, the effect on markups depends on the product characteristics. While, on average, markup adjustments do not appear to play a role, for more differentiated products I find evidence of an increase in markups. In the third chapter, I study the relation between exports and patent innovation. Results show that export shocks have a positive effect on firms' innovation. Firms invest the extra profits from the export market to finance the sunk costs of innovation.Aquesta tesi investiga diversos aspectes del comerç internacional. En el primer capìtol analitzo els efectes de l'exportaciò sobre la productivitat de les empreses. En particular, estudio en quina mesura els xocs d'exportaciò es transmeten al llarg de la cadena de producciò a travès d'enllaços input-output. Trobo que quan les empreses s'expandeixen en els mercats estrangers, l'augment de la demanda derivada d'inputs intermedis impulsa la productivitat dels proveïdors d'aquests inputs. En el segon capìtol em centro en quins sòn els determinants dels mark-ups a nivell dels productes de cada empresa. Trobo que quan les empreses comencen a exportar nous productes, els efectes sobre els mark-ups depenen de les caracterìstiques dels productes. Mentre que en mitjana els ajustaments dels mark-ups no semblen exercir cap rol, si que ho fan per als productes mès diferenciats. En el tercer capìtol estudio la relaciò entre l'exportaciò i l'innovaciò de patents. Els resultats mostren que els xocs d'exportaciò tenen un efecte positiu en les empreses d'innovaciò. Les empreses inverteixen els beneficis addicionals del mercat d'exportaciò per finançar els costos enfonsats de la innovaciò

Management practices and resilience to shocks: Evidence from COVID-19

We use the spread of COVID-19 in Italy, the first Western country hit by the pandemic, to investigate the role of structured management practices in responding to a large shock. We exploit a survey eliciting expected sales growth for 2020 to set up a Difference-in-Difference analysis with repeated cross-sections, leveraging the fact that the data collection began prior to the pandemic and continued throughout its spread. We find a sizable effect of such practices on firm performance: a one-standard-deviation increase in the management score increases expected sales growth by 2.3%, against an average drop of 8.3%. Results are confirmed with actual sales growth. Firms with more structured practices were more likely to implement a comprehensive set of changes, including a more intense use of remote work

NIPAT as Non-Invasive Prenatal Paternity Testing Using a Panel of 861 SNVs

In 1997, it was discovered that maternal plasma contains Cell-Free Fetal DNA (cffDNA). cffDNA has been investigated as a source of DNA for non-invasive prenatal testing for fetal pathologies, as well as for non-invasive paternity testing. While the advent of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) led to the routine use of Non-Invasive Prenatal Screening (NIPT or NIPS), few data are available regarding the reliability and reproducibility of Non-Invasive Prenatal Paternity Testing (NIPPT or NIPAT). Here, we present a non-invasive prenatal paternity test (NIPAT) analyzing 861 Single Nucleotide Variants (SNV) from cffDNA through NGS technology. The test, validated on more than 900 meiosis samples, generated log(CPI)(Combined Paternity Index) values for designated fathers ranging from +34 to +85, whereas log(CPI) values calculated for unrelated individuals were below −150. This study suggests that NIPAT can be used with high accuracy in real cases

Linee Guida per la repertazione di tracce biologiche per le analisi di genetica forense nel percorso assistenziale delle vittime di violenza sessuale e/o maltrattamento

Finalit\ue0: lo scopo delle linee guida \ue8 quello di pianificare l\u2019intervento dei professionisti della salute coinvolti nella repertazione di tracce biologiche nei casi di violenza sessuale e/o maltrattamento, dichiarati o sospetti. Gli obiettivi sono: - facilitare e standardizzare l\u2019espletamento delle procedure e dei rilievi necessari; - garantire la completa ottemperanza degli obblighi di legge in tema di maltrattamento e/o violenza sessuale; - ottemperare agli obblighi di rilevamento delle prove e della catena di custodia, al fine di assicurare valenza probatoria delle fonti di prova, specie se accertamenti irripetibili; - fornire anche un valido strumento per la formulazione di una diagnosi o di un sospetto diagnostico di violenza sessuale e/o maltrattamento, in particolare nei minori. Campo di applicazione: le presenti linee guida trovano applicazione nel percorso assistenziale di minori e/o adulti vittime di violenza sessuale e/o maltrattamento. Le presenti linee guida devono essere considerate a completamento dei protocolli per il percorso assistenziale delle vittime di abuso sessuale e/o maltrattamento in uso presso le strutture ospedaliere/universitarie e presso i centri di accoglienza. Le raccomandazioni generali contenute rappresentano i \u201crequisiti minimi\u201d che potranno essere implementati nelle singole realt\ue0 sanitarie

The instruments used by the Italian centres for cognitive disorders and dementia to diagnose mild cognitive impairment (MCI)

Aims: The purpose of this study was to examine the tools used in Italy to diagnose mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Methods: In collaboration with the Luigi Amaducci Research Consortium, the Italian Network of Alzheimer Evaluation Units prepared a questionnaire to describe how MCI is diagnosed in the Italian Centres for cognitive disorders and dementia (CCDD). Results: Most of the ninety-two CCDDs participating in the survey were located in hospitals (54.7%); large percentages were coordinated by neurologists (50.8%) and geriatricians (44.6%). Almost all (98.5%) used the Mini Mental State Examination to diagnose MCI; the Clock Drawing Test was also frequently used (83.9%). Other neuropsychological, imaging and biomarker tests were utilized less frequently and a wide diversity in the instruments used was noted. Conclusions: According to the results, diagnoses of MCI are based on a multitude of instruments, with major differences in the clinical assessment of geriatricians and neurologists. Standardized testing protocols, validated instruments and cut-off points need to be identified and adopted by the CCDDs for assessing MCI