Import demand with product differentiation: disaggregated estimation of italian sectoral elasticities.

This paper focuses on the estimation of sectoral import demand for Italy with European Union Countries, Japan, Canada and the United States. A strong evidence of two-way flows and product differentiation is an accepted regularity of the international trade. Given that, we have tried to include considerations of differentiation in the empirical analysis. Starting from the very disaggregated bilateral trade data (5 digit Sitc Rev. 3) we have classified every and each flow as homogeneous, quality differentiated and non-quality differentiated, using the methodologies developed by Abd-El-Rahman (1986) and Freudenberg and Müller (1992). Then we have included this classification in our econometric estimates of the sectoral import demands. That should increase precision of the estimate, because allow to divide homogeneous from not homogeneous goods in the estimation procedures. Our results suggest a dynamic reaction of italian imports in many sectors, pointing to possible competitive problems for the firms and external balance constraint for the country.

Trade of quality differentiated goods and import elasticities.

This paper focus on the analysis of import demand functions in presence of quality differentiated products. This issue is more and more relevant because of the strong evidence of such kind of differentiation. Here we first derive individual elasticities, then we aggregate them to the national level without referring to the representative consumer hypothesis. We find that quality reduces reaction to prices without affecting that to income. Interestingly at the national level it seems to emerge that richer country should have imports less reactive to prices. That imply that they could be easily able to move towards high quality-high price production without external balance and competitive problems. The opposite seems to be true for poorer countries. Finally, we show that overlooking quality variables in the estimation generate underestimates of the elasticities to relative prices and to income.

New comparative advantages in the Central and Eastern European countries

Central and Eastern European Countries have increased the weight of international trade on their GDP and the role of Foreign Direct Investment. Some are key final market for EU companies. Their integration, though, has been triggered by outsourcing and offshoring. Data show that their industrial structure is evolving towards new specialisation in the backward phase of the production process. Central European countries’ competitiveness in traditional clothing and fashion sectors is decreasing, while Eastern countries are improving. The comparative advantage in some advanced sectors, instead, are on the rise. This happen, mainly, in the “parts and intermediates” categories both as for import and as for export. Such division of labour suggest that Central and Eastern European countries are complementary to EU competitiveness. They contribute to keep costs under control. This may harm Italian firms’ competitiveness if the don’t follow the same practices as other companies. Finally, the Italian firms engaged in assemblying activities without own brands might be hit by such practices.

Risk of the Chinese trade integration for the Italian trade specialisation

The move towards export-oriented development strategies by China has increased concerns about the ability of Italian manifactures to effectively face price competition from emerging economies. This paper explores the hypothesis that the superior quality of Italian goods could support Italian competitiveness, using Spain as a benchmark. The data confirm that, although Italian and Chinese specialisation patterns are very similar, there is no widespread overlapping at the product level, and when there is, Italian goods show a higher quality level. Nonetheless, during the last decade, trade overlap increased and quality gap narrowed, suggesting that China is putting increasing competitive pressures on Italian manufacturing. In order to maintain its qualitative advantage, there is urgent need in Italy for an increase in investment in product upgrading and innovation.

Arthroscopic Lateral Retinacular Release and Modified Goldthwait Technique for Patellar Instability

Surgical options for patellofemoral (PF) disorders include proximal or distal realignment, cartilage restoration techniques, open or arthroscopic lateral retinacular release, and medial soft-tissue reefing. Skeletal immaturity and donor- site morbidity can be of concern in most reconstructive procedures. The Goldthwait procedure with hemi-patellar transfer and medialization combined with arthroscopic lateral retinacular release results in medialization of the PF contact point in flexion and corrects maltracking to prevent recurrent patellar dislocation. This functional procedure is indicated for PF instability and has historically been used in children to accommodate the immaturity of the tibial tubercle and physis. The purpose of surgical correction is to improve PF tracking, reducing the lateralizing forces on the patella with the correction of the Q angle (angle between the quadriceps tendon and patellar tendon). The purpose of this Technical Note was to describe, in detail, arthroscopic lateral retinacular release combined with the modified Goldthwait procedure for recurrent patellar instability

Low dose rate brachytherapy (LDR-BT) as monotherapy for early stage prostate cancer in Italy: practice and outcome analysis in a series of 2237 patients from 11 institutions

OBJECTIVE: Low-dose-rate brachytherapy (LDR-BT) in localized prostate cancer is available since 15 years in Italy. We realized the first national multicentre and multidisciplinary data collection to evaluate LDR-BT practice, given as monotherapy, and outcome in terms of biochemical failure. METHODS: Between May 1998 and December 2011, 2237 patients with early-stage prostate cancer from 11 Italian community and academic hospitals were treated with iodine-125 ((125)I) or palladium-103 LDR-BT as monotherapy and followed up for at least 2 years. (125)I seeds were implanted in 97.7% of the patients: the mean dose received by 90% of target volume was 145 Gy; the mean target volume receiving 100% of prescribed dose (V100) was 91.1%. Biochemical failure-free survival (BFFS), disease-specific survival (DSS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated using Kaplan-Meier method. Log-rank test and multivariable Cox regression were used to evaluate the relationship of covariates with outcomes. RESULTS: Median follow-up time was 65 months. 5- and 7-year DSS, OS and BFFS were 99 and 98%, 94 and 89%, and 92 and 88%, respectively. At multivariate analysis, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network score (p < 0.0001) and V100 (p = 0.09) were correlated with BFFS, with V100 effect significantly different between patients at low risk and those at intermediate/high risk (p = 0.04). Short follow-up and lack of toxicity data represent the main limitations for a global evaluation of LDR-BT. CONCLUSION: This first multicentre Italian report confirms LDR-BT as an excellent curative modality for low-/intermediate-risk prostate cancer. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: Multidisciplinary teams may help to select adequately patients to be treated with brachytherapy, with a direct impact on the implant quality and, possibly, on outcome

Funzioni di domanda di importazioni: l'impatto della differenziazione del prodotto, del commercio intra-industriale e della selezione dei modelli

Dottorato di ricerca in economia politica. 12. ciclo. Relatore G. ContiConsiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche - Biblioteca Centrale - P.le Aldo Moro, 7, Rome; Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale - P.za Cavalleggeri, 1, Florence / CNR - Consiglio Nazionale delle RichercheSIGLEITItal

Trade of quality differentiated goods and import elasticities

This paper studies imports of quality products. The issue is more and more relevant because of the strong evidence of such differentiation in international trade. We first derive individual demand, then we aggregate without using the representative consumer hypothesis. We find that quality reduces reaction of imports to prices without affecting reaction to income. At the national level, it emerges that imports of richer country are less reactive to prices. Such countries can easily switch to high quality-high price productions without trade balance and competitive problems. The opposite seems true for poorer countries. Finally, quality causes parameter non-constancies in estimation and overlooking this determinant of imports causes underestimates of elasticities in absolute value.Import demand; Quality differentiation; Price and income elasticity.