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Exporting firms frequently change the set of foreign markets they serve: changes in the pattern of destinations for a firm's product convey information on unobservable factors affecting pricing and market participation. Building on this insight, we show how to construct a "trade-pattern" fixed effect estimator that helps reduce omitted variable and selection biases in analyses of pricing-to-market. Using this estimator and a new product classification, we document substantial markup elasticities to the exchange rate among exporters of highly differentiated goods, accounting for half of China's exports. Conversely, we find little evidence of pricing-to-market in the trade of less differentiated goods.

For the period 2013–2019, and a sample of 356 LSE stocks, we find that common short sold capital is positively and significantly associated with future four-factor residual return correlation, controlling for many pair characteristics, including similarities in size, book-to-market, and momentum. The relationship disappears for illiquid stock pairs, whereas it strengthens when short positions originate from informed agents, such as hedge funds, active investors, and short sellers with high past performance. This supports the hypothesis that the relationship is driven by information, rather than by price pressure. We show that these results can be used to obtain diversification benefits.

Discards remain among the main negative impacts of fishing activities, and their reductions are strengthened by the European Common Fisheries Policy (European Regulation 1380/2013). Trammel net fisheries appear more sustainable compared with other fishing techniques, especially from an ecological viewpoint. Despite this, reports show that trammel net fisheries deliver discard quantities between 10% and 43% of the total catch biomass. To supplement existing information, this current work attempts to address the discard reduction using guarding net in the small-scale fisheries of Egadi Islands MPA (Western Sicily, Central Mediterranean Sea). To assess the reduction of unwanted catches, 48 experimental fishing trials were conducted within a 6-month period. The experimental fishing trial employed a trammel net made up of 20 panels alternated with two different net configurations. The control panels (CN) held a large outer (180 mm) and small inner (31.25 mm) meshes. The test panels (GN) with guarding net constituted a three-mesh-high (50-mm mesh size) net placed between trammel net panels and a lead line. A total of 3,310 individuals belonging to 106 taxa and nine phyla were caught. Crustaceans were the most abundant unwanted catches in the control panels, whereas bioconstructions occurred in the guarding net panels. The discard ratios of CN and GN panels were statistically different (t-value = –2.55; p< 0.05). The analysis of catch per unit effort showed higher catches of CN panels for both commercial and discard fractions (p< 0.05). Moreover, the guarding net panels caught the main discarded species at 20% lower compared with the control. The overall value of the catch at the CN panels (€ 3,366.90) was higher than the total income (€ 2,043.70) generated using the GN panels, which suggests a significant commercial loss of 40% (p< 0.05).

Background. Major trauma describes serious injuries requiring lifesaving interventions or resulting in long-term disability; it represents about 8% of all deaths worldwide. Specific guidelines can help reduce deaths and disabilities, provided they adhere to high quality and trustworthiness standards. This article aims at introducing the development process of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità, ISS (Italian National Institute of Health) guideline for major trauma integrated management. Methods. We applied the ISS methodological standards including the GRADE-ADOLOPMENT approach for adoption, adaptation, and de novo development of trustworthy guidelines. Results. The scope was formulated by the multidisciplinary panel with stakeholders’ involvement; two guidelines were identified as appropriate sources for adolopment. Forty questions from the two source guidelines were prioritised and five new ones formulated. New systematic reviews or updates were conducted for each clinical question, Evidence to Decision frameworks developed or re-assessed and the recommendations formulated after public consultations and external review. The policy on conflicts of interest was applied throughout the process. Conclusions. Through a broad expertise representation, the early and wide stakeholders’ participation, a continual process for disclosure and management of conflict of interests and the transparency of the process, ISS standards are proving to be an efficient model for developing trustworthy clinical guidance.

We show that common short sold capital can explain future four-factor excess return correlation one month ahead, controlling for many pair characteristics, including similarities in size, book-to-market, and momentum. We explore the possible explanations that could give rise to this result. Contrary to the predictions of price pressure, we find that the relationship weakens significantly with stock illiquidity. Instead, consistent with the informed trading hypothesis, the relationship is stronger when short positions originate from hedge funds, from active investors, and from short sellers with high past performance. Stocks connected by common short sellers are associated with non-transitory negative cumulative abnormal returns. Finally, we show that our results can be used to obtain diversifications benefits.

On July 7th 2018 a specimen of Mediterranean dealfish (Trachipterus trachypterus Gmelin 1789) was caught in the shallow waters of Selinunte (in the South-Western coast of Sicily) by trammel net. It was a female in maturing phase and the gonadosomatic index resulted as 1.1%. The specimen measured 1638 mm in total length and weighed about 2480 g. The estimated age through growth increments in vertebra was of 41 years. The finding of the Mediterranean dealfish in the Strait of Sicily might be linked to its spawning period during which it approaches the shallow waters. The present specimen represents the first record in the Strait of Sicily.

Background We conducted a systematic review to evaluate and compare the accuracy of pre-hospital triage tools for major trauma in the context of the development of the Italian National Institute of Health guidelines on major trauma integrated management. Methods PubMed, Embase, and CENTRAL were searched up to November 2019 for studies investigating pre-hospital triage tools. The ROC (receiver operating characteristics) curve and net clinical benefit for all selected triage tools were performed. Quality assessment was performed using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies–2. Certainty of the evidence was judged with the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. Results We found 15 observational studies of 13 triage tools for adults and 11 for children. In adults, according to the ROC curve and the net clinical benefit, the most reliable tool was the Northern French Alps Trauma System (TRENAU), adopting injury severity score (ISS) > 15 as reference (sensitivity (Sn), 0.92; specificity (Sp), 0.41; 1 study; sample size, 2572; high certainty of the evidence). When mortality as reference was considered, the pre-hospital triage tool with the best net clinical benefit trajectory was the New Trauma Score (NTS) < 18 (Sn, 0.82; Sp, 0.86; 1 study; sample size, 1001; moderate certainty of the evidence). In children, high variability among all triage tools for sensitivity and specificity was found. Conclusion Sensitivity and specificity varied across all available pre-hospital trauma triage tools. TRENAU and NTS are the best accurate triage tools for adults, whereas in the pediatric area a large variability prevents any firm conclusion.

Il s'agit d'un article correspondant à une communication orale en conférence (IX Symposium of the Mediterranean Pig, Portalegre, Portugal, 3-5 Nov 2016); International audience; The paper reports the results of a survey on the demographic and phenotypic characterization of 20 European local pig breeds involved in the H2020 TREASURE project including information on: demographic parameters, main morphological features, reproductive information, additional information collected at herd-level (i.e. temperament, holding, mating practices), origins and development of the breeds. Almost all the breeds (18 out of 20) possess a herd book even if the starting year is highly variable (from 1980 to 2006). Number of breeding females ranged from 24 (Moravka) to over 200,000 heads (Ibérico). Male/female ratio varied greatly with the highest values for the Italian breeds probably due to the different policy of animal recording. Almost all the breeds undergo a conservation program whereas really few are interested by other conservation techniques and for less than five breeds data related to effective number and inbreeding coefficient are easily available. Average values for teat number, litter size and weaned piglets are 12, 8 and 6 respectively with a great potential for their improvement. The depicted scenario is highly diversified and the data collected represent the starting point for the achievement of a collective trademark under the umbrella of the TREASURE project.; Este trabajo presenta los resultados de una encuesta de datos demográficos y fenotípicos de 20 razas locales de cerdos en estudio en el proyecto H2020 TREASURE y incluí información de: parámetros demográficos, características morfológicas principales, parámetros reproductivos, informaciones adicionales a nivel de los efectivos (ex. Temperamento, instalaciones, prácticas de cubrición), orígenes y desarrollo de las razas. Casi todas las razas (18 de 20) tienen libro genealógico, aunque su fecha de inicio varía mucho (de 1980 a 2006). El número de hembras reproductoras varía de 24 (Moravka) a más de 200 mil cabezas (Ibérico). La relación macho/hembra varía mucho con los valores más altos verificados en las razas italianas muy probablemente debido a una política diferente relativamente al registro de animales. Casi todas las razas tienen programas de conservación, aunque pocas están interesadas en otras técnicas de conservación y sólo en menos que 5 razas los datos relativos a número de efectivos y de coeficiente de consanguinidad están fácilmente disponibles. Los valores medios para números de pezones, tamaño de camada y lechones destetados son de 12, 8 y 6, respectivamente con un grande potencial para mejora. El escenario descrito es altamente diversificado y esta colecta de datos representa el punto de partida para una marca colectiva debajo del parasol del proyecto TREASURE.

In Sicily, the academic botanical gardens of Catania, Messina and Palermo have been historically exerting a multiplicity of activities ranging from maintenance of ex situ collections to plant conservation policy, practice and ecological restoration, along with more traditional functions related to education and academic research. In the last decade’s, two new botanical gardens the “Nuova Gussonea” and the “Bernardino da Ucria, were created in Sicily, with the aim to play more delimited, yet modern and complementary roles. The garden “Nuova Gussonea”, within the Etna Natural Park, is mostly devoted to collect and preserve the native flora of the Mount Etna, with a special focus on endemic and rare plants and their promotion to a wider public. The garden “Bernardino da Ucria”, in the Nebrodi Natural Park, is mainly specialized in promoting the local culture and to collect and preserve the agro-biodiversity of officinal plants in the Nebrodi territory. It is located in the homonymous village in the Messina district where the famous “demonstrator of plants” and co founder of the Botanical Garden of Palermo University was born. Noteworthy, within Sicily the Nebrodi area is undoubtedly the widest and richest in traditional activities regarding agriculture, sheep farming and sylviculture, which produced an agrobiodiversity heritage often representative of individual community cultures. Initially promoted by Palermo University and sustained by the Nebrodi Regional Park, this garden comprises the “Banca vivente del Germoplasma vegetale dei Nebrodi”. Accessions conserved in vivo so far include cultivars of crops (Corylus, Pyrus, Malus, Prunus sp. pl, Ficus, Juglans), vegetables (Phaseolus and Lycopersicum) and officinal plants, that are in part representative of local agricultural practices. Among crops, the collections of Ficus, Pyrus and Corylus are remarkable; while among vegetables, the beans (Phaseolus) are represented by over 65 distinct cultivars, comprising 57 climbing and 8 dwarf species (1). Additionally, the garden’s bank hosts several botanical collections unrelated to the local flora, representative of officinal and ornamental genus, such as Salvia, Helleborus, Paeonia and Camelia. The cryopreserved accessions so far encompass the bean cultivars, mainly found within the Nebrodi Park area. The aim of this particular collection is to further exploit the local agricultural and food heritage by recovering and spreading among local farmers of autochthonous cultivars under extinction risk. Moreover, the garden has recently been equipped with a molecular biology laboratory, performing studies on the genetic diversity of the accessions, as well as activities instrumental to the creation of a related DNA bank, interconnected with the Palermo Botanical garden bank (HBP-Bank). In 2011, the botanical garden of Ucria hosted the Summer School “Knowledge, conservation and management of plant biodiversity of the Mediterranean mountain systems”, organized by Palermo University together with OPTIMA, and financially sponsored by the Nebrodi Park. Similarly, the Summer School “Management of plant biodiversity in the Mediterranean: ex situ conservation and germplasm banks” will be held in 2016. The activities of the new Ucria botanical garden and its germplasm bank, is supported by a dedicated Consortium, established by the Nebrodi Park together with Palermo University. The botanical garden “Bernardino da Ucria” is open to public in the spring and summer period. It is also offering didactic visits for educational purposes to several schools.