L'evoluzione del digital banking. Luci ed ombre del FinTech

Con il termine FinTech (“Financial Technology”, tecnologia finanziaria o tecnofinanza) viene generalmente indicata l’innovazione finanziaria resa possibile dallo sviluppo tecnologico, che può tradursi in nuovi modelli di business, processi o prodotti. Progetti basati su tecnologie di Intelligenza Artificiale e machine learning stanno entrando in modo sempre più strutturale nei piani industriali delle banche, affiancandosi alle diverse iniziative di trasformazione già in corso o programmate. Così come l’applicazione della blockchain alla DLT potrà efficientare in modo significativo molte aree di processo core della banca. In questo scenario è fondamentale fare innovazione all’insegna della sostenibilità dei modelli di business, in modo che non vengano disperse risorse economiche, ottimizzando gli investimenti e creando soluzioni agili e facilmente integrabili. Con le soluzioni di digital banking, le banche stanno attraversando una fase di trasformazione in risposta ai cambiamenti del mercato, i cui principali fattori sono l’evoluzione del quadro normativo, l’impatto delle innovazioni tecnologiche, il cambiamento delle esigenze dei clienti, sempre più desiderosi di avere un servizio efficiente, sia in termini di qualità che di tempo. Con uno sguardo internazionale e puntuali riferimenti nazionali, il volume delinea una panoramica tangibile e concreta dell’ecosistema del FinTech. Un testo illuminante per i professionisti del settore bancario e finanziario e del FinTech, ma anche per aziende, consulenti e studenti interessati a cogliere i riflessi strategici, organizzativi e commerciali dell’evoluzione digitale del sistema finanziario. Un manuale denso, ricco di date e di dati, attuale; la cui stesura è stata mossa da una forza imbattibile: la curiosità del futuro del sistema bancario

Assessing the role of technological districts in regional innovation policies: a network analysis of collaborative R&D projects

As highlighted in systemic approaches to innovation, regions play an increasingly important role in designing and implementing place-based innovation policies. A wide debate has emerged on the limits and validity of different policy models, for example, between “platform” and “district-based” approaches or between a “corporatist” and an “evolutionary” Triple Helix. Within the EU Cohesion Policy framework, a number of technological districts (TDs) have been established since 2005 in the Italian “Convergence” regions to foster competitiveness, innovation, and research industry linkages. TDs have become critical actors in knowledge and technology transfer processes, and a significant amount of funding has been devoted to their development in the National Operational Programme for Research and Competitiveness (PON-R&C). In this work, we use methods drawn from social network analysis to locate TDs within the wider collaboration networks established through the PON-R&C programme. We highlight the specificity of TDs within the general policy and assess their ability to promote organisational and sectoral heterogeneity among project participants. We find that different network architectures coexist under the same policy umbrella and relate this variety to the ideal models identified in the literature

Development of a Numerical Methodology Able to Simulate the Unstable Mixed Mode Delamination Growth in Stiffened Composite Panels Under Cyclic Loading Conditions

Aeronautical structures, often, experience impacts with foreign objects in service and during maintenance operations. Foreign Objects Impacts (FOI) can lead to critical damages and can compromise the overall performances of structural components. Indeed, among the others, composite components can exhibit various interacting post impacts damage mechanisms, including fiber breakage, matrix fracture, and interlaminar damages, such as delamination between different layers of the laminates. Delamination represents the most critical failure mechanisms, as it is, often, undetectable by visual inspections and it may, unstably and silently, develop within the component. This Phenomenon may be amplified under cyclic loading conditions, as the residual strength and stiffness can decrease rapidly after a certain number of cycles, potentially leading to structural collapse [1]. Unstable propagation of delaminations is particularly critical, since it, actually, can take place without the need of increasing the load acting on the structure. This phenomenon, which is very dangerous for the structural integrity of components, can be very challenging to be predicted, under fatigue loading conditions, by the standard geometrically non-linear Finite Elements Methodologies (FEM) which use a sequence of simulations under force control to mimic the fatigue behaviour of composite materials. Actually, FEM simulations under controlled force levels lead to convergence issues when predicting the highly dynamic behaviour of the unstable growth of delaminations under fatigue loading conditions. The research activity, presented in this paper, is aimed to develop an alternative efficient methodology able to mimic the unstable delamination propagation under cyclic loading conditions in composite structures by non-linear static analyses. This new methodology has been demonstrated to be able to correctly consider the fast variation of delamination size associated to decrease in loading during the unstable growth phenomenon under cyclic loading conditions. To achieve this objective, the Paris Law [2, 3] approach has been implemented in the ANSYS FEM code together with an enhanced Virtual Crack Closure Technique (VCCT) based method

Targeted long-read cDNA sequencing reveals novel splice-altering pathogenic variants causing retinal dystrophies

: Splice-altering variants are suggested to be responsible for part of the missing heritability of inherited retinal diseases (IRDs). The interpretation of these variants is challenging as functional evidence is required to validate pathogenicity. We explored the diagnostic value of a targeted long-read cDNA sequencing (lrcDNA-seq) approach to investigate IRD-associated splicing defects. For each affected individual, RNA was isolated from blood and, for each candidate gene, cDNA amplicons, spanning the complete open reading frame or multiple exons, were generated, and subjected to long-read sequencing. We validated our approach by assessing previously described pathogenic splice-altering variants in IRD-associated genes. Next, we investigated six genetically unexplained affected individuals, each carrying pathogenic variant(s) in NMNAT1. In two probands, we provided functional validation for previously identified variants of uncertain significance present on the second allele. In four other subjects, lrcDNA-seq revealed the partial inclusion of an SVA_F retrotransposon in the NMNAT1 mRNA, predicted to introduce a premature stop codon. We showed that targeted lrcDNA-seq is effective in characterizing splice defects and in identifying novel splice-altering variants. We uncovered the IRD genetic basis for six previously unexplained subjects. We believe that the implementation of this technique has the potential to contribute to an increased diagnostic rate of IRDs

No-wait lines optimisation: a procedure based on scheduling enhanced by digital twin

The no-wait scheduling problem involves planning the sequence of tasks in a job without any delay. This constraint is crucial in industries where production interruptions may create significant inefficiencies or quality issues. This paper addresses this problem by proposing a new methodology to design and verify a work-cycle related layout, focusing on both job-shop and flow-shop environments and finally proving its efficiency thanks to the use of a digital twin to validate the production process. The goal of the optimisation is the makespan minimisation and it is achieved through the application of the timetabling heuristic method. The iterative nature of the proposed model allows for a continuous improvement in scheduling, and queue reduction is verified thanks to the digital twin. The iterative procedure is tested on a real galvanic no-wait line of a primary aerospace international company; results show that the methodology application guarantees respect to the no-wait constraint and the minimisation of the production times, which concur to increase the demand satisfaction for the company

Questioni in tema di clausola del beneficiario effettivo e holding di partecipazione

La ricerca di un contenuto positivo della clausola del beneficiario effettivo, che valorizza la sostanza oltre la forma, deve adattarsi al contesto in cui opera e alle spe- cificità delle operazioni in concreto esaminate, sicché, quando posta in relazione all’attività svolta dalle holding di partecipazione, occorre che si conformi alla natura e alle funzioni tipiche di queste ultime

Cognitive markers of resilience to dementia in mild Neurocognitive Impairment: a meta- analysis

Background: Numerous risk factors for dementia have been identified, but the concern of how cognitive functions in the mild Neurocognitive Impairment (mild NCI) stage predict dementia occurrence and incidence is still a matter of debate. The present paper aims to fill this gap by conducting an updated meta-analysis of studies examining the probability over time of developing dementia in relation to measures of global cognitive functioning, long-term verbal memory, complex attention, visuoconstructional ability, and language in the mild NCI stage. Methods: We conducted a systematic literature search up to March 2024 in PubMed, PsycINFO (PROQUEST), and Scopus databases. We used random-effects models to pool the ratio measure (odds, hazard, or risk ratios) for the association between cognitive domains and the risk of developing dementia in people with mild NCI. Results: The systematic search in electronic databases identified 44 relevant studies. Results showed that better performance in long-term verbal memory, visuoconstructional, and language abilities in individuals with mild NCI were associated with a lower risk of progression to dementia. Discussion: These findings might suggest that interventions aimed at preserving or enhancing these cognitive domains could be beneficial in delaying or preventing dementia onset, offering a potential therapeutic target for clinicians working with at-risk populations

Comparing Some Simulation Strategies for First Passage Times of Time-Changed Brownian Motion

The first passage time of a time-changed Brownian motion through a given boundary is investigated by means of three simulation methods. The time-changed process is constructed by composing the Brownian motion with the inverse of an α-stable subordinator process. We implement a path simulation algorithm and two variants of the hazard rate simulation algorithm. The two variants are based on different expressions for the hazard rate of the time-changed process. Results obtained by applying the different strategies are graphically compared and discussed