Survive to stay connected: patterns of user experiences in a Life Long Learning digital platform

In an ever-changing world, having the right competences for the job market represents a key challenge for sustained employability. To address this need a growing number of digital platform for life long learning (LLL) has been developed. Anyway, it is less known how users navigate and use these platforms. The present study represents a one of the first attempts to fill this gap, offering a deep analysis for the identification of latent subgroups of learners with similar behaviours on a digital LLL platform. Then, the identified subgroups are described in terms of personal features and survival profiles. Findings reveal three distictive latent classes, with very different survival profiles. The analysis provides interesting insights about how the administators of a digital LLL platform can better personalize their contents according to the type of learner, to support and let them stay on the platform, acquiring the needed skills for the job market

L'ABUSO DEL DIRITTO NEL DIRITTO DEI CONTRATTI

La presente tesi di dottorato analizza il ruolo del principio dell\u2019abuso del diritto nel diritto dei contratti. Il lavoro di ricerca si pone quale obiettivo lo studio del fenomeno dell\u2019abuso del diritto in termini di indipendenza ed autonomia in particolare rispetto al principio generale di buona fede. L\u2019elaborato considera con particolare attenzione le possibili interazioni tra il principio dell\u2019abuso del diritto e i contratti B2b alla luce dei cosiddetti fallimenti del mercato. Inoltre, il lavoro si occupa anche dei possibili rimedi applicabili in caso di violazione del principio dell\u2019abuso del diritto. Il Capitolo 1 contiene un\u2019introduzione storica della teoria dell\u2019abuso del diritto nonch\ue9 una breve esposizione delle principali tesi avanzate di tempo in tempo dai principali interpreti che si sono occupati ex professo della materia. Il capitolo 2 propone un\u2019analisi in chiave sistematica delle principali pronunce delle corti italiane in cui \ue8 stato ritenuto dalle stesse possibile applicare il principio dell\u2019abuso del diritto nonch\ue9 di quelle previsioni normative in cui si rinviene un riferimento al principio dell\u2019abuso del diritto. Il capitolo 3 contiene un proposta ricostruttiva del fenomeno dell\u2019abuso del diritto sulla base di un criterio teleologico ritenuto idoneo a consentire un\u2019interpretazione dell\u2019abuso del diritto quale principio generale autonomo ed indipendente ai sensi del diritto italiano.This PhD dissertation deals with the analysis of the abuse of right\u2019s doctrine under the Italian contractual law. The research aims to study a possible interpretation of the abuse of right\u2019s phenomenon in terms of a legal principle independent and autonomous from the bona fide principle. The study focuses in particular on the relationships between the abuse of rights\u2019 doctrine and the \u201cB2b agreements\u201d in the light of the so called market failures. Furthermore the research investigates also the possible remedies applicable in case of violation of the abuse of right\u2019s principle. Chapter 1 provides for an historical introduction to the abuse of right\u2019s doctrine whereby the main theories advanced from time to time by the main French and Italian Scholars that analyzed ex professo the matter are briefly exposed. Chapter 2 focuses on a systematic analysis of the law case to which the Italian Court considered applicable the abuse of right\u2019s principle as well as the single law provisions which contain references to the concept of abuse of right. Chapter 3 contains a reconstructive proposal of the abuse of right\u2019s phenomenon based on a teleological criterion that would consent to qualify the abuse of right in terms of autonomous and independent legal principle under the Italian legal environment

The Costs, Quality, and Scalability of Blended Learning in Postgraduate Management Education

With its combination of online and face-to-face interaction, blended learning is increasingly being employed in postgraduate education. To date, most empirical research on the topic has focused on the design and relative effectiveness of online versus in-person learning. Meanwhile, any exploration of the costs of its delivery has often been neglected. In this study, we propose a framework to assess the costs and cost-effectiveness of alternative designs of blended postgraduate programs, and then empirically apply it to an innovative blended Master of Business Administration (MBA) course as compared with similar MBAs taught at the same institution, with the differences lying in their proportions of online content and the intensity of their use. We applied the Community of Inquiry framework to show that the program with the most intensive use of online learning is also the most effective in terms of student cognitive gain. However, it is not the most cost-effective when compared to other, less online-intensive alternatives. We also found that this result depends on the scalability constraints imposed by the design of the programs. The implications of the scalability versus the quality versus the costs of blended education are then discussed

Migration and public finances in the EU

We provide novel and comprehensive evidence on the net fiscal contributions of natives and migrants to the governmental budgets of EU countries. We account for income taxes and cash benefits, along with indirect taxes and in-kind benefits, which are often missing in standard datasets. We find that on average, migrants were net contributors to public finances over the period of 2014–2018 in the EU and, moreover, that they contribute approximately €1.5 thousand more per capita each year than natives. We also show that this difference is partly due to the selection on characteristics that make migrants net fiscal contributors, such as demographic factors and employment probability

Big Data in Critical Infrastructures Security Monitoring: Challenges and Opportunities

Critical Infrastructures (CIs), such as smart power grids, transport systems, and financial infrastructures, are more and more vulnerable to cyber threats, due to the adoption of commodity computing facilities. Despite the use of several monitoring tools, recent attacks have proven that current defensive mechanisms for CIs are not effective enough against most advanced threats. In this paper we explore the idea of a framework leveraging multiple data sources to improve protection capabilities of CIs. Challenges and opportunities are discussed along three main research directions: i) use of distinct and heterogeneous data sources, ii) monitoring with adaptive granularity, and iii) attack modeling and runtime combination of multiple data analysis techniques.Comment: EDCC-2014, BIG4CIP-201

Towards a phenotype of the amphibious company:an illustrative case from the chemical industry

The paper explores the phenotype of the amphibious company, which is intended as the fittest economic species in today’s hypercompetitive business arenas and hence the most likely to survive and prosper. Four behavioral traits are proposed and discussed as distinctive of amphibious companies: doing different jobs good, diversifying in multiple market arenas, brokering and bridging across business networks and absorbing knowledge from the outside. The paper illustrates these arguments through a paradigmatic case study of an Italian firm operating in the chemical industry, which has been able to survive a challenging crisis by adopting an amphibious behavior.<br

Mid-term results of complex distal humeral fractures.

The aim of this study was to assess outcomes following open reduction and internal fixation in complex fractures of the distal humerus. Between 2000 and 2006, 34 patients were operated for complex fractures of the distal humerus. Bone fixation was obtained with a reverse Y-shaped reconstruction plate in 13 cases and with double plating in 21 cases. At final follow-up, all the patients were assessed with the Mayo Elbow Performance Score. Satisfactory results were observed in 71% of the cases despite a high rate of complications. Age over 65 years is correlated with increased risk for an inferior postoperative result. Complex distal humeral fractures are difficult to treat and are associated with a high incidence of complications. It is therefore mandatory to obtain good anatomical reduction and a stable fixation of lateral and medial columns of the distal humerus. The results observed in older patients suggest that an alternative treatment for these patients may be joint replacement