Bayesian networks for enterprise risk assessment

According to different typologies of activity and priority, risks can assume diverse meanings and it can be assessed in different ways. In general risk is measured in terms of a probability combination of an event (frequency) and its consequence (impact). To estimate the frequency and the impact (severity) historical data or expert opinions (either qualitative or quantitative data) are used. Moreover qualitative data must be converted in numerical values to be used in the model. In the case of enterprise risk assessment the considered risks are, for instance, strategic, operational, legal and of image, which many times are difficult to be quantified. So in most cases only expert data, gathered by scorecard approaches, are available for risk analysis. The Bayesian Network is a useful tool to integrate different information and in particular to study the risk's joint distribution by using data collected from experts. In this paper we want to show a possible approach for building a Bayesian networks in the particular case in which only prior probabilities of node states and marginal correlations between nodes are available, and when the variables have only two states

An integrated approach project for the revaluation of a traditional sourdough bread production chain

The influence of organic and conventional farming systems on the performance of a panel of old and modern Italian bread wheat varieties has been evaluated, with the aim to individuate an agronomic protocol suitable for the production of a sourdough bread traditionally prepared in a hill zone of Emilia-Romagna. The agronomic and technological characterisation of the wheat samples obtained in organic and conventional farming conditions has been done and the sensorial qualities of the sourdough bread obtained have been evaluated

Chi si prende cura delle migranti

La presenza delle donne migranti si è consolidata sul territorio italiano, dove vanno ricoprendo un ruolo prezioso di collegamento tra culture, di mediazione tra i poteri pubblici e le comunità di appartenenza. L'articolo propone una riflessione sui bisogni di salute delle donne straniere. Uno degli elementi più critici in questo contesto consiste nella discrepanza tra la possibilità teorica di accesso e l’effettiva fruibilità del servizio. L’investimento in formazione e occupazione rivolto alla popolazione femminile nel suo insieme appare in quest'ambito come prioritario, accompagnato da misure di adeguamento dei servizi, di semplificazione degli accessi e, laddove possibile, dal ricorso allo strumento della mediazione culturale

Evidence of breakdown of the spin symmetry in diluted 2D electron gases

Recent claims of an experimental demonstration of spontaneous spin polarisation in dilute electron gases \cite{young99} revived long standing theoretical discussions \cite{ceper99,bloch}. In two dimensions, the stabilisation of a ferromagnetic fluid might be hindered by the occurrence of the metal-insulator transition at low densities \cite{abra79}. To circumvent localisation in the two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) we investigated the low populated second electron subband, where the disorder potential is mainly screened by the high density of the first subband. This letter reports on the breakdown of the spin symmetry in a 2DEG, revealed by the abrupt enhancement of the exchange and correlation terms of the Coulomb interaction, as determined from the energies of the collective charge and spin excitations. Inelastic light scattering experiments and calculations within the time-dependent local spin-density approximation give strong evidence for the existence of a ferromagnetic ground state in the diluted regime.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, Revte

Bioerosion by microbial euendoliths in benthic foraminifera from heavy metal-polluted coastal environments of Portovesme (South-Western Sardinia, Italy)

A monitoring survey of the coastal area facing the industrial area of Portoscuso-Portovesme (south-western Sardinia, Italy) revealed intense bioerosional processes. Benthic foraminifera collected at the same depth (about 2 m)but at different distances from the pollution source show extensive microbial infestation, anomalous Mg/Ca molar ratios and high levels of heavy metals in the shell associated with a decrease in foraminifera richness, population density and biodiversity with the presence of morphologically abnormal specimens. We found that carbonate dissolution induced by euendoliths is selective, depending on the Mg content and morpho-structural types of foraminiferal taxa. This study provides evidences for a connection between heavy metal dispersion, decrease in pH of the sea-water and bioerosional processes on foraminifera

Fractional Quantum Hall Effect in a Diluted Magnetic Semiconductor

We report the observation of the fractional quantum Hall effect in the lowest Landau level of a two-dimensional electron system (2DES), residing in the diluted magnetic semiconductor Cd(1-x)Mn(x)Te. The presence of magnetic impurities results in a giant Zeeman splitting leading to an unusual ordering of composite fermion Landau levels. In experiment, this results in an unconventional opening and closing of fractional gaps around filling factor v = 3/2 as a function of an in-plane magnetic field, i.e. of the Zeeman energy. By including the s-d exchange energy into the composite Landau level spectrum the opening and closing of the gap at filling factor 5/3 can be modeled quantitatively. The widely tunable spin-splitting in a diluted magnetic 2DES provides a novel means to manipulate fractional states

Business Models and Value

We identify the business model as the mechanism that explains how a firm engages with consumers to create and capture value. We look into the literatures of marketing, strategy, entrepreneurship to identify 4 important – mutually exclusive - theoretical types: dyadic product; dyadic solutions; triadic matchmaking; and triadic multi-sided. Each of these business model types implies a different set of behaviors by the consumer; different actions by the firm; and give rise to differences in value for the consumer; profit opportunities for the firm; different organizational designs and corresponding entrepreneurial pathways. Our paper draws on and extends the current literature on the demand side perspective and effectuation

Starsat: A space astronomy facility

Preliminary design and analyses of a versatile telescope for Spacelab missions are presented. The system is an all-reflective Korsch three-mirror telescope with excellent performance characteristics over a wide field and a broad spectral range, making it particularly suited for ultraviolet observations. The system concept is evolved around the utilization of existing hardware and designs which were developed for other astronomy space projects