"Repugnant", "Not Repugnant at All": How the Respective Epistemic Attitudes of Georges Lemaitre and Sir Arthur Eddington Influenced How Each Approached the Idea of a Beginning of the Universe

This paper investigates how the different epistemic attitudes held by scientists George Lemaître and Sir Arthur Eddington decidedly influenced how they conducted their research on cosmology. It demonstrates the degree to which epistemic attitudes matter in scientific research. Though both scientists were Christian, a belief in God or in biblically inspired narratives does not explain satisfactorily why these two Christians remained at such opposite ends of thinking with regard to the idea of a beginning of a universe, especially considering Lemaître and Eddington each put forth his case in a scientific manner. The paper finds that had both entered into a dialogue on each other's epistemic attitude, a great amount of needless energy spent on arguing might have avoided.epistemology, science, religion

SEZ proliferation in India: are the objectives being realized?

This paper analyzes if the industrial policy framework of the Indian Government with regard to the proliferation of SEZs has satisfied its aims and objectives. The analysis however, shows otherwise. The empirical results show that the policy of the Indian Government has been lopsided, wherein the concentration of SEZs has increased in States which face lower levels of unemployment and a comparably high level of FDI inflow. Further, the concentration of the SEZs has been restricted majorly to the IT industry resulting in rigidity in the export mix. Policy implications hint towards a diversification of the SEZ industry portfolio and in increasing the size and therefore, the economic impact of these zones.Indian Industrial Policy, FDI, Unemployment, Export, Economic Development

Is public procurement going green? experiences and open issues

Public purchasing authorities are in a leading position for the introduction, promotion and development of green procurement. Indeed, the public sector can influence green procurement both by designing suitable policies and by driving “green” markets through the significant share of public purchases on GDP. The European Commission (EC) has emphasized the importance of cost-efficient GPP and, in compliance with the EU’s Integrated Product Policy (IPC), Member States have been encouraged to devise national action plans. As a result, many countries have already adopted steps in the direction of greening public purchases. The aim of our paper is twofold: first, we focus on the state of the art in terms of the EU and Italian Legislation; then, we highlight open questions related to crucial issues in GPP implementation, with a particular attention to the design of green tenders and awarding criteria to account for environmental quality in public purchasing procedures.Green Public Procurement/Purchasing (GPP), Italy, EU, Legislation and Implementation

Efficient tree methods for option pricing

The aim of this dissertation is the study of efficient algorithms based on lattice procedures for dealing with two relevant issues arising in the recent literature on option pricing: the pricing of complex barrier-type options and the pricing of options when the equity model takes into account a stochastic interest rate. This research is developed with a twofold perspective: first, we propose a good solution from a numerical point of view through the introduction of efficient lattice procedures and secondly, we study the theoretical aspects related to the tackled problems (such as the convergence and the rate of convergence of the scheme proposed)

Health inequalities and inadequate housing. The case of exceptions to hygienic requirements for dwellings in Italy

Negli ultimi decenni, i requisiti igienici italiani per le abitazioni sono stati modificati da più deroghe. Scopo del presente lavoro è analizzare le deroghe introdotte a livello nazionale, regionale e locale. Le deroghe più importanti riguardavano l'uso abitativo di seminterrati e sotterranei e il restauro di edifici. Il documento descrive anche le norme in materia di indennità per violazione degli abusi nell'edilizia. Gli autori sottolineano la necessità di maggiore uniformità e chiarezza nella determinazione degli standard sanitari delle abitazioni, nonché di una semplificazione della legislazione esistente.In the past decades, Italian hygienic requirements for dwellings have been modified by multiple derogations. Aim of the present work is to analyse the derogations introduced at a national, regional, and local level. The most important derogations were related to the habitable use of semi-basements and garrets, and building restoration. The paper also describes the regulations regarding indemnity for infringement of building abuses. The authors underline the need for more uniformity and clarity in the determination of health standards of dwellings, as well as for a simplification of the existing legislation

(R1887) Inferring Trends of Point Processes from Non-iid Samples

We discuss unprecedented, albeit rudimentary, tools to infer the evolution of a point process where the available samples are both truncated and non independently drawn. To achieve this goal, we lay in an intermediate domain between probability models and fuzzy sets, still maintaining probabilistic features of the employed statistics as the reference KPI of the tools. The overall strategy is to frame the problem within the Algorithmic Inference framework and use a sort of kernel trick to distort the seeds of the observed variable so as to render them an iid sample of a random variable in a proper feature space. Numerical results highlight the suitability of the proposed tools

Hygienic requirements of urban living environment in the Russian Federation and in Italy: a comparison

Introduzione/scopo. La pianificazione urbana tende a contenere e regolamentare la crescita urbana consentendo uno sviluppo sostenibile a livello ambientale, sociale e sanitario. Nel presente lavoro gli autori hanno confrontato i quadri normativi della Federazione Russ e dell’Italia ponendo particolare attenzione agli aspetti urbani degli spazi abitativi. Metodo. Considerando la ponderosa produzione normativa nei due paesi, il lavoro ha preso in esame le normative a livello nazionale per l’Italia e federale per la Russia, tenendo principalmente conto dei seguenti aspetti: strumenti di pianificazione urbana e protezione ambientale e sanitaria degli spazi abitativi. Risultati. I problemi relativi alla sicurezza igienico-sanitaria dell’ambiente di vita in Russia sono essenzialmente riconducibili a due sistemi normativi (SNiP e SanPiN), mentre in Italia rientrano nel D.M. 05/07/1975. I principi fondamentali della pianificazione urbana in Russia sono dettati da una norma federale, mentre in Italia sono recepiti nel Piano Regolatore Generale (PRG) comunale e nei diversi regolamenti locali, dove si riasriassume tutta la normativa sovraordinata. Gli aspetti legati alla qualità ambientale, infine, in entrambi i paesi sono disciplinati da varie leggi specifiche (federali e statali); un articolato sistema di norme che tengono conto dei potenziali impatti sulla salute e sull’ambiente Conclusioni. Gli autori ritengono che dovrebbero essere sviluppati, specialmente in Italia che si trova nettamente più indietro da questo punto di vista, strumenti normativi chiari e aggiornati aventi per oggetto l’igiene degli edifici e degli ambienti urbani, basati sulle più recenti acquisizioni di letteratura scientifica internazionale nell’intento di garantire i più alti standard in materia di tutela della Salute Pubblica.Aim. Urban planning tries to contain and regulate the uncontrolled growth of cities, encouraging their sustainable development at environmental, social and health levels. In the present work, the authors compare the regulatory frameworks of the Russian Federation and of Italy, with particular attention paid to the urban aspects of living spaces. Method. Considering the extant normative production in the two countries, the authors examine national legislation for Italy and federal legislation for Russia, mainly taking into account the following aspects: urban planning tools and environmental and sanitary protection of living spaces. Results. Hygienic-sanitary requirements regarding living environment in Russia are essentially expressed by two regulatory systems (SNiP and SanPiN), while in Italy they are regulated by the D.M. 07/05/1975. The main principles of urban planning in Russia are expressed by federal standards, while in Italy they are incorporated in the Municipal General Plan (PRG) and in the various local regulations, where all the superordinate regulations are summarized. Finally, aspects related to environmental quality in both countries are governed by various specific laws (federal and state); a complex system of rules that take into account potential impacts on health and the environment. Conclusions. The authors reckon that clear and updated regulatory tools should be developed, especially in Italy that lags behind, regarding the building and urban hygiene, relying on the most recent acquisitions of international scientific literature in order to guarantee the highest standards in Public Health safeguard

Artificial Intelligence for the Management of Servitization 5.0

Purpose-The sale of physical products has been manufacturing companies' main revenue source. A trend is known as servitization for earning revenue comes from services. With the convergence of servitization and digitization, many manufacturing organizations are undergoing digital servitization. In parallel, the digitization of industry is pushing new technological solutions to the top of the business agenda. Artificial intelligence can play a substantial role in this digital business transformation. This evolution is referred to in this paper as Servitization 5.0 and requires substantial changes. Aim-This paper explores the applications of artificial intelligence to Servitization 5.0 strategies and its role, particularly in changing organizations to EverythiA.I.ng as a Service. The paper underlines the contribution that A.I. can provide in moving to a human-centric, sustainable, and resilient servitization. Method used-The basis of the work is a literature review supported by information collected from business case studies by the authors. A follow-up study defined the models. The validity of the model was tested by collecting ten experts' opinions who currently work within servitization contracts sessions. Findings-For manufacturing companies, selling services requires completely different business models. In this situation, it is essential to consider advanced solutions to support these new business models. Artificial Intelligence can make it possible. On the inter-organizational side, empirical evidence also points to the support of A.I. in collaborating with ecosystems to support sustainability and resilience, as requested by Industry 5.0. Original value-Regarding theoretical implications, this paper contributes to interdisciplinary research in corporate marketing and operational servitization. It is part of the growing literature that deals with the applications of artificial intelligence-based solutions in different areas of organizational management. The approach is interesting because it highlights that digital solutions require an integrated business model approach. It is necessary to implement the technological platform with appropriate processes, people, and partners (the four Ps). The outcome of this study can be generalized for industries in high-value manufacturing. Implications-As implications for management, this paper defines how to organize the structure and support for Servitization 5.0 and how to work with the external business environment to support sustainability