The Evolution of the Sofa - TV in the New Digital Scenario

The traditional television is now at a turning point because the introduction of digital technology has changed the competitive context: it has modified the bargain power of the traditional players by offering new opportunities to the new entrants and imposing new strategies to the existing ones. This paper, basing on 32 case studies and the census of Sat TV, DTT and IPTV offerings, aims at describing the current state of channel offerings, individualizing the principal players and identifying their strategies, thus allowing us to give a few predictions as to the possible future changes in the industry. The analysis will have a general applicability, as the considerations made are not particularly country-specific, although performed within the Italian context, one of the most advanced in the development of digital TV platforms.digital technology, competitive, strategies

Sofa-TV: The New Digital Landscape

Television is attracting an enormous amount of attention from both researchers and managers, due to the profound changes that are taking place thanks to the diffusion of digital technology. The study of the digital landscape of television, including the players competing in its arena and their strategies, is well worth the effort. This paper, based on 32 case studies and the census of the Sofa-TV (Sat TV, DTT, and IPTV) offerings, aims at describing the current state of channel offerings, individualizing the principal players, and identifying their strategies, thus allowing us to give a few predictions as to the possible future changes in the industry. The analysis will have a general applicability, as the considerations made are not particularly country-specific, although performed within the Italian context, one of the most advanced in the development of digital television platforms

Il direct insurance in Italia:trend di mercato, modelli di business e strategie competitive

Un’assicurazione diretta è una società che vende i propri prodotti assicurativi senza l’ausilio delle agenzie, ma tramite canali diretti, come Internet e telefono. La caratteristica principale è la disintermediazione del canale che consente alle compagnie dirette una gestione più efficiente e redditizia rispetto alle compagnie assicurative tradizionali, con un vantaggio che si riflette sui clienti che mediamente si ritengono più soddisfatti e pagano un premio inferiore. Nonostante queste premesse, il settore non è ancora riuscito a raggiungere gli obiettivi che si era prefissato e, dopo i primi anni di grande crescita, attraversa anch’esso una fase di rallentamento. In questo scenario, caratterizzato da forti potenzialità di sviluppo che faticano a essere pienamente espresse, è possibile affermare con certezza che il direct insurance costituisce a tutti gli effetti un argomento di primaria importanza sulla ribalta nazionale, in grado di portare un profondo cambiamento in un settore vitale, in tutte le economie, come si presenta quello assicurativo. Il testo, primo e unico nel suo genere, fornisce al lettore un quadro esaustivo e approfondito del mondo delle assicurazioni dirette, proponendo analisi rigorose, spunti di riflessione e chiavi di lettura innovative. Il lavoro è frutto dell’esperienza maturata in anni di ricerche ed esperienza diretta nel settore. L’obiettivo primario di questo volume è trasferire la base di conoscenza acquisita durante questo arco di tempo, al fine di facilitare la comprensione delle dinamiche competitive, e discutere le strategie e i driver fondamentali per vincere la sfida nell’attuale contesto di mercato

Generation IV Reactor Safety and Materials Research by the Institute for Energy and Transport at the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre

To support the drafting, development, implementation and monitoring of European energy and transport policy, the Institute for Energy and Transport of the European Commissions’ Joint Research Centre conducts pre-competitive research in the areas of experimental qualification of advanced fuels and materials as well as simulation and modelling of reactor safety and material performance. The work covers assessments, design optimisation and improvements to the safety and performance of new, innovative reactor systems, materials and instrumentation, in order to meet the EU’s long-term energy needs while respecting sustainability, enhanced safety and economic aspects. The research is linked, and contributes, to related EURATOM Framework Programme projects, Generation IV International Forum (GIF), International Atomic Energy Agency as well as OECD’s Nuclear Energy Agency (OECD NEA) activities. The current paper gives an overview and examples of past, current, and upcoming activities in the areas of reactor safety assessments, advanced fuel irradiation and materials research.JRC.F.5-Nuclear Reactor Safety Assessmen

<i>SGCD</i> Missense Variant in a Lagotto Romagnolo Dog with Autosomal Recessively Inherited Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy

An 8-month-old female Lagotto Romagnolo dog was presented for a 1-month history of an initial severe reluctance to move, rapidly progressing to a marked stiff gait and progressive muscular weakness and evolving to tetraparesis, which persuaded the owner to request euthanasia. A primary muscle pathology was supported by necropsy and histopathological findings. Macroscopically, the muscles were moderately atrophic, except for the diaphragm and the neck muscles, which were markedly thickened. Histologically, all the skeletal muscles examined showed atrophy, hypertrophy, necrosis with calcification of the fibers, and mild fibrosis and inflammation. On immunohistochemistry, all three dystrophin domains and sarcoglycan proteins were absent. On Western blot analysis, no band was present for delta sarcoglycan. We sequenced the genome of the affected dog and compared the data to more than 900 control genomes of different dog breeds. Genetic analysis revealed a homozygous private protein-changing variant in the SGCD gene encoding delta- sarcoglycan in the affected dog. The variant was predicted to induce a SGCD:p.(Leu242Pro) change in the protein. In silico tools predicted the change to be deleterious. Other 770 Lagotto Romagnolo dogs were genotyped for the variant and all found to be homozygous wild type. Based on current knowledge of gene function in other mammalian species, including humans, hamsters, and dogs, we propose the SGCD missense variant as the causative variant of the observed form of muscular dystrophy in the index case. The absence of the variant allele in the Lagotto Romagnolo breeding population indicates a rare allele that has appeared recently