Literary Tourism and Cultural Sustainability: The Landscape of Beppe Fenoglio in the Langhe, Italy

This article explores the niche sector of literary tourism with a focus on the works of Italian writer Beppe Fenoglio in the Langhe-Roero and Monferrato area of Piedmont, Italy. It questions whether literary tourism can contribute to the cultural sustainability of a landscape. Nowadays, this area is already a well-established tourist destination known for its food and wine; however, Fenoglio’s work offers a different perspective, highlighting a specific heritage comprising the area’s rural life, local culture, and history of the Resistance movement. The research used a mixed method approach with documentary analysis, questionnaires, and in-depth interviews. “Fenoglians” (tourists motivated by Fenoglio’s life and works) were identified, and their characteristics were explored. The results cannot be generalized, as the chosen sampling method does not provide sufficient materials for broad application. While being a small group, these special interest tourists represent an opportunity for..

On a Discrete Approach to Lower Bounds in Discrepancy Theory

In this paper, we prove that some renowned lower bounds in discrepancy theory admit a discrete analogue. Namely, we prove that the lower bound of the discrepancy for corners in the unit cube due to Roth holds true also for a suitable finite family of corners. We also prove two analogous results for the discrepancy on the torus with respect to squares and balls

La difficile demarcazione tra i delitti di sfruttamento del lavoro e di servitù lavorativa. Alcuni rilievi per una rimeditazione critica = The difficult demarcation between the crimes of labor exploitation and servitude. Some reflections for a critical rethinking

Tra il delitto di sfruttamento del lavoro (art. 603-bis c.p.) e quello di servitù (art. 600 c.p.) sussiste una stretta relazione, resa evidente non solamente dall’interesse protetto, riconducibile alla dignità umana, ma altresì dalla loro struttura, basata su sfruttamento e approfittamento di una situazione di “debolezza contrattuale” della vittima. Partendo da una analisi mirata ad inquadrare gli elementi costitutivi di tali delitti sul piano del significato e del disvalore, lo studio mira a riflettere, in particolare, sulla questione del confine operativo tra di essi, per tentare di tracciare una sicura linea di separazione.There is a close relationship between the crime of labour exploitation (art. 603-bis c.p.) and that of servitude (art. 600 c.p.), made evident not only by the served interest, attributable to human dignity, but also by their structure, based on exploitation and taking advantage of a situation of "contractual weakness" of the victim. Starting from an analysis aimed at framing the constituent elements of these crimes in terms of meaning and negative value, the essay aims to reflect, in particular, on the issue of the operational boundary between them, in order to attempt to draw a clear line of separation

Mobile robots exploration strategies and requirements: A systematic mapping study

A variety of autonomous exploration tasks have been successfully performed in several types of environments using different types of robotic platforms. The robotic task, the operational environment, and the robot embodiment represent the dimensions of the “problem space” in robot exploration. At the same time, a lot of exploration strategies are documented in the literature that provide partial solutions to the exploration problem. They define the “solution space” in robot exploration. To our knowledge, no previous work has provided a methodical overview of robot exploration strategies from the point of view of both the problem and solution spaces. In this systematic mapping study, we build a taxonomy of autonomous robot exploration strategies and application requirements and classify existing approaches according to it. The goal is to analyze research trends over time, and identify possible research gaps, open challenges, and promising future directions in order to support researchers and practitioners in generalizing, communicating, and applying the findings of the robot exploration knowledge field

University sustainability performance as a catalyst for societal change

Purpose - Despite broadening acceptance in society of the need to prioritise social and environmental sustainability, individuals and groups who dispute its relevance represent a grand challenge. Universities are uniquely placed to institutionalise the idea that pursuing sustainability is the ‘right thing to do’. As universities that prioritise sustainability themselves are more likely to be effective in promoting sustainability more broadly, this study explores what drives universities’ sustainability performance. Design/Methodology/Approach – We combine external rankings data and internal sustainability performance data from the top 700 universities globally, using a regression model to explore the key determinants of sustainability performance. Drawing upon institutional theory, we critically examine the drivers shaping sustainability performance within higher education. Findings – Overall, we find that large universities with greater access to resources and strong academic reputations are associated with better sustainability performance. The findings reveal the following characteristics to be drivers of sustainability performance: faculty student ratio, international student ratio, number of students, public university, university ranking, academic reputation, citations per faculty member, international research network and employment outcomes, legal tradition, academic freedom and political stability. Practical Implications – Policymakers and university administrators should recognise the importance of economic and geopolitical factors in shaping sustainability performance within the higher education sector. Greater public funding, growing international student enrolments at higher tuition fees, as well as growing domestic enrolments, allow greater access to resources that positively influence sustainability performance. By leveraging regional sustainability initiatives and international research networks, universities can enhance their sustainability performance and contribute meaningfully to institutionalising the notion of sustainability globally. Originality/Value – This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the transformative potential inherent in universities as agents of societal change and sustainability advocacy to overcome the grand challenge of groups and individuals who resist and promote ignoring social and environmental sustainability. By elucidating the mechanisms through which universities embrace and perpetuate sustainability, this research contributes to informed policy interventions and strategic initiatives aimed at fostering a more sustainable and equitable future

Class Lines at Work: The Silent Barrier HR and Diversity Managers Can No Longer Ignore

This chapter critically examines the influence of social class of origin on workplace dynamics, revealing its profound impact on employment opportunities and career progression. It emphasizes the need for organizational studies to address social class discrimination, advocating for inclusive HR policies and practices. Through an empirical project on the Italian HR professional community, this chapter shows that social class is still a construct which does not inform the actions and values of the profession. It discusses the implications of these findings for diversity management, proposing strategies to promote inclusivity and mitigate class-based discrimination. This chapter contributes to the understanding of social class dynamics in the workplace and has the aim to act as a wake-up call for the HR professional and research community by offering actionable recommendations for fostering a more equitable organizational environment, also considering the specificities of the Italian context

When Space Matters, How Can We Explain Random Forest?

SIRUS is a new stable rule extraction algorithm for regression and classification problems designed for explainability purposes. The general principle of SIRUS is to extract rules from Random Forests (RF). This algorithm inherits a level of accuracy comparable to RF and state-of-the-art rule algorithms producing much more stable and shorter lists of rules. In this work, we extend SIRUS for the case of spatially correlated data in a regression problem. In particular, we propose to combine SIRUS with the RF-GLS algorithm instead of the classical RF in order to make the estimation procedure spatially aware. A simulation study, based on pseudo-real data, will be used to assess how the spatial correlation in the data affects the explainability capability of the proposed algorithm

Firms and economic performance: A view from trade

We use transaction-level US import data to compare firms from virtually all countries in the world competing in a single destination market. First, we decompose countries’ sales into the contribution of the number of firm-products, their average appeal and its dispersion. Then, by making distributional assumptions consistent with the data, we identify new structural parameters that are useful in understanding the role of firm heterogeneity for trade and economic performance. We find that differences in the dispersion of appeal are quantitatively important in explaining exports, even after controlling for selection, average appeal and other determinants of trade, and that they are relevant for welfare. We also find that countries with a higher GDP per capita export more per firm largely because they have a higher dispersion of appeal, hence more heterogeneous firms

Enhancing cognitive function through physical education: the impact of physical education activity on attention and focus

Aim: This study investigates the impact of an enhanced physical education (PE) program on attentional functions in middle school students. The aim is to evaluate whether increasing physical education hours, emphasizing cognitive tasks and team-based activities, could positively influence students’ executive functions. Methods: The study involved four middle school classes in Italy. Two classes participated in the standard PE curriculum lessons for two hours per week, while the other two classes engaged in an intensified program for four hours weekly, focusing more on team-play and activities that develop cognitive skills. Results: Findings indicate that students in the intensified program demonstrated faster and more accurate attention responses than those in the control group. This suggests that a more holistic physical education approach incorporating cognitive challenges and strategic team exercises may enhance students’ executive functioning. Conclusion: These findings are relevant for designing educational programs that leverage physical activity to boost academic performance. They also underscore the value of integrating physical activity into the broader educational curriculum, positioning it as a core component that contributes to students’ cognitive growth and overall learning experience rather than merely a means for physical education

Understanding organisation public relations through Twitter communication for the European super league

Research questionTwitter (X) is often praised as a means for mutual beneficial relationships and dialogue to be built between a sport organisation and its fans, thus encouraging the implementation of Organisational Public Relations (OPR). We examine this proposition by focusing on the use of Twitter by football clubs and their fans to explore the role and nature of OPR and how this evolves when key business decisions are communicated via social media and when fans actively react to such strategic communication.Research methodsContent analysis was conducted in six UK football clubs' tweets when joining and then withdrawing from the European Super League, and in fans' responses to them, in order to identify how OPR manifests on social media.Results and FindingsThe findings reveal that fans were displeased with the way in which clubs communicated their decisions while requesting a dialogue with the clubs which is currently missing, and demanding a substantial, respectful and beneficial re..