Observation of noise-assisted transport in an all-optical cavity-based network

Recent theoretical and experimental efforts have shown the remarkable and counter-intuitive role of noise in enhancing the transport efficiency of complex systems. Here, we realize simple, scalable, and controllable optical fiber cavity networks that allow us to analyze the performance of transport networks for different conditions of interference, dephasing and disorder. In particular, we experimentally demonstrate that the transport efficiency reaches a maximum when varying the external dephasing noise, i.e. a bell-like shape behavior that had been predicted only theoretically. These optical platforms are very promising simulators of quantum transport phenomena, and could be used, in particular, to design and test optimal topologies of artificial light-harvesting structures for future solar energy technologies.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, new version accepted in PR

Not only Riders. The Uncertain Boundaries of Digital Creative Work as a Frontier for Emerging Actors in Interest Representation

Platform work rarely is an exclusive job. On the contrary, it often coexists with various types of self-employment, usually offline, as a secondary activity and source of additional income. This is the case with many creative workers that are exposed to job and income discontinuity, to which they frequently respond by holding multiple jobs. Several studies have shown how work fragmentation acts as a barrier to collective action. On the other hand, a few innovative trajectories are being shaped among trade unions and 'bottom-up' organisations. This article explores emerging forms of interest representation, focusing on mutual-aid cooperatives and professional associations of graphic and web designers, working off and on platform, in Italy and the Netherlands. It analyses their logics of action and strategies. To do so, it presents the findings of two research projects conducted between 2016 and 2018

Not Only Riders. The Uncertain Boundaries of Digital Creative Work as a Frontier for Emerging Actors in Interest Representation

Platform work rarely is an exclusive job. On the contrary, it often coexists with various types of self-employment, usually offline, as a secondary activity and source of additional income. This is the case with many creative workers that are exposed to job and income discontinuity, to which they frequently respond by holding multiple jobs. Several studies have shown how work fragmentation acts as a barrier to collective action. On the other hand, a few innovative trajectories are being shaped among trade unions and 'bottom-up' organisations. This article explores emerging forms of interest representation, focusing on mutual-aid cooperatives and professional associations of graphic and web designers, working off and on platform, in Italy and the Netherlands. It analyses their logics of action and strategies. To do so, it presents the findings of two research projects conducted between 2016 and 2018.<br /

Psychological and psychophysiological effects of a biophilic indoor environment. A virtual reality study

openL'obiettivo principale è quello di valutare se la presentazione di un ambiente biofilico interno attraverso la realtà virtuale possa avere degli effetti rigenerativi sulla persona a livello psicologico e psicofisiologico

A Consumer Perspective on Grocery Retailers' Differentiation

Increasing competition in the Italian grocery market is pressing retailers to search for new ways to differentiate themselves and gain a better competitive position in the mind of consumers. In this scenario, we intend to explore consumers' perception of grocery retailers in order to understand which store attributes consumers consider to be most important when choosing where to shop and which store attributes consumers perceive different between retail store formats and between grocery retailers. Our findings show that consumers do not perceive great differences neither among retail store formats, nor among grocery retailers. Even if they recognize structural differences among retail store formats, they perceive a growing similarity between them in terms of meeting shopping needs. Moreover, only few retailers are perceived as highly differentiated in managing the retail mix levers. Our work provides grocery retailers a specific knowledge of the attributes that consumers consider to be most important when making grocery store choice and suggests retailers which levers they should manage in order to be perceived differentiated from competitors, achieve a sustainable competitive advantage and consolidate their position in the market

How to Promote Healthier Shopping Behaviour: Which Are the Most Effective Retail Marketing’ Levers in E-Commerce Grocery

The World Health Organization (WHO) suggests people to eat at least five portion of fruits and vegetables a day, but the level of consumption of this category is far from been reached. Considering that the majority of food purchases occurs in grocery context, increasingly in e-commerce channels, understanding how retailers could improve food choice, both in physical and digital stores, is paramount to healthier living. This paper aims to understand which are the most effective retail marketing’ levers in stimulating impulse buying in fruits and vegetables category, therefore in promoting healthier shopping behavior. Since fruit and vegetable is known for its healthy vocation and its role in differentiating and enhancing the perceived image of retailers, this category is the ideal place to host nutritional marketing initiatives. We used a quantitative survey method to explore shoppers’ behaviour in an online setting, focusing on fruit and vegetables’ category. Respondents were exposed to nine marketing stimuli, according to different communication contents (price versus non price). All the data was considered for linear regression analysis. Our results show that the pre-shopping preparation has an effect on purchasing behaviour, limiting its impulsiveness. Furthermore, price levers and communication levers influence the intention to buy impulse in the online channel, with the latter more effective than the other ones. Therefore, as this process takes place in the digital context, marketing efforts need to focus on dimensions that increase the propensity to make impulse purchases online: communicative and price stimuli

Kinematic complexity around NGC 419: resolving the proper motion of the cluster, the Small Magellanic Cloud, and the Magellanic bridge

We present $\it{Hubble}$ $\it{Space}$ $\it{Telescope}$ proper motions in the direction of the star cluster NGC$\,$419 in the Small Magellanic Cloud. Because of the high precision of our measurements, for the first time it is possible to resolve the complex kinematics of the stellar populations located in the field, even along the tangential direction. In fact, the proper motions we measured allow us to separate cluster stars, which move on average with ($\mu_{\alpha}\cos\delta^{\rm NGC\,419}, \mu_{\delta}^{\rm NGC\,419}$) = ($+0.878\pm0.055$, $-1.246\pm0.048$) mas yr$^{-1}$, from those of the Small Magellanic Cloud and those belonging to a third kinematic feature that we recognise as part of the Magellanic Bridge. Resolving such a kinematic complexity enables the construction of decontaminated colour-magnitude diagrams, as well as the measurement of the absolute proper motion of the three separate components. Our study therefore sets the first steps towards the possibility of dynamically investigating the Magellanic system by exploiting the resolved kinematics of its stellar clusters.Comment: 9 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA