879 research outputs found
D.H. Lawrence, La Volpe, traduzione e cura di Stefania Michelucci, edizione bilingue
No full textIt is the bilingual and critical edition of D.H. Lawrence's The Fox in the series, Elsinore, Collana di Classici Inglesi, edited and translated by Stefania Michelucci
The volume consists of a long introduction to the text, pp 11-37, of a biographical article on the author and his work (l'autore e l'opera), pp. 39-45), of a note to the text (pp. 47-48) (English and Italian, page to page, pp. 49-227) of explicatory notes (pp. 229-243) and of a biographical section (pp. 245-252)
IoT gas and environmental sensors to monitor air quality in goat farms in Northern Italy to improve animal welfare and environmental sustainability
No full textThe air quality of livestock housing systems affects animal welfare and their environmental sustainability. Scarce data are available in literature for goat facilities. In this study we monitored the air quality of three goat farms in Northern Italy characterized by different buildings and frequency of litter renewal. Air quality was measured through an IoT gas and environmental sensors device to detect the concentrations of ammonia (NH3), carbon dioxide (CO2). Temperature and humidity were also measured to calculate the temperature-humidity index (THI). Data were collected in two seasons (winter and summer) 3 days before litter renewal. The results show that, in all farms and in any climatic and bedding conditions, air quality and environmental parameters never exceed the suggested thresholds for goats. Significant differences among seasons for each farm were recorded. Farm A showed better air quality in winter, with ammonia (NH3) at 2.3 ppm and carbon dioxide (CO2) at 546 ppm. However, the THI value was the lowest at 46, below the thermoneutrality threshold for goats. Conversely farms B and C showed a better air quality in summer with NH3 of 1.9 ppm and CO2 of 618 ppm and 556 ppm, respectively. Moreover, in farm C the highest THI values (80) was recorded in summer highlighting a potential severe heat stress condition. This study highlights the importance of continuous monitoring for the detection of potential critical environmental quality conditions in dairy goat barns, as well as the challenge of maintaining low harmful gas concentrations and adequate environmental conditions simultaneously
Ricordo di Stefania Rossi Minutelli
No full textThe author commemorates Stefania Rossi Minutelli – librarian at the Marciana National Library from 1971 to 2005, who died on october 10th, 2008 – remembering her professional career and her role within the Italian Library Association.L'autore ricorda con affetto e stima professionale Stefania Rossi Minutelli – bibliotecaria marciana dal 1971 al 2005, scomparsa nell'ottobre 2008 – ripercorrendo il tratto di strada fatto insieme all'interno dell'Associazione Italiana Biblioteche e del mondo bibliotecario italiano
Assessing the Welfare of Goats
No full textThe assessment of goat welfare must necessarily be based on science, using valid, reliable, and feasible animal-based indicators. In recent years, interest in goats and their welfare has increased significantly, culminating in the publication of the European AWIN welfare assessment protocol in 2015. Although this protocol is widely used, there are still many gaps to be filled for a comprehensive goat welfare assessment. Most studies address the welfare of dairy goats, while virtually no work specifically exists on meat or fibre goats. Only a few indicators have been developed to assess the welfare of bucks and kids, while some studies are available for extensively farmed goats. Feral and wild goats are rarely considered in animal welfare studies. Most validated indicators are useful for measuring the health status of goats, while few are suitable for assessing emotions. There is a great expectation towards Precision Livestock Farming technologies and how it will improve and simplify welfare assessment. While this is partly true, we must not forget that relying completely on technology brings with it risks that can be detrimental to animals
THE INTERPRETATION OF EMOTIONS IN SMALL RUMINANTS
No full textEnsuring that animals have a life worth living means not only reducing their exposure to stressful and/or negative situations, but above all ensuring that they can experience predominantly positive affective states and emotions. The aim of this thesis was to improve human knowledge of how small ruminants (goats, Capra hircus, and sheep, Ovis aries) express emotions, with a particular focus on the acoustic features of vocalisations that can be used as animal-based indicators of the affective states of these animals. To pursue this goal, a multidisciplinary approach was adopted in this thesis, ranging from the study of the direct perception and interpretation of vocalisations by humans to the use of traditional acoustic analysis to decipher the emotional content of vocalisations, through the extraction of acoustic features and the application of statistical models, and their practical application for the development of up-to-date Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) technologies.
The general introduction of the thesis provided an overview of the state of the art of research on small ruminant emotions and included a review paper on the topic of human-goat relationship. In fact, in farmed animals like sheep and goats, the quality of the human-animal relationship (HAR) depends on the emotional connotations of the interactions that occur between the two parties. The review focused on how humans and goats communicate, which factors influence this relationship, which methods are available to measure it, and how it can be improved. The review showed that certain interspecies communication channels, particularly the acoustic ones, have received little attention so far, and highlighted the importance of early, frequent and positive interactions with goats to improve HAR, and the role of some socio-demographic variables, such as gender, in influencing behaviour and attitude towards these animals. The review also highlighted the poor feasibility of the validated measures available for farmers to use for self-assessment of HAR, and suggested that farmers’ sense of commitment to goats could be improved by increasing their awareness of goats’ ability to express emotional states.
The first research chapter presented the development of a wireless acoustic sensor network for the continuous and non-invasive monitoring of goat vocalisations. The design, architecture and implementation of the system were presented, together with the hierarchical classification of goat vocalisations adopted for the manual annotation of these acoustic signals. In this context, the study also presented the development of a web-based annotation tool of goat vocalisations, to allow the association of labels, namely the context of emissions, to goat vocalisations. Finally, the study presented the development of a smartphone application to alert farmers and inform them of the emotional state of their goats.
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The second research chapter is an investigation of human perception of goat emotions based on their vocalisations. This human ability was investigated taking into account the respondents’ previous experience with goats, their level of empathy towards these animals, and other individual characteristics that may influence the recognition of animal emotions, and by considering the dimensional framework of animal emotions, which considers them as characterised by the dimensions of valence (positive vs negative) and arousal (low vs high). It was found that humans are able to recognise the emotional dimension of valence in goat vocalisations, as suggested by the consistency of the qualitative description of these vocalisations with their context of emission. The study also revealed a bias in the human ability to classify goat vocalisations emitted in negative contexts, presumably due to the fact that signals emitted in negative emergency situations carry more important and urgent information than those emitted in positive situations. The human ability to classify goat vocalisations was found to be influenced by the level of experience with these animals, with people with frequent direct contact with goats showing higher correct classification rates of the context of emission. Other individual characteristics, such as the level of empathy towards goats, seemed to improve the association of bleats to the correct emission contexts, although further studies are needed to clarify the role of empathy, attitudes and their underlying factors. Having children, gender and university education were not found to influence the human ability to interpret goat vocalisations.
In the third research chapter, acoustic, behavioural and physiological markers of negative arousal in lambs were investigated in a two-phases isolation test (partial vs full) designed to induce negative emotions, but characterised by different intensities of emotional arousal. Results showed that lambs produced more vocalizations per time unit and with higher frequencies (energy quartiles, formants, fundamental frequency) and Wiener entropy when experiencing negative arousal. These acoustic features were also found to increase with the bodily activation of the individual (namely the level of activity) as the arousal increased. Although the use of thermography as a method of detecting emotional states in animals seems promising, the results using temperature as a physiological indicator were inconsistent. Finally, the individual level of sociability did not affect the behavioural and physiological response of lambs to isolation, while an effect of the size of the lamb was found; both factors deserve further investigation.
Overall, the results of these studies advance the understanding of the expression of emotions in small ruminants, with practical implications for improving the quality of the human-animal relationship and the level of animal welfare, and highlight an important and potential role for PLF technologies in the automated collection and interpretation of emotions in sheep and goats
Humans and Goats: Improving Knowledge for a Better Relationship
No full textThere is consensus that the quality of the human-animal relationship (HAR) is relevant to guarantee appropriate levels of animal welfare. Given the impact that HAR may have on both goats and human beings, the aim of the present review is to elucidate: (1) how humans and goats communicate; (2) which are the factors affecting human-goat interactions; (3) how we can measure the quality of this relationship. The systematic review led to the selection of 58 relevant articles. Effective human-goat communication takes place by means of visual, tactile and auditory stimuli and, to a less extent, via olfactory and gustative stimuli. Goats have well-developed socio-cognitive abilities and rely on humans to get relevant information. A deep knowledge of goats' communication means and socio-cognitive abilities may greatly help improving the human-goat relationship. Management practices (e.g., rearing methods, amount and quality of interactions), as well as genetic selection for suitable individual traits, may contribute to improving HAR. Several measures to assess the quality of HAR have been validated, including avoidance in the pen and at the feeding rack and latency to first contact. Finally, farmers' attitudes and empathy with goats, as well as their motivation to work with animals, should be improved through appropriate training
Capre, in stalla con la Plf qualità aria sotto controllo
No full textMonitorare con la Plf le condizioni ambientali all’interno della stalla è risultato molto utile per valutare le differenze in base alle caratteristiche strutturali dell’edificio e alla loro gestione nei diversi mesi dell’anno. Il volume disponibile per il movimento degli animali e la ventilazione naturale che si riesce a stabilire sono aspetti cruciali per assicurare un buon livello di benessere animale
The Global Art Gallery Report with Richard Taittinger, Magnus Resch, Stefania Bortolami, and James Fuentes
No full textModerator: Magnus Resch Book Author and Art Entrepreneur
Panelists:
Stefania Bortolami, Gallery Owner
James Fuentes, Gallery Owner
Richard Taittinger, Gallery Owner
The Global Art Gallery Report is the first and the most wide-ranging report on today\u27s commercial art galleries. Published by Phaidon, it is the first insight of its kind, presenting a detailed and comprehensive portrait of today\u27s gallery scene. In a panel discussion, Magnus Resch will discuss his findings with gallerists Jeffrey Deitch, Stefania Bortolami and James Fuentes. Panelists will shine a light on the future of the art gallery.
Founded in 1969, the Sotheby’s Institute of Art is the first and foremost graduate school for the study of art and its markets. With more than 6,000 alumni working internationally in art fairs, galleries, museums, auction houses, and nonprofits, the Institute’s alumni are shaping the future of the art industry. Past guest speakers at the Institute have included artists, such as: Ulay and Jaša, Dan Graham, Alexandre Singh, Glenn Ligon, Sanford Biggers, Carolee Schneemann, Dara Birnbaum, Alfredo Jaar, Ahmed Alsoudani; and art industry experts from Sotheby’s, Art Basel, Paddle8, Auctionata, Armory Show, Artsy, Whitney Museum, Swiss Institute, MoMA, and others.https://digitalcommons.sia.edu/speaker/1007/thumbnail.jp
A Human Rights Approach to Environmental Health
No full textThis chapter explores the interface between health and the environment through the human rights prism, focusing on the environmental dimension of the right to health and on the now widely recognized right to a healthy, safe and clean environment. To this end, the chapter intends to offers a comprehensive analysis of the relevant provisions contained in human rights treaties and the obligations stemming therefrom. The review of these legal sources is completed by a critical assessment of the case law produced by regional human rights bodies and their evolutive interpretation of individual rights and corresponding State obligations in this field, with a special focus on the case law of the European Court of Human Rights. The aim of this legal analysis is to evaluate the added value of a human rights approach to environmental health litigation, with a view to best achieving the overarching goal of public health protection from environmental harm. The author highlights that human rights can be used in court as effective tools to protect public health against the adverse effects of environmental degradation and severe pollution. She also stresses that the potential of human rights bodies in the field of environmental health is yet fully unexpressed, but further positive developments towards the protection of collective and intergenerational rights related to the environment and human health can be achieved thanks to the dynamic and evolutive approach adopted by these bodies and through the virtuous circle created by judicial cross-fertilization
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