1,721,227 research outputs found
Sustainability challenges in the Italian pet sector
Full text linkItaly is home to 8.8 million dogs and 10 million cats, with an additional 1-2 million stray dogs and 2.5 million
stray cats. Despite only 15% of dogs and < 1% of cats have a registered pedigree, the purebred animal market
valued at €165-350 million per year. The Italian pet food industry generates €3 billion annually, selling 673,000
tons of pet food. Beyond food, Italians spend €100 million/year on cat litter and €85 million on accessories. A
rough estimate for the impact of pet food sector alone is 1.4-3.8 Mt CO2eq, accounting for 5-12% of agricultural
emissions. It consumes 0.13-0.28 km3 of freshwater, equal to 0.8-1.7% of agricultural water use, while occupying
6-9% (1-1.5MHa) of Italy’s total agricultural area. Our pilot survey describes 60 Italian dogs and 56 Italian cats.
Among dogs, 45% were purebred, including 15% with unregistered pedigrees, while 86% of cats were mixedbreed.
Regarding diet, 73% of cat owners provided both dry and wet food, primarily poultry and fish-based, while
65% of dog owners fed only dry food, with ruminant proteins (beef, lamb) as the most common, followed by
poultry and fish. Monthly food expenses ranged from €13-58 per cat and €35-60 per dog. Litter usage for cats
varied between 4-10 kg per month, costing €5-19, but only 23% of owners purchasing litter chose biodegradable
materials. Annual veterinary and medication costs ranged from €64-170 for cats and €160-400 for dogs. Additional
costs included pet sitters, boarding, accessories, grooming, training, and insurance. These findings highlight
economic and environmental challenges in pet ownership. Sustainable pet care requires multidisciplinary expertise,
genetic management, and alternative proteins to reduce the pet food carbon footprint. Life Cycle Assessment
should be applied across the supply chain, with environmental certification on packaging to promote sustainable
choices. Italy should foster scientific innovation while ensuring environmental responsibility and ethical animal
care. The future challenge is sustainable breeding and management of pets, safeguarding biodiversity and animal
welfare within a One Health approach
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Architecture of Ancestral Genomic Components in the Sicilian Mastiff
Full text linkThe Sicilian Mastiff (or Mannara dog), is an indigenous Sicilian livestock guardian dog (LGD) breed with approximately
700 registered individuals. Formal recognition as a distinct breed was conferred by the Italian Kennel
Club in 2023 and efforts to attain international recognition are ongoing. Previous studies have identified the
Maremma and the Abruzzes sheepdog as the closest relative of the Sicilian Mastiff, highlighting a shared history
and overlapping functional characteristics typical of LGDs. Thus, investigating the genetic makeup of the Sicilian
Mastiff becomes essential to safeguarding and enhancing its cultural heritage and role in Sicilian pastoralism.
In this study, the genetic investigation of 12 Sicilian Mastiffs revealed significant divergence from other breeds,
while also confirming a close genetic relationship with the Maremma sheepdog. Therefore, local ancestry inference
analyses were performed to identify genomic regions potentially influenced by the Maremma sheepdog, in
comparison with other European and Mediterranean LGD breeds. Several genomic regions exhibited strong introgression
with the Maremma sheepdog. Among the genes within highly introgressed (99th percentile) regions identified
in at least three of these comparisons, several were associated with traits characteristic of LGD. These traits
included behavioral attributes such as aggression towards strangers, morphological features such as drop ears,
and physical attributes enhancing their guarding abilities. These findings support the hypothesis that centuries of
selective pressures shaped the Sicilian Mastiff, highlighting its genetic and cultural value for pastoral communities.
To explore the Sicilian Mastiff’s genetic evolution and adaptability, extensive sampling is being conducted to
assess changes in its genetic variability and structure over the past decade. During this period, breeders have been
encouraged to adopt more stringent and informed selection practices. This longitudinal approach aims to provide
valuable insights into the impact of modern management practices on the genetic profile of the breed
Novel rare variants found in English Cocker Spaniel with early retinal degeneration
No full textProgressive retinal atrophy (PRA) is a hereditary condition observed in dogs, including
the English Cocker Spaniel (ECS) breed, where a recessive variant in PCRD
accounts for most of the cases.
A male blue roan ECS developed blindness at two years of age. Both parents were
tested clear for 26 known variants associated with retinopathies. The retina of both
eyes appeared devoid of blood vessels and hyperreflective, leading to the diagnosis
of early-onset retinal degeneration. No other clinical signs were detected. The
genome of the case and the two parents were sequenced and the polymorphisms,
small indels, and large structural variants called compared against the Dog10k database.
We found 24 exclusive indels and SNPs. Of these, two were coding variants heterozygous
in the parents and homozygous in the case: one AA exchange and one
frameshift, both involving genes with a degree of expression in the retina. Additionally,
we detected one non-coding exclusive structural variant.
This study underscores the complex genetic underpinnings of PRA in ECS, highlighting
the potential involvement of novel genetic variants beyond PCRD mutations.
Genotyping of a large score of controls is necessary to confirm the segregation
of either the exclusive variants with the phenotype.
Detection of novel variants is crucial for preserving breed health and assisting
breeders confronted with the challenge of producing blind dogs despite their diligent
testing efforts
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