1,562 research outputs found
Resist AI by rethinking assessment
No full textWhile some academics embrace large language models in higher education, Angelo Pirrone suggests that take-home assessments should be given a marginal role in favour of oral exams and classroom assignments, which mitigate or avoid the risks posed by AI tools such as ChatGP
The history of the Romano famili and "Angelo, tyran de Padoue" by Victor Hugo.
No full textreservedVictor Hugo, nel dramma Angelo, tyran de Padue, ricama tre diverse epoche storiche: i primi decenni dell’Ottocento, a lui contemporanei; la metà del Cinquecento, prescelta per lo svolgimento dell’azione drammatica; il tardo Medioevo evinto dai personaggi principali che compongono il racconto. Tuttavia, l’interesse storico e prettamente romantico verso il periodo medievale assume in quest’opera una rilevanza primaria. Tra le tante casate del nord Italia nominate dall’autore nell’opera, una su tutte sembra essere davvero simbolica. Particolarmente interessante è stato comprendere come la storia della famiglia da Romano costituisca il fulcro della costruzione drammaturgica. Ezzelino III e Cunizza da Romano sono elevati a emblema della poetica romantica e divengono funzionali al messaggio politico e sociale dell’autore.Victor Hugo, in his play Angelo, tyran de Padue, embroiders three different historical epochs: the first decades of the 19th century, contemporary with him; the middle of the 16th century, chosen for the unfolding of the dramatic action; and the late Middle Ages evoked by the main characters in the story. However, the historical and purely romantic interest in the medieval period takes on primary importance in this work. Of the many northern Italian lineages named by the author in the work, one in particular seems to be truly symbolic. It was particularly interesting to understand how the history of the da Romano family forms the core of the dramaturgical construction. Ezzelino III and Cunizza da Romano are elevated to emblems of romantic poetics and become functional to the author's political and social message
Pirrone, A., & Gobet, F. (2020), Modelling value-based decision-making policies using Genetic Programming
No full textMichael Angelo Caruso, international author, consultant, and speaker on Campus
Get PDFTollefson, Elizabeth. (2013). Michael Angelo Caruso, international author, consultant, and speaker on Campus. Retrieved from the University Digital Conservancy, https://hdl.handle.net/11299/223386
Pirrone, A., & Gobet, F. (2020), Modelling value-based decision-making policies using Genetic Programming
No full textPirrone, A., & Gobet, F. (2021), Is attentional discounting in value-based decision making magnitude sensitive?
No full textThe Influence of Oxytocin on Maternal Care in Lactating Dogs
Get PDFIn recent years, many studies on the role of oxytocin (OXT) in the onset of parental care, regulation of social bonding, and modulation of the emotional state have been published. However, its possible regulation of maternal behavior in lactating dogs has not been investigated yet. For this reason, the present study aimed at assessing potential correlations between salivary oxytocin and maternal behavior in 25 lactating Labrador Retriever dogs. Salivary concentrations of OXT (sOXT) were unrelated to the amount of maternal care except for a weak negative correlation with sniffing/poking behavior. Moreover, sOXT was positively correlated with the percentage of male puppies. Sniffing/poking behavior, in turn, was positively correlated with the duration of time the mothers spent out of the whelping box, while the number of male puppies showed a positive correlation with lateral nursing, a position known to provide puppies the easiest access to the milk. Taken together, these results suggest that sOXT may not be strongly associated with maternal care dynamics but could be correlated with sex-biased parental investment in dogs
Investigating the Role of Prolactin as a Potential Biomarker of Stress in Castrated Male Domestic Dogs
Get PDFSimple Summary Although cortisol is usually considered the main reference for the assessment of stress, in some animal species it has been shown that prolactin can be used as a biomarker of both acute and chronic stress. Behavioural parameters can also be used to assess the state of welfare and stress. This study was aimed at evaluating the possible relationship between serum prolactin, serum cortisol and behavioural signs of stress in domestic dogs. To reduce the possible influence of some factors, the study was performed on a homogeneous sample formed by 40 castrated male Spanish Greyhound dogs housed in a dog shelter. The weak negative correlation found between serum cortisol and prolactin values agrees with results obtained in other studies, indicating that prolactin response might be an alternative to cortisol response. Prolactin has been recently regarded as a potential biomarker of both acute and chronic stress in several species. Since only few studies until now have focussed on domestic dogs, this study was aimed at evaluating whether prolactin, cortisol and stress behaviour correlated with each other in sheltered dogs. Both cortisol and prolactin analysis were performed in serum samples through a hormone-specific ELISA kit. For each dog, a stress score was calculated by summing the number of occurrences of stress-related behaviours. The presence/absence of fear during the time spent in the collection room was also scored for each individual. Results revealed a weak negative correlation between cortisol and prolactin levels. Neither of the hormones was correlated with the stress score, nor did their values seem to be influenced by showing fear in the collection room. The weak negative correlation found between cortisol and prolactin values agrees with results obtained in other studies, indicating that prolactin response might be an alternative to cortisol response. This, together with the high serum prolactin levels compared to those reported by other authors for healthy domestic dogs, may indicate that prolactin might be a good biomarker of chronic stress, and although further studies are needed to better understand the potential role of prolactin in the evaluation of canine welfare
Pirrone, A., & Gobet, F. (2021), Is attentional discounting in value-based decision making magnitude sensitive?
No full textFamiliarity and Interest in Working with Livestock Decreases the Odds of Having Positive Attitudes towards Non-Human Animals and Their Welfare among Veterinary Students in Italy
Get PDFWe investigated the attitudes of veterinary students towards animals and their welfare in Italy. Regression analyses revealed predictors that are significant in differentiating students’ scoring tendency based on their gender, familiarity, and intention to work with a specific animal species, type of diet, and membership in an animal rights association. Female students, who were mostly familiar with pets and aspired to work with species other than livestock, following an animal-free diet and being a member of an animal rights association, had a significantly greater odds of having a high Animal Attitude Scale score (AAS), i.e., very positive attitude towards animals, versus a less positive attitude. Conversely, the familiarity with livestock and preference for working with livestock significantly increased the odds of a low AAS. Overall, students considered all of the Brambell Report’s Five Freedoms important for animal welfare protection. However, students scored higher for companion animals than for livestock, particularly regarding the freedom to express normal behaviour and the absence of fear and distress. This study suggests that veterinary students place less importance on the psychological aspects of welfare for livestock, and there is a tendency for students who are mostly familiar, or aspire to work, with livestock to have a less positive attitude towards non-human animals and their welfare. These findings should be considered within the veterinary educational curriculum due to their potential impact on animal welfare
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