Angelo Gazzano | Università di Pisa (original) (raw)

Papers by Angelo Gazzano

Research paper thumbnail of Ordinanza sirchia sui cani potenzialmente pericolosi: valutazione degli effetti nella città di Firenze

RIASSUNTO L’aggressività canina risulta essere un tema largamente dibattuto, soprattutto quando v... more RIASSUNTO L’aggressività canina risulta essere un tema largamente dibattuto, soprattutto quando vede coinvolto l’uomo come parte lesionata. Il problema delle morsicature canine rivolte all’uomo deve essere affrontato ed analizzato in modo scientifico, al fine di permettere l’individuazione dei fattori di rischio. Lo scopo di questo lavoro è stato quello di valutare l’influenza dell’Ordinanza Sirchia del 9 settembre 2003 intitolata “Tutela dell’incolumità pubblica dal rischio di aggressioni da parte di cani potenzialmente pericolosi” sull’andamento delle morsicature canine rivolte all’uomo nella città di Firenze. Per questo studio sono stati raccolti 556 casi di morsicature verificatesi nel periodo compreso tra settembre 2002 ed agosto 2005, desunti dalle certificazioni dei referti medici dei vari D.E.A. di Firenze, dalle denunce effettuate all’ufficio dell’anagrafe canina e dalle schede di osservazione per la profilassi della rabbia. I dati sono stati inseriti in un database ed esam...

Research paper thumbnail of Valutazione della cortisolemia in cani ospitati in canile sanitario

RIASSUNTO La valutazione del benessere dei cani ospitati in canile è un argomento di estrema attu... more RIASSUNTO La valutazione del benessere dei cani ospitati in canile è un argomento di estrema attualità e di difficile soluzione. Tra gli approcci tentati, quello fisiologico (comprendente la valutazione del comportamento e la determinazione della cortisolemia), risulta essere uno dei più attendibili. Scopo della presente ricerca è stato quello di valutare l’effetto sul cane della permanenza in canile, determinando i livelli ematici di cortisolo dal momento dell’arrivo nella struttura fino al termine del soggiorno (2 mesi), eseguendo prelievi ematici con cadenza settimanale. Per la sperimentazione sono stati utilizzati 15 cani meticci di entrambi i sessi, ospitati presso il canile sanitario dell’ASL 2 di Lucca. L’analisi statistica dei dati ha dimostrato una significativa (p<0,05) riduzione dei livelli di cortisolo plasmatico che, dai valori iniziali di 191,75±151,38 ng/ml, sono scesi a 118,41±25,79 ng/ml, pur rimanendo al di sopra del range considerato fisiologico per il cane (10...

Research paper thumbnail of An Odorant-Binding Protein Is Abundantly Expressed in the Nose and in the Seminal Fluid of the Rabbit

PLoS ONE, 2014

We have purified an abundant lipocalin from the seminal fluid of the rabbit, which shows signific... more We have purified an abundant lipocalin from the seminal fluid of the rabbit, which shows significant similarity with the sub-class of pheromone carriers &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;urinary&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot; and &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;salivary&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot; and presents an N-terminal sequence identical with that of an odorant-binding protein (rabOBP3) expressed in the nasal tissue of the same species. This protein is synthesised in the prostate and found in the seminal fluid, but not in sperm cells. The same protein is also expressed in the nasal epithelium of both sexes, but is completely absent in female reproductive organs. It presents four cysteines, among which two are arranged to form a disulphide bridge, and is glycosylated. This is the first report of an OBP identified at the protein level in the seminal fluid of a vertebrate species. The protein purified from seminal fluid is bound to some organic chemicals whose structure is currently under investigation. We reasonably speculate that, like urinary and salivary proteins reported in other species of mammals, this lipocalin performs a dual role, as carrier of semiochemicals in the seminal fluid and as detector of chemical signals in the nose.

Research paper thumbnail of Behavioural modifications of bitches during diestrus and anestrus

Veterinary Research Communications, 2008

Research paper thumbnail of Effects of Postnatal Handling on the Ontogenesis of Canine Behaviour

Veterinary Research Communications, 2006

Research paper thumbnail of AFM characterization of rabbit spermatozoa

Microscopy Research and Technique, 2008

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) has been applied for determining the topological and structural fea... more Atomic force microscopy (AFM) has been applied for determining the topological and structural features of rabbit spermatozoa. Fresh ejaculated spermatozoa were adsorbed passively onto a silicon slide or by motility from suspension onto a poly(L-lysine)-coated glass coverslip and then imaged in air and in buffer saline, respectively. AFM images clearly highlighted many details of spermatozoa head, neck, and tail. Distinct features were observed in the plasmatic membrane of spermatozoa. In particular, head topography easily recognized the acrosome, equatorial segment, equatorial subsegment, and postacrosome regions. Moreover, AFM images revealed the presence of double belt of invaginations around the spermatozoa head, at the boundary between equatorial subsegment and postacrosome regions. All together, the collected AFM images clearly defined a detailed map of spermatozoa morphology while giving some hints on the internal structure. Microsc. Res. Tech. 71:529-535, in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com).

Research paper thumbnail of Survey of undesirable behaviors displayed by potential guide dogs with puppy walkers

Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 2008

This research aimed to identify the frequency and type of undesirable behaviors observed by guide... more This research aimed to identify the frequency and type of undesirable behaviors observed by guide dog puppy walkers and management strategies used by them during the puppy-walking period.

Research paper thumbnail of Detour behavior with asymmetric obstacle in horses

Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 2011

Research paper thumbnail of Dogs' features strongly affect people's feelings and behavior toward them

Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 2012

Research paper thumbnail of Domestic dogs display calming signals more frequently towards unfamiliar rather than familiar dogs

Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 2010

Research paper thumbnail of Does the breed influence dog’s attachment to man? a preliminary study

Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 2011

test. Analyses were done by using the c 2 test (P , 0.05). The level of attachment to each person... more test. Analyses were done by using the c 2 test (P , 0.05). The level of attachment to each person was measured by the number of c 2 which resulted statistically significant compared to other participants. Eight dogs (72.7%) showed a higher attachment toward a specific person; no difference was found based on the sex (4 men and 4 women) or age (10 to 65 years) of the preferred person. Instead it emerged that walking the dog (100.0% of preferred figures) was an activity that predisposed the dog to establish a stronger attachment bond. In contrast to what was observed by Topàl and colleagues (1998), dogs living in a multi-individual family (3-4 person families), do not show a lower attachment, but in these dogs it was possible to observe a kind of hierarchy in the level of attachment toward different owners, as reported by Bowlby (1988) in children. Data also suggest that owners, on the whole, were able to recognize a dog's greater attachment toward a specific person, their answers corresponding to the results of the test in 75.0% of cases. No correlation was found between the reciprocal doghuman levels of attachment.

Research paper thumbnail of Considering the dog as part of the system: studying the attachment bond of dogs toward all members of the fostering family

Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 2011

also suggested that the young of most mammals, as babies, can act as social releasers, due to the... more also suggested that the young of most mammals, as babies, can act as social releasers, due to their 'cute' features, thus motivating caretaking behaviors in humans, described by as baby schema. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of the presence of a puppy with that of a small size adult dog on strangers, assessing whether differences depends on the young age or on size alone. Six dogs were involved: 3 puppies (1 Labrador retriever, 1 Golden retriever and 1 Border collie) and 3 small adult dogs (1 Jack Russell terrier, 1 Border terrier-like mixedbreed and 1 Chihuahua-like mixed-breed). Handlers were 8 females between 20 and 30 years old, casually dressed, instructed to stand in a neutral position with the dog on the leash without seeking attention from passersby. A 15 item questionnaire was used to interview pedestrians immediately after passing the human-dog dyad. For each dog, 60 to 70 questionnaires were filled in, for a total of 389 questionnaires (201 interviewees with puppies and 188 with small adult dogs). In order to unambiguously assess the behavior of passersby, their transit in front of the dog-handler couple was recorded through a hidden videocamera. The behavior and the answers of passersby who had just transited in front of a puppy-handler or a small dog-handler couple were compared using the c 2 test (P , 0.05). It emerged that the vast majority of passersby noticed the dog, regardless of the type (85.1% vs. 80.3%; c 2 5 1.225; P 5 0.268). Puppies elicited more tenderness (64.9% vs. 29.1%; c 2 5 39.685; P 5 0.000) and less indifference (8.2% vs. 20.5%; c 2 59.161; P 5 0.002). Passersby stated they desired to interact with the puppies more than the adult dogs (49.1% vs. 31.1%; c 2 510.030; P 5 0.002), and they actually stopped and interacted with them more often than with the adults (18.1% vs. 7.9%; c 2 5 6.331; P 5 0.012). Regarding social responses towards the handler, it transpired that the presence of a puppy increased the desire of passersby to relate to the stranger (17.0% vs. 8.6%; c 2 5 4.220; P 5 0.040), consistent with observed interactions of the interviewee with the human-dog dyad (4.7% vs. 0.7%%; c 2 5 3.397; P 5 0.065). The findings from this study confirm that dogs have a social catalysis effect and, as suggested by Wells (2004), such effect is not generic but dog-specific. Results show that puppies facilitate social interactions between strangers, but they also generate more positive feelings towards both dog and handler compared to small adult dogs. It can be concluded that the great appeal puppies have on people seems to be related more to the young age of the dog rather than to the small size.

Research paper thumbnail of Puppies’ appeal for people: a comparison with small adult dogs

Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 2011

Research paper thumbnail of Survey of undesirable behaviors in german shepherd dogs

Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 2011

Research paper thumbnail of Monitoring of dog bites toward people in an urban environment: an example of an integrated approach

Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 2011

Recent evidence suggests that gaze following is tied to ostensive contexts in human infants and t... more Recent evidence suggests that gaze following is tied to ostensive contexts in human infants and this behavior may serve communicative purposes in early human development. It has also been hypothesized that eye gaze is both perceived and produced as a communicative cue by dogs. Dogs often rely on visual signals (looking and gaze alternation) which may be functionally similar to those used by humans. These findings raise the question whether dogs show increased tendency to follow human eye gaze in communicative context as compared to a non-communicative context, and whether this behavior can be studied by eye-tracking techniques, which have been used successfully for collecting data on infants' looking behavior. In our experiment we employed video presentation of a human actor turning toward one of two objects and recorded dogs' gaze-following behavior with eye tracker techniques (Tobii 1750 Eye Tracker). Demonstrations started with a scene with a woman, seated behind a table, facing down. Two objects were placed on the table, one to each side of the human. The videos consisted of three phases: 1) baseline -the human remained still for some seconds, 2) attention-getting -either by non-communicative signals or by communicative cues, 3) gazing -the human turned her head toward one of the two objects. Results showed that eye tracker technique is suitable for recording dogs' looking behavior. Importantly, however, head turning is not simply perceived as a referential cue; ostensivecommunicative addressing signals facilitates gaze-following in dogs. This finding raises the possibility that dogs may understand some aspects of human communicative motives.

Research paper thumbnail of Improvement in children’s humaneness toward nonhuman animals through a project of educational anthrozoology

Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 2011

The aim of the current research was to assess the effects of a project of educational anthrozoolo... more The aim of the current research was to assess the effects of a project of educational anthrozoology on primary-school children.

Research paper thumbnail of Are domestic dogs able to calm conspecifics by using visual communication?

Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 2010

The police of Lower Saxony, Germany, employed a dog as mediator between victims (children/teenage... more The police of Lower Saxony, Germany, employed a dog as mediator between victims (children/teenagers) and officers during police interviews. Positive effects -maximum relaxation of victims -were found. To render the further use of dogs possible, a special test was developed, assessing the suitability of dogs as police interview assistance dogs. Participating dogs were tested in a behavior test including veterinary examination, frustration test, obedience test, doghuman-contact situations, dog-environment-contact situations, and child-like behavior situations. In each situation, the dog's display was recorded and classified as agonistic behavior, withdrawal, submission/signs of insecurity, socioneutral behavior, and social approach behavior. Per test situation, the behavior was evaluated as appropriate (score 1), conditionally appropriate (score 2), or inappropriate (score 3). Depending on results, successful dogs then underwent a specific training program. Subsequently, dogs were reassessed using the same test and scoring system. Data were analyzed using SAS 9.1. Differences between pre-training and post-training scores were calculated using McNemar's test. Values of p , 0.05 were regarded as significant, values of p , 0.01 as highly significant. Forty privately owned dogs, purebreds and crossbreds, aged 1-14 years, participated in the first test. Ten of these participated in training program and second test. From pre-training to post-training test, the performance of four dogs improved significantly (p 5 0.0194) or highly significantly (p 5 0.0016, p 5 0.0006, p , 0.0001). Five dogs showed improved scores but the changes were not statistically significant (0.1088%p % 0.4669). One dog performed worse (p 5 0.7477). In total, no dog was unconditionally suitable (score 1 at most in all 53 test situations). Six dogs (60.0%) were conditionally suitable (score 2 at most), four dogs (40.0%) were unsuitable (score 3 at least once). All participating dogs were kept as companion dogs, were from various breeds, and had varying histories regarding rearing conditions and previous training. The owners, all police officers, took part in the study voluntarily; they conducted the training sessions in their leisure time and not while being on duty. The results show that the training had an influence on the dogs' behavior, i.e. the dogs improved with respect to their suitability as police interview assistance dogs over time with training. The time available to the dogs' owners in this study was not sufficient and more intense training may well produce unconditionally suitable police interview assistance dogs. Establishing these dogs as a particular type of service dog, i.e. providing police officers with time for training sessions while they are on duty, and re-considering their breeding, rearing, and training might further improve the training the dogs, might be necessary to produce suitable dogs while also meeting animal welfare criteria.

Research paper thumbnail of Differential Expression of Odorant-Binding Proteins in the Mandibular Glands of the Honey Bee According to Caste and Age

Journal of Proteome Research, 2011

Research paper thumbnail of How Do Horses Appraise Humans' Actions? A Brief Note over a Practical Way to Assess Stimulus Perception

Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, 2009

Heart rate (HR) is considered to be an effective tool for assessing animals' emotional response t... more Heart rate (HR) is considered to be an effective tool for assessing animals' emotional response to a stimulus. We investigated changes in HR during a series of handling procedures (grooming test) in horses that had different experiences of human interaction. We used four groups of horses: grazing horses (group A), school horses (group B), six ponies, traditionally trained (group C), and six ponies, trained with modulated stimulus intensity (group D). An HR monitor was applied to each horse. The operator began the grooming test, standardized at the following points: (1) trainer's entry into the enclosure/paddock, (2) halter fastened, (3) start of grooming, (4) end of grooming, (5) saddling, and inserting the bit. Group A repeated the grooming test twice: group A1 with a known operator and group A2 with an unknown operator. The data were compared by using analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests. The results showed a significant increase in HR (P % .05) at point 2 compared with baseline in all groups except group D. Other significant differences were found at all points between groups A1 and A2, groups A2 and B, groups A1 and C, groups B and C, and at points 5 and 6 between groups A2 and C, as well as between groups C and D. Even when a scientific assessment of the increase in the HR is of primary importance, the use of this physiologic parameter may be helpful in assessing the horse's perceptions of stimuli presented by people during handling. Our results show that it is not the action ''per se'' that is important, but the manner in which horses perceive and appraise such actions in relation to the environment and their subject's experiences.

Research paper thumbnail of Discrimination of alarm pheromone (E)-β-farnesene by aphid odorant-binding proteins

Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 2009

OBPs have been recently demonstrated to be required for odour perception in insects and directly ... more OBPs have been recently demonstrated to be required for odour perception in insects and directly involved in odour discrimination. In aphids they might represent new interesting targets for the control of their population in agriculture. Based on sequence information available in the EST database, we have cloned four genes encoding odorant-binding proteins (OBP) in Acyrthosiphon pisum and homologous genes in other aphid species. Unlike OBPs from other orders of insects, that are greatly divergent, in aphids these proteins have been found to be highly conserved, with differences between species limited to only few amino acid substitutions. On the contrary, similarities between OBP sequences of the same species are poor with 31% or less of identical amino acids. Three selected OBPs (OBP1, OBP3 and OBP8) have been expressed in bacteria and purified. Ligand-binding experiments have shown similar behaviour of the three proteins towards several organic compounds, but also some significant selectivities. In particular, (E)-b-farnesene, the alarm pheromone and its related compound farnesol exhibited good affinity to OBP3, but did not bind the other two proteins. We suggest that OBP3 could mediate response of aphids to the alarm pheromone.

Research paper thumbnail of Ordinanza sirchia sui cani potenzialmente pericolosi: valutazione degli effetti nella città di Firenze

RIASSUNTO L’aggressività canina risulta essere un tema largamente dibattuto, soprattutto quando v... more RIASSUNTO L’aggressività canina risulta essere un tema largamente dibattuto, soprattutto quando vede coinvolto l’uomo come parte lesionata. Il problema delle morsicature canine rivolte all’uomo deve essere affrontato ed analizzato in modo scientifico, al fine di permettere l’individuazione dei fattori di rischio. Lo scopo di questo lavoro è stato quello di valutare l’influenza dell’Ordinanza Sirchia del 9 settembre 2003 intitolata “Tutela dell’incolumità pubblica dal rischio di aggressioni da parte di cani potenzialmente pericolosi” sull’andamento delle morsicature canine rivolte all’uomo nella città di Firenze. Per questo studio sono stati raccolti 556 casi di morsicature verificatesi nel periodo compreso tra settembre 2002 ed agosto 2005, desunti dalle certificazioni dei referti medici dei vari D.E.A. di Firenze, dalle denunce effettuate all’ufficio dell’anagrafe canina e dalle schede di osservazione per la profilassi della rabbia. I dati sono stati inseriti in un database ed esam...

Research paper thumbnail of Valutazione della cortisolemia in cani ospitati in canile sanitario

RIASSUNTO La valutazione del benessere dei cani ospitati in canile è un argomento di estrema attu... more RIASSUNTO La valutazione del benessere dei cani ospitati in canile è un argomento di estrema attualità e di difficile soluzione. Tra gli approcci tentati, quello fisiologico (comprendente la valutazione del comportamento e la determinazione della cortisolemia), risulta essere uno dei più attendibili. Scopo della presente ricerca è stato quello di valutare l’effetto sul cane della permanenza in canile, determinando i livelli ematici di cortisolo dal momento dell’arrivo nella struttura fino al termine del soggiorno (2 mesi), eseguendo prelievi ematici con cadenza settimanale. Per la sperimentazione sono stati utilizzati 15 cani meticci di entrambi i sessi, ospitati presso il canile sanitario dell’ASL 2 di Lucca. L’analisi statistica dei dati ha dimostrato una significativa (p<0,05) riduzione dei livelli di cortisolo plasmatico che, dai valori iniziali di 191,75±151,38 ng/ml, sono scesi a 118,41±25,79 ng/ml, pur rimanendo al di sopra del range considerato fisiologico per il cane (10...

Research paper thumbnail of An Odorant-Binding Protein Is Abundantly Expressed in the Nose and in the Seminal Fluid of the Rabbit

PLoS ONE, 2014

We have purified an abundant lipocalin from the seminal fluid of the rabbit, which shows signific... more We have purified an abundant lipocalin from the seminal fluid of the rabbit, which shows significant similarity with the sub-class of pheromone carriers &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;urinary&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot; and &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;salivary&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot; and presents an N-terminal sequence identical with that of an odorant-binding protein (rabOBP3) expressed in the nasal tissue of the same species. This protein is synthesised in the prostate and found in the seminal fluid, but not in sperm cells. The same protein is also expressed in the nasal epithelium of both sexes, but is completely absent in female reproductive organs. It presents four cysteines, among which two are arranged to form a disulphide bridge, and is glycosylated. This is the first report of an OBP identified at the protein level in the seminal fluid of a vertebrate species. The protein purified from seminal fluid is bound to some organic chemicals whose structure is currently under investigation. We reasonably speculate that, like urinary and salivary proteins reported in other species of mammals, this lipocalin performs a dual role, as carrier of semiochemicals in the seminal fluid and as detector of chemical signals in the nose.

Research paper thumbnail of Behavioural modifications of bitches during diestrus and anestrus

Veterinary Research Communications, 2008

Research paper thumbnail of Effects of Postnatal Handling on the Ontogenesis of Canine Behaviour

Veterinary Research Communications, 2006

Research paper thumbnail of AFM characterization of rabbit spermatozoa

Microscopy Research and Technique, 2008

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) has been applied for determining the topological and structural fea... more Atomic force microscopy (AFM) has been applied for determining the topological and structural features of rabbit spermatozoa. Fresh ejaculated spermatozoa were adsorbed passively onto a silicon slide or by motility from suspension onto a poly(L-lysine)-coated glass coverslip and then imaged in air and in buffer saline, respectively. AFM images clearly highlighted many details of spermatozoa head, neck, and tail. Distinct features were observed in the plasmatic membrane of spermatozoa. In particular, head topography easily recognized the acrosome, equatorial segment, equatorial subsegment, and postacrosome regions. Moreover, AFM images revealed the presence of double belt of invaginations around the spermatozoa head, at the boundary between equatorial subsegment and postacrosome regions. All together, the collected AFM images clearly defined a detailed map of spermatozoa morphology while giving some hints on the internal structure. Microsc. Res. Tech. 71:529-535, in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com).

Research paper thumbnail of Survey of undesirable behaviors displayed by potential guide dogs with puppy walkers

Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 2008

This research aimed to identify the frequency and type of undesirable behaviors observed by guide... more This research aimed to identify the frequency and type of undesirable behaviors observed by guide dog puppy walkers and management strategies used by them during the puppy-walking period.

Research paper thumbnail of Detour behavior with asymmetric obstacle in horses

Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 2011

Research paper thumbnail of Dogs' features strongly affect people's feelings and behavior toward them

Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 2012

Research paper thumbnail of Domestic dogs display calming signals more frequently towards unfamiliar rather than familiar dogs

Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 2010

Research paper thumbnail of Does the breed influence dog’s attachment to man? a preliminary study

Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 2011

test. Analyses were done by using the c 2 test (P , 0.05). The level of attachment to each person... more test. Analyses were done by using the c 2 test (P , 0.05). The level of attachment to each person was measured by the number of c 2 which resulted statistically significant compared to other participants. Eight dogs (72.7%) showed a higher attachment toward a specific person; no difference was found based on the sex (4 men and 4 women) or age (10 to 65 years) of the preferred person. Instead it emerged that walking the dog (100.0% of preferred figures) was an activity that predisposed the dog to establish a stronger attachment bond. In contrast to what was observed by Topàl and colleagues (1998), dogs living in a multi-individual family (3-4 person families), do not show a lower attachment, but in these dogs it was possible to observe a kind of hierarchy in the level of attachment toward different owners, as reported by Bowlby (1988) in children. Data also suggest that owners, on the whole, were able to recognize a dog's greater attachment toward a specific person, their answers corresponding to the results of the test in 75.0% of cases. No correlation was found between the reciprocal doghuman levels of attachment.

Research paper thumbnail of Considering the dog as part of the system: studying the attachment bond of dogs toward all members of the fostering family

Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 2011

also suggested that the young of most mammals, as babies, can act as social releasers, due to the... more also suggested that the young of most mammals, as babies, can act as social releasers, due to their 'cute' features, thus motivating caretaking behaviors in humans, described by as baby schema. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of the presence of a puppy with that of a small size adult dog on strangers, assessing whether differences depends on the young age or on size alone. Six dogs were involved: 3 puppies (1 Labrador retriever, 1 Golden retriever and 1 Border collie) and 3 small adult dogs (1 Jack Russell terrier, 1 Border terrier-like mixedbreed and 1 Chihuahua-like mixed-breed). Handlers were 8 females between 20 and 30 years old, casually dressed, instructed to stand in a neutral position with the dog on the leash without seeking attention from passersby. A 15 item questionnaire was used to interview pedestrians immediately after passing the human-dog dyad. For each dog, 60 to 70 questionnaires were filled in, for a total of 389 questionnaires (201 interviewees with puppies and 188 with small adult dogs). In order to unambiguously assess the behavior of passersby, their transit in front of the dog-handler couple was recorded through a hidden videocamera. The behavior and the answers of passersby who had just transited in front of a puppy-handler or a small dog-handler couple were compared using the c 2 test (P , 0.05). It emerged that the vast majority of passersby noticed the dog, regardless of the type (85.1% vs. 80.3%; c 2 5 1.225; P 5 0.268). Puppies elicited more tenderness (64.9% vs. 29.1%; c 2 5 39.685; P 5 0.000) and less indifference (8.2% vs. 20.5%; c 2 59.161; P 5 0.002). Passersby stated they desired to interact with the puppies more than the adult dogs (49.1% vs. 31.1%; c 2 510.030; P 5 0.002), and they actually stopped and interacted with them more often than with the adults (18.1% vs. 7.9%; c 2 5 6.331; P 5 0.012). Regarding social responses towards the handler, it transpired that the presence of a puppy increased the desire of passersby to relate to the stranger (17.0% vs. 8.6%; c 2 5 4.220; P 5 0.040), consistent with observed interactions of the interviewee with the human-dog dyad (4.7% vs. 0.7%%; c 2 5 3.397; P 5 0.065). The findings from this study confirm that dogs have a social catalysis effect and, as suggested by Wells (2004), such effect is not generic but dog-specific. Results show that puppies facilitate social interactions between strangers, but they also generate more positive feelings towards both dog and handler compared to small adult dogs. It can be concluded that the great appeal puppies have on people seems to be related more to the young age of the dog rather than to the small size.

Research paper thumbnail of Puppies’ appeal for people: a comparison with small adult dogs

Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 2011

Research paper thumbnail of Survey of undesirable behaviors in german shepherd dogs

Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 2011

Research paper thumbnail of Monitoring of dog bites toward people in an urban environment: an example of an integrated approach

Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 2011

Recent evidence suggests that gaze following is tied to ostensive contexts in human infants and t... more Recent evidence suggests that gaze following is tied to ostensive contexts in human infants and this behavior may serve communicative purposes in early human development. It has also been hypothesized that eye gaze is both perceived and produced as a communicative cue by dogs. Dogs often rely on visual signals (looking and gaze alternation) which may be functionally similar to those used by humans. These findings raise the question whether dogs show increased tendency to follow human eye gaze in communicative context as compared to a non-communicative context, and whether this behavior can be studied by eye-tracking techniques, which have been used successfully for collecting data on infants' looking behavior. In our experiment we employed video presentation of a human actor turning toward one of two objects and recorded dogs' gaze-following behavior with eye tracker techniques (Tobii 1750 Eye Tracker). Demonstrations started with a scene with a woman, seated behind a table, facing down. Two objects were placed on the table, one to each side of the human. The videos consisted of three phases: 1) baseline -the human remained still for some seconds, 2) attention-getting -either by non-communicative signals or by communicative cues, 3) gazing -the human turned her head toward one of the two objects. Results showed that eye tracker technique is suitable for recording dogs' looking behavior. Importantly, however, head turning is not simply perceived as a referential cue; ostensivecommunicative addressing signals facilitates gaze-following in dogs. This finding raises the possibility that dogs may understand some aspects of human communicative motives.

Research paper thumbnail of Improvement in children’s humaneness toward nonhuman animals through a project of educational anthrozoology

Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 2011

The aim of the current research was to assess the effects of a project of educational anthrozoolo... more The aim of the current research was to assess the effects of a project of educational anthrozoology on primary-school children.

Research paper thumbnail of Are domestic dogs able to calm conspecifics by using visual communication?

Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 2010

The police of Lower Saxony, Germany, employed a dog as mediator between victims (children/teenage... more The police of Lower Saxony, Germany, employed a dog as mediator between victims (children/teenagers) and officers during police interviews. Positive effects -maximum relaxation of victims -were found. To render the further use of dogs possible, a special test was developed, assessing the suitability of dogs as police interview assistance dogs. Participating dogs were tested in a behavior test including veterinary examination, frustration test, obedience test, doghuman-contact situations, dog-environment-contact situations, and child-like behavior situations. In each situation, the dog's display was recorded and classified as agonistic behavior, withdrawal, submission/signs of insecurity, socioneutral behavior, and social approach behavior. Per test situation, the behavior was evaluated as appropriate (score 1), conditionally appropriate (score 2), or inappropriate (score 3). Depending on results, successful dogs then underwent a specific training program. Subsequently, dogs were reassessed using the same test and scoring system. Data were analyzed using SAS 9.1. Differences between pre-training and post-training scores were calculated using McNemar's test. Values of p , 0.05 were regarded as significant, values of p , 0.01 as highly significant. Forty privately owned dogs, purebreds and crossbreds, aged 1-14 years, participated in the first test. Ten of these participated in training program and second test. From pre-training to post-training test, the performance of four dogs improved significantly (p 5 0.0194) or highly significantly (p 5 0.0016, p 5 0.0006, p , 0.0001). Five dogs showed improved scores but the changes were not statistically significant (0.1088%p % 0.4669). One dog performed worse (p 5 0.7477). In total, no dog was unconditionally suitable (score 1 at most in all 53 test situations). Six dogs (60.0%) were conditionally suitable (score 2 at most), four dogs (40.0%) were unsuitable (score 3 at least once). All participating dogs were kept as companion dogs, were from various breeds, and had varying histories regarding rearing conditions and previous training. The owners, all police officers, took part in the study voluntarily; they conducted the training sessions in their leisure time and not while being on duty. The results show that the training had an influence on the dogs' behavior, i.e. the dogs improved with respect to their suitability as police interview assistance dogs over time with training. The time available to the dogs' owners in this study was not sufficient and more intense training may well produce unconditionally suitable police interview assistance dogs. Establishing these dogs as a particular type of service dog, i.e. providing police officers with time for training sessions while they are on duty, and re-considering their breeding, rearing, and training might further improve the training the dogs, might be necessary to produce suitable dogs while also meeting animal welfare criteria.

Research paper thumbnail of Differential Expression of Odorant-Binding Proteins in the Mandibular Glands of the Honey Bee According to Caste and Age

Journal of Proteome Research, 2011

Research paper thumbnail of How Do Horses Appraise Humans' Actions? A Brief Note over a Practical Way to Assess Stimulus Perception

Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, 2009

Heart rate (HR) is considered to be an effective tool for assessing animals' emotional response t... more Heart rate (HR) is considered to be an effective tool for assessing animals' emotional response to a stimulus. We investigated changes in HR during a series of handling procedures (grooming test) in horses that had different experiences of human interaction. We used four groups of horses: grazing horses (group A), school horses (group B), six ponies, traditionally trained (group C), and six ponies, trained with modulated stimulus intensity (group D). An HR monitor was applied to each horse. The operator began the grooming test, standardized at the following points: (1) trainer's entry into the enclosure/paddock, (2) halter fastened, (3) start of grooming, (4) end of grooming, (5) saddling, and inserting the bit. Group A repeated the grooming test twice: group A1 with a known operator and group A2 with an unknown operator. The data were compared by using analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests. The results showed a significant increase in HR (P % .05) at point 2 compared with baseline in all groups except group D. Other significant differences were found at all points between groups A1 and A2, groups A2 and B, groups A1 and C, groups B and C, and at points 5 and 6 between groups A2 and C, as well as between groups C and D. Even when a scientific assessment of the increase in the HR is of primary importance, the use of this physiologic parameter may be helpful in assessing the horse's perceptions of stimuli presented by people during handling. Our results show that it is not the action ''per se'' that is important, but the manner in which horses perceive and appraise such actions in relation to the environment and their subject's experiences.

Research paper thumbnail of Discrimination of alarm pheromone (E)-β-farnesene by aphid odorant-binding proteins

Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 2009

OBPs have been recently demonstrated to be required for odour perception in insects and directly ... more OBPs have been recently demonstrated to be required for odour perception in insects and directly involved in odour discrimination. In aphids they might represent new interesting targets for the control of their population in agriculture. Based on sequence information available in the EST database, we have cloned four genes encoding odorant-binding proteins (OBP) in Acyrthosiphon pisum and homologous genes in other aphid species. Unlike OBPs from other orders of insects, that are greatly divergent, in aphids these proteins have been found to be highly conserved, with differences between species limited to only few amino acid substitutions. On the contrary, similarities between OBP sequences of the same species are poor with 31% or less of identical amino acids. Three selected OBPs (OBP1, OBP3 and OBP8) have been expressed in bacteria and purified. Ligand-binding experiments have shown similar behaviour of the three proteins towards several organic compounds, but also some significant selectivities. In particular, (E)-b-farnesene, the alarm pheromone and its related compound farnesol exhibited good affinity to OBP3, but did not bind the other two proteins. We suggest that OBP3 could mediate response of aphids to the alarm pheromone.