Animal-assisted interventions: making better use of the human-animal bond

In the third of Veterinary Record’s series of articles promoting One Health, Daniel Mills and Sophie Hall discuss the therapeutic effects of companion animals, the influence of pets on childhood development and how researchers are elucidating the true value of animal companionship. IT has been proposed that the One Health initiative should be extended to ‘One Welfare’, in recognition of the diverse links between the welfare of human beings and other animals (Anon 2012). This is particularly true for companion animals, with a growing body of evidence indicating the diverse stress-ameliorating effects of the relationships between people and pets; however, their importance to mental and physical health from a developmental perspective(particularly for people) is perhaps not given the attention it deserves. This is potentially a serious oversight for ealthcare professionals, policymakers and government, at a time when there are concerns over the growing cost of public healthcare in the industrialised world. Indeed, in the current economic climate, there is perhaps a greater need than ever to consider novel approaches to preventive healthcare, such as the value of animal companionship, since such approaches are potentially more cost-effective and socially acceptable than technological solutions. Companion animals should not be considered a luxury or unnecessary indulgence, but rather, when cared for appropriately, they should be seen as valuable contributors to human health and wellbeing and, as a result, society and the broader economy

EVALUATION OF LINERBOARD PROPERTIES FROM MALAYSIAN CULTIVATED KENAF SODA-ANTHRAQUINONE PULPS VERSUS COMMERCIAL PULPS

Malaysian cultivated kenaf has been identified as a suitable raw material for linerboard production. This study examines the soda-antraquinone (soda-AQ) pulp of kenaf fibers versus old corrugated container (OCC) and unbleached softwood kraft pulps as the main sources for linerboard production. The results showed significant differences among the pulp properties. The unbleached kraft pulp with very high freeness required high beating to reach an optimized freeness and produced paper with the highest strength properties, except for tear resistance. The OCC gave paper with the lowest strength properties. In the case of kenaf fractions, bast pulp with high freeness needed less beating than softwood and produced paper with high tear resistance. Core fiber, which had the lowest freeness and highest drainage time, led to paper with high strength but very low tear resistance. Kenaf whole stem pulp showed intermediate properties between core and bast and close to those of unbleached softwood pulp, but with very lower beating requirement. Finally, kenaf whole stem, due to its strength properties, moderate separation cost, and simple pulping process, was judged to be more suitable for commercialization for linerboard production in Malaysia

The Fascist University Group of Turin and the youth's art commissions. The case history of the first documentary exhibition of goliardic life (1933)

Lo scopo della ricerca è di tracciare un primo bilancio in merito alla commissione e alla produzione di opere di contenuto artistico da parte del Gruppo Universitario Fascista di Torino (GUF). Queste iniziative sono connesse alla decorazione di edifici e specialmente all’organizzazione di mostre, a livello locale (1928-33) e poi per i Littoriali dell’arte , promossi dal Partito Nazionale Fascista (1934-39). La scelta della Prima Mostra documentaria di vita goliardica come caso di studio esemplificativo è dovuta alla natura dei materiali esposti: i documenti - gonfaloni, pergamene, foto... - inviati da tutta Italia, sono inseriti in un allestimento con opere scultoree e pittoriche prodotte dagli studenti dell’Università, del Politecnico e dell’Accademia Albertina di Belle Arti.The purpose of the research is to do an initial analysis of the Fascist University Group of Turin (GUF) in the fields of patronage and production of art pieces. These works are connected to the decoration of buildings and the organization of exhibitions, at a local level (1928-33) and then for Littoriali della Cultura e dell’Arte , promoted by the National Fascist Party (1934-39). The choice of the First Documentary Exhibition of Goliardic Life as an exemplifying case history is due to the na- ture of the materials showed: the documents - gonfalons, parchments, photos... - sent from all over Italy are inserted in a set-up enriched by sculptures and paintings made by students of the University, the Polytechnic University and the Academy of Fine Arts

Transport organization and economic development of an European peripherical region: the case of Sicily

Transport and communication networks are some of the most important factors which influence the socio-economic development, and particularly the tourist sector, of Sicily, a peripherical region by comparison with the European central areas. The most recent changes in the transport sector are: a) the creation of integrated trans-national networks, based on specific systems such as the inter-modality transport one and the hub and spoke one. b) the solution of the conflicts between transport development and environmental impact. These changes lead to the creation of global national and regional logistic networks, which increased the competition and efficiency of states/regions/local economic systems. In this paper the authors will analyse how Sicily wants to face these transformations in order to change its economic functions in the Euro-Mediterranean area. On the other side they will take in consideration how the principal choices of European Union influence the projects of Sicilian transport Plans and if Sicilian actors are able to use the European financial resources available in transport sector.

The Effectiveness of Animal-Assisted Interventions in Reducing Student Anxiety in School Settings

Anxiety has a detrimental effect on child development in numerous capacities including academics, peer relationships, and long-term effects if left untreated (Nail et al., 2015; Siegel, LaGreca & Harrison, 2009; Van Ameringen, Mancini & Farvolden, 2001). The use of animalassisted interventions (AAIs) has been widely reported to have beneficial impacts on human anxiety levels (Bert et al., 2016). The purpose of this systematic review was to understand how the presence of a therapy dog reduces levels of anxiety, and to discuss how the findings can be interpreted and applied for children and adolescents in a school setting. Fifteen peer-reviewed scholarly journal articles met inclusion criteria and were examined. Emerging themes were categorized in terms of the psychological, physiological and psychiatric effects of animalassisted interventions. The findings of this systematic review give supporting evidence to the positive benefits of using animal-assisted interventions in the school setting for children and adolescents

Placido Mossello e la Chiesa di Sant’Antonio Abate a Montà d’Alba: il cantiere del 1877 tra preesistenza e rinnovamento

Il presente contributo si pone l’obiettivo di perlustrare e incrementare la conoscenza sulla questione del rinnovamento del gusto e sulle pratiche di cantiere che caratterizzano il Piemonte di fine Ottocento, attraverso la lettura dei fondi archivistici relativi al cantiere di restauro eseguito all’interno della Chiesa di Sant’Antonio Abate a Montà d’Alba nel 1877. Avendo questo visto il coinvolgimento dell’operato del pittore Placido Mossello, in un primo momento lo studio si sofferma sull’analisi dell’Archivio Musso Clemente, presso il Laboratorio di Storia e Beni Culturali del Politecnico di Torino – DIST, dove sono conservati bozzetti, fotografie e appunti attribuibili all’artista. A partire da questa ineludibile base documentaria, vengono poi individuati i principali temi di riflessione, connessi sia alla fitta rete di relazioni familiari e rapporti professionali in cui Mossello è coinvolto, sia alle operazioni di cantiere connotanti gli interventi da lui eseguiti. Inoltre, la sua diretta partecipazione a cantieri di notevole rilevanza, impone la necessità di volgere l’attenzione ad altri fondi archivistici, nell’intento di comprendere il rapporto con l’architettura preesistente e ricostruire le relazioni tra l’artista e la committenza. L’intreccio di fonti inedite, disegni e ricognizioni sull’attuale stato di conservazione permette infine di approfondire e offrire una interpretazione storico-critica del caso studio implicato, dove il progetto di decorazione realizzato da Placido Mossello in collaborazione con i fratelli Carlo e Domenico assume un ruolo centrale nell’organizzazione e nella gestione del cantiere. Pertanto, l’obiettivo di questa riflessione è duplice: da un lato desidera indagare processi e saperi della prassi architettonico-artistica a partire da un significativo corpus archivistico e nel rapporto con le rimanenze materiali attuali, dall’altro vuole contribuire a implementare la conoscenza di un bene architettonico paradigmatico, fortemente connotato dall’intervento di fine XIX secolo

Placido Mossello. Progetti di decorazione

Placido Mossello (1835-1894) e la sua ditta specializzata in pittura a fresco, oli, tempere nonché in minor misura oggetti d’arredo, rappresentano l’apice di quella imprenditoria a cavallo tra la vena artistica e la maniera propria della seconda metà del XIX secolo. Le commesse, che alternano il servizio per la Real Casa alle esigenze delle famiglie nobili e alto borghesi, nelle due capitali, prima Torino e poi Firenze, e nelle residenze di villeggiatura, rendono conto dell’importanza assunta dalla ditta e della riconosciuta competenza tecnica di Mossello. Ai temi leggeri, con gusto per il panneggio, per l’ornamentazione a fiori, per i falsi sfondati prospettici, per i richiami all’antico che caratterizzano le commesse reali e private, egli alterna il gusto – a tratti sovraccarico – tipicamente ottocentesco per i temi devozionali, per l’iconografia agiografica dei santi, per il culto mariano, soggetti di maniera resi tuttavia con consumata perizia e aderenza alla religiosità dell’epoca. Con la sua attività, Placido apre a una fortunata progenie (di adozione) di decoratori che si esprimono nelle ditte e negli studi Fratelli Musso e Papotti, Carlo Musso, Giovanni Clemente e Paolo Musso, che per quasi un secolo rappresentano la forma più corrente di decorazione di interni, di plastica monumentale e financo di progettazione architettonica in ambito piemontese. Il presente volume, edito a chiusura della mostra Placido Mossello. Progetti di decorazione - allestita presso il Politecnico di Torino, DIST, Castello del Valentino, Manica Sud, da marzo a novembre 2023 - apre a una quadrilogia di esposizioni di disegni e fotografie, attinti dall’archivio Musso Clemente, conservato presso il DIST-APRi (Archivi Professionali e della Ricerca) e acquisito per donazione nel 1989

The Effectiveness of Animal-Assisted Interventions in Reducing Student Anxiety in School Settings

Anxiety has a detrimental effect on child development in numerous capacities including academics, peer relationships, and long-term effects if left untreated (Nail et al., 2015; Siegel, LaGreca & Harrison, 2009; Van Ameringen, Mancini & Farvolden, 2001). The use of animalassisted interventions (AAIs) has been widely reported to have beneficial impacts on human anxiety levels (Bert et al., 2016). The purpose of this systematic review was to understand how the presence of a therapy dog reduces levels of anxiety, and to discuss how the findings can be interpreted and applied for children and adolescents in a school setting. Fifteen peer-reviewed scholarly journal articles met inclusion criteria and were examined. Emerging themes were categorized in terms of the psychological, physiological and psychiatric effects of animalassisted interventions. The findings of this systematic review give supporting evidence to the positive benefits of using animal-assisted interventions in the school setting for children and adolescents