Geology and geomorphology of Lake Garda and the Manerba Promontory

La necropoli dell’ Età del Rame nel Riparo Valtenesi è un complesso con caratteristiche uniche nell’Italia settentrionale per le sue strutture funerarie costruite in legno, e presenta stretti legami con complessi e ambienti culturali dello stesso periodo in Europa occidentale, in particolare nella Francia meridionale. Confronti per la cultura materiale di questa necropoli si trovano anche in aspetti della preistoria contemporanea del Mediterraneo centrale e dell’Egeo. I risultati principali delle ricerche condotte dal curatore in quasi vent’anni di lavoro sul terreno e in laboratorio, esposti nel volume, riguardano la scoperta, lo scavo e lo studio analitico delle strutture e del contenuto di sei camere mortuarie in legno, databili alla prima metà del terzo millennio a. C

Mediation of rat postejaculatory 22 kHz ultrasonic vocalization by dopamine D2 receptors

We investigated the role of dopamine receptor subtypes in the regulation of ultrasonic vocalization and masculine copulatory behavior. Intact sexually experienced male Long-Evans rats were treated with saline, selective dopamine D1 (SKF 38393) and D2 (LY 171555) receptor agonists and with selective dopamine D1 (SCH 23390) and D2 (raclopride) receptor antagonists 15 and 30 min before the 30-min test session, respectively. Mating stimuli were ovariectomized female rats injected SC with estradiol benzoate (8 micrograms/0.1 ml/rat) and progesterone (200 micrograms/0.1 ml/rat), 48 and 4 hr before the test session, respectively. We found a decrease in the number of intromissions required to reach ejaculation in animals treated with SKF 38393 (10 mg/kg/IP), LY 171555 (doses ranging from 0.01 to 0.5 mg/kg/SC) and with raclopride (0.1 mg/kg/SC). LY 171555 reduced the postejaculatory vocalization (PEV) in a dose-dependent fashion with complete suppression at the highest dose. No other parameters of sexual behavior were affected by this treatment. Raclopride, a dopamine D2 receptor antagonist, antagonized the suppressive effects of the D2 agonist LY 171555 on the PEV (and also decreased the number of intromissions to reach ejaculation), whereas SCH 23390, a dopamine D1 receptor antagonist, did not. Raclopride, given alone at the dose of 0.5 mg/kg/SC, almost completely suppressed all behavioral activity, whereas the lower dose (0.1 mg/kg) decreased intromission frequency and increased the length of the 22 kHz PEV. Therefore, we suggest that 22 kHz PEV is under the control of dopamine D2 receptor

Subtle behavioural changes produced in rat pups by in utero exposure to haloperidol

Prenatal exposure to a dopamine receptor blocking agent such as haloperidol (given to the mother at a dose of 0.5 mg/kg s.c. from day 4 to day 15 of gestation) produced subtle behavioural changes in rat pups. Haloperidol decreased the rate of ultrasonic vocalization in 4-day-old male pups removed from the nest. The changes in ultrasonic emission elicited by in utero exposure to this neuroleptic were markedly different from those produced by its administration during the early postnatal period. Moreover, adult male rats treated prenatally with haloperidol exhibited a significant increase in the intensity of ultrasonic 22 kHz post-ejaculatory calls emitted during sexual behaviour. The duration of the period of the 22 kHz calls emission was also significantly increased by haloperidol treatment. These results confirm that ultrasonic vocalization in rats is a sensitive indicator of subtle changes in adverse treatments administered during development

Are trackers social actors? The role of self-tracking on self-evaluation

Despite the increased usage and potential benefits of self-tracking technologies for pursuing healthy lifestyles, the relationship that users have with these personal devices has remained under-studied. The current paper presents a field study to explore the perceived role of self-tracking devices as social actors. Participants received a pedometer which they carried on their person for one day. Users’ access to numerical feedback and the feeling of being tracked were manipulated, and users were interviewed afterwards regarding their experiences and their perceived social relationship to the tracker. Results of a thematic analysis indicated that in general, the feeling of being tracked led to higher self-awareness regarding participants’ walking activity. In particular, having access to agent feedback gave rise to more frequent self-evaluative reports towards one’s performance as well as a closer relationship between the device and its user. The results extend the CASA (Computers As Social Actors) paradigm by demonstrating that the capturing (and feeding back) of data can make a device be perceived as a social actor and be described in relational terms, even in the absence of clear social cues.</p