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Urban habitats are increasing worldwide and represent new potential environments for many species of animals, in particular birds. As a result of contact with humans, urban wildlife can experience ecological and ethological modifications, mainly regarding parental and feeding behaviour. One of the most common birds in urban landscapes is the mallard, Anas platyrhynchos L., which is widespread in temperate regions. This study aimed to characterize two Italian populations of mallards living in a metropolitan area, from both an ecological and a genetic point of view. Field surveys were carried out for 27 consecutive months along two rivers, focusing on the biological cycle and reproductive behaviour of the mallard. The ecological results were integrated with molecular data, obtained by the analysis of 10 microsatellites, genotyped in the two urban, in a wild and in a captive-bred population. No significant changes in eco-ethological features of the mallards living in the urban area were observed, whereas the urban populations were genetically differentiated from the wild and the bred ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies suggested the suitability of the brackish-water serpulid (Ficopomatus enigmaticus) to be used as model organism for both marine and brackish waters monitoring, by the performance of sperm toxicity and larval development assays. The present study focused on larval development after the exposure of two F. enigmaticus populations (Mediterranean and Atlantic, collected in Italy and Portugal, respectively) to different trace elements (copper, mercury, arsenic, cadmium, and lead) at different concentrations. Results of larval development assays were presented as the percentage of abnormal developed larvae. The effect, measured in terms of EC 50 for all toxicants tested, showed that mercury was the most toxic metal for larvae of both populations. Specifically, the tested trace elements may be racked in the following order from the highest to the lowest toxicity: Mediterranean: mercury > copper > lead > arsenic > cadmium; Atlantic: mercury > copper > cadmium > arsenic > lead. Responses of both populations were similar for arsenic. Lead was the least toxic element for the Atlantic population, while cadmium showed the least toxicity for the Mediterranean population. These preliminary results demonstrate the sensitivity and suitability of the organisms to be used in ecotoxicological bioassays and monitoring protocols. Moreover, chemical analyses on soft tissues and calcareous tubes of collected test organisms and their sampling site water were performed, to identify and quantify the concentration of the tested trace elements in these 3 matrices. Populations exhibited less sensitivity to a certain element together with a relevantly higher concentration of the same element in soft tissues. This may indicate a certain resistance to particular contaminant toxic effects by organisms that tend to accumulate the same toxicant. This highlights the potential correlation between wild-caught test organisms' responses and a deep characterization of the sampling site to identify putative abnormalities or differences in model organism response during bioassay execution., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Recently, in the province of Trapani (Western Sicily), some overwintering specimens of the argasid tick Argos (Persicargas) persicus (Oken, 1818) were observed and collected. Morphological and genetic analysis were utilized in order to reach a definitive identification. The species was found in two semi-natural sites where, having been found repeatedly, its presence does not appear accidental. Moreover the characteristics of the Sicilian findings seem to exclude a human-induced spread. This record, the first regarding Sicily and South Italy, is discussed together with the previous doubtful citations for Italy. These findings revalue not only all the old citations for Italy but also the hypothesis that the Mediterranean distribution of this argasid is of a natural origin.

Pathological gambling (PG) is a psychiatric disorder characterized by loss of control of gambling, which has repercussions on family, personal, and professional life. Several recent studies have reported the relationship between PG and the treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD), but no prevalence study has yet been conducted to investigate this correlation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of PG in Italian patients with PD on dopamine replacement therapy. The prevalence of PG in a PD sample (n = 98) and in an age- and sex-matched control group (n = 392) was obtained. The prevalence of PG results significantly higher (P = 0.00001) in PD patients than in control subjects (6.1% vs. 0.25%). Our results emphasize that PG in patients with idiopathic PD on dopamine replacement therapy is an emergent comorbidity, but probably at present the condition is not properly diagnosed because it is mostly unknown., (Copyright 2006 Movement Disorder Society.)

Insight regarding the genetic origin and composition of the studied population of the red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa) is likely to provide general and critical information for the appropriate management and possible conservation of the species. The reintroduced population of red-legged partridges living in Pianosa Island (National Park Tuscany Archipelago) has proven to be sustainable: captive-bred individuals, morphologically assigned to the taxon A. rufa, were released to the island approximately 20 years ago, establishing an apparently well-adapted population. We have investigated this population by means of 10 microsatellite loci in order to shed light on its genetic structure. Considering that A. rufa is known to crossbreed with A. chukar, the Pianosa Island population was compared at the molecular level with a red-legged partridge breeding stock (Aulla, MS) as well as with a population of pure A. chukar. Our results indicate that the red-legged partridge population from Pianosa, morphologically identified as A. rufa, is actually partly introgressed with A. chukar, questioning its genetic purity and the possible use of this population as a starting stock for future reintroductions elsewhere.

A retrospective epidemiological study on the first episode of stroke in young adults aged 15-44 years was carried out in the territory of the Local Health Unit No. 9 in Reggio Emilia (46,491 km2), Italy, from 1987 to 1989. 29 patients were identified: 17 were affected with cerebral infarction and 12 with hemorrhage. All young patients were discharged with diagnostic codes 430-438 according to the International Classification of Disease, i.e. the criteria of the World Health Organisation for stroke definition. All patients had computed tomography or necropsy. The average annual incidence rate per 100,000 population aged 15-44 for all strokes was 13.6 and the 95% confidence interval (CI 95%) was 9.1-19.6. The general population of the same age on January 1, 1987, was 69,845 and 71,920 on December 31, 1989; the incidence rate of stroke was 14.0 for males (CI 95% 7.9-2.3) and 13.2 (CI 95% 7.1-22.2) for females. The average annual incidence rates were 8.0 (CI 95% 4.7-12.2) for cerebral infarction (8.4, CI 95% 3.9-16 for males, 7.6, CI 95% 3.3-14.9 for females), 5.6 (CI 95% 2.9-9.9) for cerebral hemorrhage and 2.8 (CI 95% 1.0-6.1) for both subarachnoid (SAH) and intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Based on angiography or necropsy findings, aneurysms or arteriovenous malformations were present in 83% of the patients with SAH and in 66% of the patients with ICH. The 1-month fatality ratio was 0 for cerebral infarction, 50% for SAH and 33% for ICH.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)