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Social frailty is a warring phenomenon in Europe, negatively impacting children's health and nutrition. We present the results of a social programme facilitating access to physical activities for vulnerable children in Italy. 311 school-age children enrolled in the programme between 2015 and 2017 were assessed for health and lifestyle, anthropometric and nutritional status. Data were compared by origin (Italians vs. immigrants) and then immigrants were split into sub-groups: first- and second-generation. Poor socio-economic status exposed children to a lack of access to health services, and drove imbalanced eating behaviour. 20.8% of children were not registered with the National Health Services (immigrants p  < .0001); 22% were not fully vaccinated (no differences between groups). A double burden of malnutrition coexisted: overweight was higher for Italians, underweight and poor linear growth for immigrants. Nearly 40% of children had a poor Mediterranean Diet adequacy (KIDMED index). Our findings show that when social programmes, besides their main scope of inclusion and integration, holistically approach their beneficiaries, they can play an important role in monitoring lifestyle conditions and facilitating access to primary health care.

Data on grandparental surnames were obtained from children in 45 Italo-Albanesi villages in nine provinces of southern Italy and Sicily. Concordance of surnames (isonymy) and inbreeding by village were estimated for each province and on the total sample. Total mean isonymy is 0·0251. The weighted mean inbreeding coefficient, and its random and non-random components are 0·0063, 0·0024 and 0·0039, respectively. Isonymy values are similar to those of rural Italian villages except that Alpine and some Appennine villages appear to be more isolated and inbred. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Surnames were obtained for the second half of the 20th century from civil and religious marriage registers on fifteen Provençal-Italian and five Italian villages of Cuneo Province, Italy. To insert in the analysis an outward comparison, surnames from two Italian villages of Turin Province, one parish of Turin, one village of Alessandria Province and one village of Asti Province were also collected. Ethnicity does not seem to be the main factor affecting the present genetic structure of the Provençal-Italians. They are an open community, and evidence the end of the genetic isolation of the alpine populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Analysis of human genetic variation in mountain communities can shed light on the peopling of mountainous regions, perhaps revealing whether the remote geographic location spared them from outside invasion and preserved their gene pool from admixture. In this study, we created a model to assess genetic traces of historical events by reconstructing the paternal and maternal genetic history of seven small mountain villages in inland valleys of Central Italy., Methods: The communities were selected for their geographic isolation, attested biodemographic stability, and documented history prior to the Roman conquest. We studied the genetic structure by analyzing two hypervariable segments (HVS-I and HVS-II) of the mtDNA D-loop and several informative single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the mtDNA coding region in 346 individuals, in addition to 17 short tandem repeats (STRs) and Y-chromosome SNPs in 237 male individuals., Results: For both uniparental markers, most of the haplogroups originated in Western Europe while some Near Eastern haplogroups were identified at low frequencies. However, there was an evident genetic similarity between the Central Italian samples and Near Eastern populations mainly in the male genetic pool., Conclusions: The samples highlight an overall European genetic pattern both for mtDNA and Y chromosome. Notwithstanding this scenario, Y chromosome haplogroup Q, a common paternal lineage in Central/Western Asia but almost Europe-wide absent, was found, suggesting that Central Italy could have hosted a settlement from Anatolia that might be supported by cultural, topographic and genetic evidence., (© 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

The Italo-Greek ethnolinguistic minority, living in thirteen villages of southern Italy, marry largely amongst themselves but there are some intermarriages with native Italians. The majority of marriages are within the villages, but there is some marriage movement from one Italo-Greek village to another. Data on marriage and birthplace of parents and grandparents obtained by questionnaires to families of primary school children (aged 6–13 years) are analysed, to show the trends in breakdown of isolation over the last two generations. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The animal and plant biodiversity of the Italian territory is known to be one of the richest in the Mediterranean basin and Europe as a whole, but does the genetic diversity of extant human populations show a comparable pattern? According to a number of studies, the genetic structure of Italian populations retains the signatures of complex peopling processes which took place from the Paleolithic to modern era. Although the observed patterns highlight a remarkable degree of genetic heterogeneity, they do not, however, take into account an important source of variation. In fact, Italy is home to numerous ethnolinguistic minorities which have yet to be studied systematically. Due to their difference in geographical origin and demographic history, such groups not only signal the cultural and social diversity of our country, but they are also potential contributors to its bio-anthropological heterogeneity. To fill this gap, research groups from four Italian Universities (Bologna, Cagliari, Pisa and Roma Sapienza) started a collaborative study in 2007, which was funded by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research and received partial support by the Istituto Italiano di Antropologia. In this paper, we present an account of the results obtained in the course of this initiative. Four case-studies relative to linguistic minorities from the Eastern Alps, Sardinia, Apennines and Southern Italy are first described and discussed, focusing on their micro-evolutionary and anthropological implications. Thereafter, we present the results of a systematic analysis of the relations between linguistic, geographic and genetic isolation. Integrating the data obtained in the course of the long-term study with literature and unpublished results on Italian populations, we show that a combination of linguistic and geographic factors is probably responsible for the presence of the most robust signatures of genetic isolation. Finally, we evaluate the magnitude of the diversity of Italian populations in the European context. The human genetic diversity of our country was found to be greater than observed throughout the continent at short (0-200 km) and intermediate (700-800km) distances, and accounted for most of the highest values of genetic distances observed at all geographic ranges. Interestingly, an important contribution to this pattern comes from the "linguistic islands"( e.g. German speaking groups of Sappada and Luserna from the Eastern Italian Alps), further proof of the importance of considering social and cultural factors when studying human genetic variation.

Stable isotope analysis of human remains has been used to address long-standing debates regarding the speed and degree to which the introduction of farming transformed diet. In Europe, this debate has centered on northern and Atlantic regions with much less attention devoted to the arrival of farming across the Mediterranean. This study presents carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analyses of collagen from 19 human and 37 faunal remains from eight sites in the Apulia and Marche regions of south-eastern and central Italy, dating to the early phases of agricultural adoption during the first half of the 6th Millennium BC. Where collagen preservation permitted, sulfur stable isotope analysis was also performed. Overall, there was significant isotopic variation between the different geographic regions, although there was also considerable uncertainty in interpreting these data, especially given heterogeneous isotope values for fauna from site to site. By considering isotope data from each region separately, it was noticeable that the degree of carbon isotope enrichment in humans compared to fauna was higher for individuals buried near the coast, consistent with increased marine consumption. Coastal individuals also had higher sulfur isotope values. Nitrogen isotope values were very variable between individuals and regions and, in some cases, were consistent with very high plant food consumption. Overall, early "farmers" in south-east and central Italy consumed a wide range of foods, including marine, and had much more variable stable isotope values than those observed in central and northern Europe during this period, perhaps indicating a different mode for agricultural adoption., (Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

In 1979, the department of Psychology started its activity to provide psychological support to patients and their families during the course of treatment and during the follow-up period. Since 1986, a transplantation program was initiated in the cardiology and pediatric cardiac surgery departments, performing 179 cardiac, 3 heart-kidney, 18 heart-lung 14 both lung, 1 heart-lung-liver, and 1 single lung transplantation. From 1993, to September 2010 the kidney transplant program has performed. 218 cases. Since 2008, we performed (32 liver and 1 intestinal transplantations). We examined the quality of life and coping with transplantation attitudes because there is recent evidence of high levels of family anxiety and depression related to a child's poor response to the disease and compliance. Our work associated post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with anxiety and with these clinical variables: gender pathology, rejection, number of drugs frequency of hospital visits, number of hospitalizations, as well as age at and time from transplantation. We examined 56 parents (25 fathers and 31 mothers) of cardiac transplant recipients. Our most relevant data demonstrated the presence of PTSD among 52% of mothers and 40% of fathers. Significant correlations were observed within the trait of anxiety. No correlations were noted between PTSD and other variables. Testing anxiety levels of parents is considered to be basic to provide psychological support to parents, encourage personal skills, and avoid PTSD symptoms., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Since prehistoric times Southern Italy has been a cultural crossroads of the Mediterranean basin. Genetic data on the peoples of Basilicata and Calabria are scarce and, particularly, no records on mtDNA variability have been published., Aim: In this study mtDNA haplotypes of populations from Basilicata, Calabria and Sicily are compared with those of other Italian and Mediterranean populations, so as to investigate their genetic relationships., Subjects and Methods: A total of 341 individuals was analysed for mtDNA in order to provide their classification into haplogroups. Multivariate analysis was used to compare the studied populations with other Mediterranean samples; median-joining network analysis was applied to observe the relationship between the major lineages of the Southern Italians., Results: The haplogroup distribution in the Southern Italian samples falls within the typical pattern of mtDNA variability of Western Eurasia. The comparison with other Mediterranean countries showed a substantial homogeneity of the area, which is probably related to the historic contact through the Mediterranean Sea., Conclusion: The mtDNA analysis demonstrated that Southern Italy displays a typical pattern of Mediterranean basin variability, even though it appears plausible that Southern Italy was less affected by the effects of the Late Glacial Maximum, which reduced genetic diversity in Europe.

This study examines the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) diversity of the Croatian-speaking minority of Molise and evaluates its potential genetic relatedness to the neighbouring Italian groups and the Croatian parental population. Intermatch, genetic distance, and admixture analyses highlighted the genetic similarity between the Croatians of Molise and the neighbouring Italian populations and demonstrated that the Croatian-Italian ethnic minority presents features lying between Croatians and Italians. This finding was confirmed by a phylogeographic approach, which revealed both the prevalence of Croatian and the penetrance of Italian maternal lineages in the Croatian community of Molise. These results suggest that there was no reproductive isolation between the two geographically proximate, yet culturally distinct populations living in Italy. The gene flow between the Croatian-Italians and the surrounding Italian populations indicate, therefore, that ethnic consciousness has not created reproductive barriers and that the Croatian-speaking minority of Molise does not represent a reproductively isolated entity.

Surnames of grandparents were collected from children in the primary schools of the Albanian-Italian, Croat-Italian, and Greek-Italian villages. The coefficients of relationships by isonymy show almost no relationship with ethnicity. Ethnolinguistic minorities of Southern Italy and Sicily are geographically subdivided in two main clusters: the first cluster comprises the Albanian, Croat, and Greek communities of the Adriatic area; and the second cluster comprises the Albanian communities of the Ionian, Thirrenian and Sicilian area. The Greeks of Reggio Calabria Province are completely separated from the other communities.

Data on grandparental surnames were obtained from school-children in 22 communes from Campobasso Province, Italy (Molise Region). The distribution of surnames was shown to be almost exactly linear by a log2-log2 transformation, which justified the fitting of the data to Fisher's logarithmic distribution. The values for v were higher among women. When v was standardized to minimize bias due to sample size, the value was one-third the estimate of migration from exogamy data. The higher values of v for females indicate that there is greater mobility of female marriage partners than males.

Surnames of grandparents were collected from children in the primary schools of the Albanian-Italian, Croat-Italian and Greek-Italian villages of southern Italy and Sicily. The coefficients of relationships by isonymy show almost no relationship with ethnicity. Ethnolinguistic minorities of southern Italy and Sicily are geographically subdivided into two main clusters: the first cluster comprises the Albanian, Croat and Greek communities of the Adriatic area; and the second cluster comprises the Albanian and Greek communities of the Ionian, Thirrenian and Sicilian areas.

The population of Campobasso Province shows a level of inbreeding that is distinct from most Italian rural populations, regardless of their geographic location (Fr=0.0040; Fn=0.0102; Ft=0.0142). The genetic structure of the Italian-Greek communities of Lecce and Reggio Calabria Provinces does not appear to be affected by ethnicity. The level of inbreeding in Italian-Greeks of Reggio Calabria Province is similar to other Italians of Campobasso Province (Fr=0.0041; Fn=0.0127; Ft=0.0168). The Italian-Greeks of Lecce Province show random mating, and their inbreeding is in fact very low (Fr=0.0038; Fn=0.0024; Ft=0.0062).

Data were obtained on surnames of the parents and places of birth of the parents and grandparents of children in Siena, Italy. Isonymy and total inbreeding coefficient, and their random and non-random components, are 0.005, 0.00125, 0.00019 and 0.00106, respectively. Isonymy and inbreeding figures are similar to those of other medium-sized Italian towns, while higher values have been reported for Italian villages and Italian ethnic minorities. City endogamy, and endogamy of Contrada for grandparents have the same values (44.1 and 44.8%, respectively), but for parents, endogamy of Contrada is lower than city endogamy (15.2 and 33.4%, respectively). The difference between the extent of Contrada endogamy expected at random and observed in the parents' generation does not seem to affect the genetic structure of the present population. However, the bulk of marriage migration (more than 70%) is short range, with people coming from Tuscany. There is no statistical difference in marital migration between males and females.

The isolation of a population as a result of any boundary leads to a kinship mating pattern, the extent of which can be measured by the frequency of repeated pairs of surnames in actual marriages compared with that in random pairings. The repeated pairs within surname lineages (RPw) method can be used to assess random repetitions and the endogamous or exogamous behavior of a population. The RPw method was applied to data from grandparent surnames of children living in 45 Albanian Italian and 13 Greek Italian villages of southern Italy and Sicily and in 22 Italian villages of Campobasso Province (central Italy). The total mean RPw was 0.02782 in Albanian Italians, 0.01993 in Greek Italians, and 0.03427 in the Italian-speaking population. When RPw was subdivided into its components and compared with random and marital isonymy, the low level of inbreeding shown by the two southern Italian ethnic minorities and by the Italian population of Campobasso Province could be accounted for by the subdivision of the populations.

Background: A hypercoagulable state is associated with an increased incidence of cardiovascular disease, the most important cause of permanent grounding of flying personnel., Hypothesis: The aim of our study was to investigate whether a hypercoagulable state is present in jet pilots, and whether it can be due to flight activity., Method: To this purpose we studied Fibrinopeptide A (FPA), Thrombin-Antithrombin complexes (TAT) and D-Dimer (DD), sensitive biochemical markers of blood coagulation and fibrinolysis activation, in 10 jet pilots after a standardized training flight mission, and in a control group. Also evaluated before flight were 6 jet pilots., Results: We were able to show increased thrombin and plasmin activity both in jet pilots compared to the control group, and after flight in the 6 pilots who were evaluated twice., Conclusion: We conclude that a hypercoagulable state due to flight activity is present in jet pilots after flight. Possible mechanisms involve an effect of psycho-physical stress mediated by a neuroendocrine response to flight activity, or an effect of chronic +Gz exposure on cardiovascular structure and function.

Esterase D (ESD), glyoxalase 1 (GLO1), phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (PGD) and phosphoglucomutase 1 and 2 (PGM1 and PGM2) systems have been studied in the Salerno province (Campania, Southern Italy). The mean weighted frequencies for the Campania region were calculated. These frequencies show a general similarity to those reported for the other Italian regions.

There are four Italian-Greek communes in one area of Calabria and nine in an area of Apulia. The communes are too small to give good information on marital isonymy for each, but in the Calabrian area the weighted mean inbreeding coefficient and its random and non-random components are F = 0.01442, Fr = 0.00450 and Fn = 0.00997, respectively. The weighted means in the more populous Apulian area are significantly lower, F = 0.00423, Fr = 0.00379, Fn = 0.00045.

Surnames of parents and grandparents were collected from 1993 children in the primary schools of the thirteen Italo-Greco communes that lie in two areas, four communes in Reggio Calabria in the "toe" of Italy and nine in Lecce in the "heel." The coefficients of relationship by isonymy show almost no relationship between the two areas. The smaller area in Reggio Calabria Province has consistently larger coefficients of relationship between communes than the larger area in Lecce Province. The difference can be ascribed to greater accumulated random isonymy in the smaller area. These populations are not genetic isolates, but each area shows a degree of cohesiveness with respect to surnames that suggests that they are genetically somewhat distinct. Contiguous pairs of communes tend to have higher coefficients of relationship than pairs of communes separated by intervening communes.

Phenotype and gene frequencies of twelve genetic markers (ABO, RH, MNS, ACP1, ESD, PGD, PGM1, PGM2, HB, ALB, CP and HP) of the three Croatian communities (Acquaviva Collecroce, Montemitro and S. Felice del Molise) living in Southern Italy are reported. From the comparison with the surrounding Italian population and with Balkan populations, some instances of still incomplete genetic admixture can be inferred (ABO*A and O, ESD, PGD and PGM1).

Acid phosphatase (ACP1), adenosine deaminase (ADA), esterase D (ESD), glyoxalase 1 (GLO1), phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (PGD) and phosphoglucomutase 1 and 2 (PGM1 and PGM2) polymorphisms have been studied in the Reggio Calabria province (Southern Italy). The ACP1*A allele and ADA, GLO1, PGD and PGM1 systems have frequencies similar to those reported for Sicily and Southern Italy.

Fires are a growing problem even in temperate climate areas, such as those in Central Italy, due to climate change leading to longer and longer periods of drought. Thus, knowing the fire susceptibility of an area is crucial for good planning and taking appropriate countermeasures. In this context, it was decided to use only causal factors of a geomorphological and environmental nature in order to obtain a fire susceptibility analysis that can also be applied to climatically under-sampled areas. Vector data of fires in Central Italy from 2005 to 2023 were collected, and the correct areal extent was calculated for each. At the same time, six factors were selected that could have an influence on fire development, such as ecological units, topographic wetness index (TWI), geology, slope, exposure, and altitude. The model was obtained by means of the weight of evidence statistical method, which takes into account past data by reinterpreting them in a future-oriented way on the basis of the identified factors and classes. The model was validated with a test sample and shows an area under the curve (AUC) value of 0.72 with a reliability that can be described as good considering the total absence of climatic factors that are known to play a major role in fire development. Furthermore, the identified causal factors were divided into classes, and these were carefully weighted in order to define their relative influence in the study area. Particularly Ecological Units with characteristic and well-defined contrast (C) values, which could lead to a more complete definition of forests that tend to increase fire susceptibility and those that tend to decrease it, allowing the latter to be exploited as a hazard mitigation agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper offers a new discussion of the deportation of the Ligures Apuani that the Roman Republic carried out in 180 BCE, and of the impact and wider implications of the decision to establish two new communities of Ligurians in inland Samnium. The logic and practicalities of the operation are given close consideration, through sustained engagement with Livy's account, on the one hand, and of the documentary and archaeological record, on the other. Some wider implications are drawn on the role of this exceptional event in the trajectory of the Roman conquest of Italy and the longer-term processes of integration and exploitation that it entailed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Rubella is a contagious viral infection that occurs most often in children and young adults. Rubella is the leading vaccine-preventable cause of birth defects. Rubella infection in pregnant women may cause fetal death or congenital defects known as congenital rubella syndrome. There is no specific treatment for rubella, but the disease is preventable by vaccination with an efficacy of over 95%. Vaccination coverage is still below the recommended levels and many cases have occurred worldwide. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on the immunization programs and the quality of disease surveillance worldwide. Operators of the healthcare setting are at increased risk of infection due to their work duties and should receive preventive vaccination or serologic protection to work in a healthcare setting. Aims: To evaluate the serological evidence of rubella IgG antibodies in female healthcare operators of childbearing age, to assess the risk of a breakthrough infection and the need for an additional dose of vaccine. Methods: We collected age and antibody titers from 449 young female operators aged <50 years who underwent the periodic surveillance at the Occupational Medicine Unit of the Policlinico Tor Vergata, Rome, from January to July 2022. Subjects were considered immune if the anti-rubella IgG titer was >11.00 IU/mL. Results: The rate of serologically unprotected subjects was 9.13% (41/449). The mean age of protected subjects was 26.93 years, while the mean age of unprotected subjects was 28.24 years. Age did not correlate with mean titer on statistical analysis (p = 0.10). The acceptance rate among unprotected operators was 31.7%. A positive attitude towards vaccination was found in 11/28 (39.3%) of the unvaccinated subjects, while a negative tendency was found in 2/28 (7.1%) of these subjects; most of the unvaccinated operators 15/28 (53.6%) prefer to postpone the administration of the vaccine. When compared with a similar population from the pre-pandemic period, the actual proportion of immune female subjects was not significantly different from that found in 2019 (90.87% vs. 90.3%). Conclusions: Protection against rubella was suboptimal among female healthcare workers of childbearing age. Acceptance of the rubella vaccine among these operators was low. Most of those who were hesitant intended to postpone the vaccination, while a minority had negative attitudes toward vaccination. A policy of mandatory vaccination policy should overcome the reluctance of operators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing incidence of wildfires in the Mediterranean region has raised significant scientific and environmental concerns. This study focuses on a retrospective analysis of wildfire ignition and propagation within the context of the Monte Catillo Natural Reserve in Italy. After conducting a comprehensive review of the current state-of-the-art wildfire susceptibility mapping, propagation modeling, probability assessment, forest vulnerability models, and preventive silvicultural measures, we examine the regulatory framework surrounding wildfires in the national context, with a specific focus on prevention, prediction, and active firefighting measures. A geostatistical model of wildfire occurrence was developed, starting with the characterization of the area vegetation and anthropogenic factors influencing wildfire ignition. After that, wildfire observations from the period between 2010 and 2021 were included. The objective is to generate a wildfire hazard map for two distinct vegetation communities. To accomplish this, a statistical analysis was applied using the Poisson Model, assessing its goodness-of-fit by comparing observed frequencies with experimental data through the chi-square test. In conclusion, this model serves as a valuable tool for characterizing wildfire hazards, including ignition probabilities and propagation scenarios, within the Monte Catillo Natural Reserve. The research significantly contributes to enhancing our understanding of wildfire dynamics and plays a crucial role in the development of effective strategies for wildfire risk management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acid phosphatase (ACP1), esterase D (ESD) and phosphoglucomutase 1 (PGM1) polymorphisms have been studied in Sardinia and the following gene frequencies have been found: ACP1*A = 0.235, ACP1*B = 0.684 and ACP1*C = 0.081; ESD*2 = 0.118 and PGM1*2 = 0.233. These findings confirm the genetic uniqueness of Sardinians compared to the other Italian and European populations.

Four Albanian and three Croatian communities settled in Molise (Italy) have been investigated for galactose-1-phosphate uridyltransferase (GALT) polymorphism. To obtain a detailed identification of each phenotype, electrophoresis and quantitative enzymatic analysis were performed on all samples. In addition to this isoelectric focusing was utilized to confirm and the D and LA variants. The gene frequencies of the different GALT alleles turned out to be: N = 0.912 (Albanians) and N = 0.868 (Croatians); G = 0.004 (Albanians); D = 0.051 (Albanians) and D = 0.081 (Croatians); LA = 0.033 (Albanians) and LA = 0.051 (Croatians). Both variants show frequencies similar to that observed in other Caucasoid populations.

All the secondary school students of the Albanian and Croatian communities of Molise were tested for colour vision. Percent frequencies of red-green colour blindness were 5.91 +/- 1.73 and 7.02 +/- 3.38. These figures are in agreement with those found for Central Italy thus confirming the similarity of these communities with the rest of Italy as described for several other autosomal polymorphisms. The distribution of red-green CB genes in Europe shows that they are slightly more frequent in Northern Europe than in Southern Europe and Northern Africa.

Haptoglobin (HP), transferrin (TF), group-specific component (GC) and alpha-1-antitrypsin (PI) polymorphisms have been studied in Sardinia and the following gene frequencies have been found: HP*1 = 0.389, TF*C1 = 0.754, TF*C2 = 0.213, TF*C3 = 0.032, GC*1F = 0.193, GC*1S = 0.546, GC*2 = 0.260, PI*M1 = 0.607, PI*M2 = 0.221, PI*M3 = 0.126, PI*S = 0.040 and PI*Z = 0.006. These findings confirm the genetic uniqueness of Sardinians compared to the other Italian populations.

In a study of the four Albanian villages of Molise, Italy (Campomarino, Montecilfone, Portocannone and Ururi), demographic data have been obtained through national censuses and direct interviews of 382 subjects. The data demonstrate an increase of the population from 1700 to the middle of the twentieth century. From that time the population decreases in three villages, which now present a considerable degree of ageing. On the contrary, in the fourth village (Campomarino) the population continues to increase during the second half of the twentieth century, and now appears as a relatively young population. Immigration has proved to be somewhat elevated and shows a diminishing trend from the great-grandparents to the propositi. The endogamy decreases passing from the generation of the great-grandparents to that of the parents, and is higher along the paternal ascendence than along the maternal one. The exogamy, on the contrary, increases passing from the generation of the greatgrandparents to that of the parents, demonstrating a rather considerable mixture with the surrounding population. The percentage of Albanian surnames, or those of probable Albanian origin, has also been estimated in the parents of the propositi, and resulted to be higher in Montecilfone and Ururi, in comparison with Campomarino and Portocannone.

A random sample of 686 unrelated subjects from Bari (Southern Italy) and Genoa (Northern Italy) provinces was studied for HP polymorphism. The correlation between the HP*1 frequencies and geographical coordinates was studied for the populations of Italy, Europe, Middle East and Mediterranean basin. The results reveal the existence of a gradient of declining HP*1 frequencies from north-west to south-east across Europe and the Middle East.

The authors have investigated on the anionics detergents rate inside the Mytilus Galloprovincialis, used as animal-monitor of the environment state of a certain part of the Gulf of Naples. The data concerning 14 zones in which were drown mussels cultivated in the Gulf of Naples resumed in a specific list, shown an high concentration of above detergents.

Forest management is a complex topic at the interface between sustainability and the resilience of socioeconomic and environmental systems. The influence of market forces, supranational, country and regional policies, as well as climate change, on forest goods and services, is expected to increase in the near future. Such a complex interplay between economic and environmental forces is common to most European countries. The aim of this study is to operationally delineate and discuss the transition of the environmental sustainability and economic viability of forestry in Italy. This country encompasses the typical Mediterranean ecosystems with broad forest coverage in mountainous and hilly areas, where expanding woodland areas have been observed in the last decades mainly as a consequence of the decline of agropastoral activities, especially in disadvantaged and marginal areas. The consequent increase in wood biomass was frequently conceived as an element of environmental criticality, exposing woods to high vulnerability to wildfires and a consequent reduction in their economic value, possibly exacerbated by local warming. These dynamics usually took place in contexts where only a part of the overall forest heritage was subjected to regular management, despite the efforts made through various policies such as the Constitutional Law 3/2001 and the recent Law on Forests and Forestry Supply Chains. The latter policy tool, enhancing the concept of "active forest management" aimed to establish a sustainable approach to forest resources, leading to a broader forest area for formal planning and controlled harvesting. These dynamics took place in parallel with the inherent expansion in forest certification schemes formally promoting long-term environmental sustainability and a wider spectrum of forest ecosystems. Timber and non-wood materials and products are key elements from the perspective of achieving sustainable (climate-neutral) development in advanced economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA) are plasticizers used in many industrial products that can act as endocrine disruptors and lead to metabolic diseases. During the LIFE PERSUADED project, we measured the urinary concentrations of BPA and Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) metabolites in 900 Italian women representative of the Italian female adult population (living in the north, centre, and south of Italy in both rural and urban areas). The whole cohort was exposed to DEHP and BPA with measurable levels above limit of detection in more than 99% and 95% of the samples, respectively. The exposure patterns differed for the two chemicals in the three macro-areas with the highest urinary levels for DEHP in south compared to central and northern Italy and for BPA in northern compared to central and southern Italy. BPA levels were higher in women living in urban areas, whereas no difference between areas was observed for DEHP. The estimated daily intake of BPA was 0.11 μg/kg per day, about 36-fold below the current temporary tolerable daily intake of 4 μg/kg per day established by the EFSA in 2015. The analysis of cumulative exposure showed a positive correlation between DEHP and BPA. Further, the reduction of exposure to DEHP and BPA, through specific legislative measures, is necessary to limit the harmfulness of these substances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high number of matching haplotypes of the most common mitochondrial (mt)DNA lineages are considered to be the greatest limitation for forensic applications. This study investigates the potential to solve this constraint by massively parallel sequencing a large number of mitogenomes that share the most common West Eurasian mtDNA control region (CR) haplotype motif (263G 315.1C 16519C). We augmented a pilot study on 29 to a total of 216 Italian mitogenomes that represents the largest set of the most common CR haplotype compiled from a single country. The extended population sample confirmed and extended the huge coding region diversity behind the most common CR motif. Complete mitogenome sequencing allowed for the detection of 163 distinct haplotypes, raising the power of discrimination from 0 (CR) to 99.6% (mitogenome). The mtDNAs were clustered into 61 named clades of haplogroup H and did not reveal phylogeographic trends within Italy. Rapid individualization approaches for investigative purposes are limited to the most frequent H clades of the dataset, viz. H1, H3, and H7. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A general methodological approach is here discussed to integrate geological and geophysical information in seismic microzonation studies. In particular, the methodology aims at maximizing the exploitation of low-cost data for an extensive preliminary assessment of ground motion amplification phenomena induced by the local seismo-stratigraphical configuration. Three main steps are delineated: (a) the combination of geological/geomorphological analyses to develop an Engineering-Geological Model of the study area; (b) targeted geophysical prospecting to provide an Engineering-Geological/Geophysical Model; (c) evaluating effectiveness of Engineering-Geological/Geophysical Model by estimating expected ground motion amplification phenomena by the use of suitable computational tools. The workflow is illustrated by a case-study based on a set of villages in the Umbro-Marchean Apennine (Central Italy) damaged during the Seismic sequence that occurred in Central Italy during 2016–2017. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global change affects precipitation and small modifications in rainfall regimes could compromise water availability, especially in areas characterized by a strong seasonality and a climate ranging from dry sub‐humid to semi‐arid. Drought, in particular, is a creeping phenomenon defined as an important temporary decrease in water availability below the expected value in a certain period and a specific area. Among the different methodologies for analysing drought periods, one of the most used is the evaluation of dry spells. The aim of this study is to investigate spatial and temporal changes in dry spells in Tuscany during the period 1955–2017, by using daily precipitation data. Changes in the number of dry days, maximum duration and 75th percentile of the duration of the dry spells were investigated. Three precipitation thresholds were selected: 1, 5 and 10 mm. The analyses were carried out at annual, September–May, September–November and December–May level. Theil–Sen nonparametric method was used to estimate the slope; Mann–Kendall test and a modification of it, which applies a trend‐free pre‐whitening (TFPW) method to the series having a serial correlation, were applied to look for statistically significant trends. The drought indicators showed increasing trends (some significant) especially at December–May and to a lesser extent at the annual and September–May level; the most pronounced increases were found in the southernmost areas of Tuscany. During September–November period, on the other hand, a prevalence of decreasing trends (rarely significant), with less pronounced decreases in the south of the region, were observed. Mediterranean area is considered a climate change "hot‐spot" from the viewpoint of vulnerability. An increase in long‐lasting dry spells, especially in southern Tuscany, can exacerbate the problems linked to water management and demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article demonstrates that metre is a privileged indicator of authorial style in classical Latin hexameter poetry. Using only metrical features, classification experiments are performed between the works of six authors using four different machine-learning models. The results showed a pairwise classification accuracy of at least 90% with samples as small as ten lines and no greater than seventy-five lines (up to around 500 words). In a multiclass setting, classification accuracy exceeded 95% for all four algorithms when using eighty-one-line chunks. These sample sizes are an order of magnitude smaller than those typically recommended for BOW ('bag of words') or n -gram approaches, and the reported accuracy is outstanding. Additionally, this article explores the potential for outlier (forgery) detection, or 'one-class classification'. As an example, analysis of the disputed Aldine Additamentum (Sil. Ital. Pun. 8:144–223) concludes (P < 0.0001) that the metrical style differs significantly from that of the rest of the poem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Earthquake-induced slope instability is one of the most important hazards related to ground shaking, causing damages to the environment and, often, casualties. Therefore, it is important to assess the seismic performance of slopes, especially in the near fault regions, evaluating the permanent displacements induced by seismic loading. This paper applies a probabilistic approach to evaluate the seismic performance of slopes using an updated database of ground motions recorded during the earthquakes occurred in Italy. The main advantage of this approach is that of accounting for the aleatory variability of both ground motions and prediction of seismic-induced displacements of slopes. The results are presented in terms of hazard curves, showing the annual rate of exceedance of permanent slope displacement evaluated using ground motion data provided by a standard probabilistic hazard analysis and a series of semi-empirical relationships linking the permanent displacements of slopes to one or more ground motion parameters. The procedure has been implemented on a regional scale to produce seismic landslide hazard maps for the Irpinia district, in Southern Italy, characterised by a severe seismic hazard. Seismic landslide hazard maps represent a useful tool for practitioners and government agencies for a regional planning to identify and monitor zones that are potentially susceptible to earthquake-induced slope instability, thus requiring further detailed, site-specific studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Child malnutrition is still a concern in marginalized groups of populations, such as immigrants living in very low socio-economic conditions. Roma children are within the most hard-to-reach populations, susceptible to undernutrition and growth retardation. In the city of Rome (Italy), the Hospital "Bambino Gesù", in collaboration with the Catholic Association Community of Saint'Egidio, is dedicating free services for the health and nutritional needs of vulnerable people. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on immigrant children visited at different ages (0–11 years old). Records including nutritional and growth assessment were collected from 2016 up to May 2020. Malnutrition was classified following the WHO 2006 standards. Data for Roma children living in extra-urban camps and non-Roma immigrant children living in urban areas were analyzed, odds ratios and univariate binary regressions were performed to investigate the risk of malnutrition within the two groups. Results: A sample of 414 children (57% under-five; 51.9% Roma), was included in the database. In the under-five children, underweight accounted for 7.6%, stunting for 11.7%, and wasting for 2.9%. The first year of life was the most crucial for nutritional status. Compared to the counterpart, Roma children accounted for nearly the total rate of malnutrition (wasting 4.8% vs. 1%; stunting 21.4% vs. 2%; underweight 14.2% vs. 1%). Univariate logistic regression confirmed under-five Roma children being at the highest risk of stunting at 12 months (OR: 16.1; CI 2–132; p = 0.01). When considering the 176 school-aged children, undernutrition affected most Roma children (13% vs 1.9%), followed by stunting (5.8% vs 0.9%). Univariate logistic regression confirmed that Roma school-aged children were more likely to be underweight (OR: 7.8; CI 1.6–37.6; p = 0.01). Conclusions: Malnutrition in immigrant children is still of high concern in Italy. Its prevalence in Roma children living in extra-urban camps exceeds that of immigrant children living in urban areas and the rates of underweight, stunting and wasting of Roma children living in the Balkans. This exacerbating condition highlights the need of better assisting this fragile population that is at most risk of poverty, food insecurity and social exclusion in Italy, particularly during this pandemic crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Seismic Microzonation of level 3 (SM3) is nowadays a world-wide accepted tool for the mitigation of seismic risk. The SM3 is a complex process involving different disciplines ranging from Geology and Applied Seismology to Structural and Geotechnical Engineering. The outcome of a SM3 is presented on a zoning map in terms of a selected ground shaking intensity parameter and susceptibility to main ground instability (soil liquefaction, settlements, landslides, fault ruptures). In an advanced SM3 study for a given area, four main interdisciplinary steps can be recognized: (1) definition of the reference input motions, (2) construction of the subsoil model, (3) performing of numerical analyses and computing of amplification factors, (4) identification of zones with different geotechnical hazard potential and drawing up of the SM3 map. After the 2016–2017 Central Italy seismic sequence, intensive studies have been performed to obtain SM3 maps in 137 municipalities most damaged by the earthquakes. The aim of these studies has been to obtain a clear background on site effects to perform a correct reconstruction of the municipalities. In the paper, main results and critical issues of the above-mentioned steps of SM3 procedure are discussed together with some remarks on the use of SM3 output in supporting seismic design for reconstruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The investigation of soil response to dynamic loads is necessary to predict site-specific seismic hazard. This paper presents the results of cyclic and dynamic laboratory tests carried out after the 2016–2017 Central Italy Earthquake sequence, within the framework of the seismic microzonation studies of the most damaged municipalities in the area. The database consists of 79 samples investigated by means of dynamic resonant column tests, cyclic torsional shear tests or cyclic direct simple shear tests. Results are firstly analysed in terms of field and laboratory values of small-strain shear wave velocity, highlighting the influence of the sample disturbance and of the mean effective consolidation pressure. The cyclic threshold shear strains as a function of plasticity index are then compared with findings from the published literature and the outliers are analysed. Subsequently, the dynamic soil behaviour is investigated with reference to the small-strain damping ratio. Differences between results from different tests are analysed in the light of the loading frequencies. Finally, the database is used to develop a predictive model for soil nonlinear curves according to plasticity index, mean effective confining stress, and loading frequency. The model represents a useful tool to predict the nonlinear stress–strain behaviour of Central Italy soils, necessary to perform site-specific ground response analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the results of 5 case studies on complex site effects selected within the project for the level 3 seismic microzonation of several municipalities of Central Italy damaged by the 2016 seismic sequence. The case studies are characterized by different geological and morphological configurations: Monte San Martino is located along a hill slope, Montedinove and Arquata del Tronto villages are located at ridge top whereas Capitignano and Norcia lie in correspondence of sediment-filled valleys. Peculiarities of the sites are constituted by the presence of weathered/jointed rock mass, fault zone, shear wave velocity inversion, complex surface and buried morphologies. These factors make the definition of the subsoil model and the evaluation of the local response particularly complex and difficult to ascertain. For each site, after the discussion of the subsoil model, the results of site response numerical analyses are presented in terms of amplification factors and acceleration response spectra in selected points. The physical phenomena governing the site response have also been investigated at each site by comparing 1D and 2D numerical analyses. Implications are deduced for seismic microzonation studies in similar geological and morphological conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Indocyanine green fluorescence vision is an upcoming technology in surgery. It can be used in three ways: angiographic and biliary tree visualization and lymphatic spreading studies. The present paper shows the most outstanding results from an health technology assessment study design, conducted on fluorescence-guided compared with standard vision surgery.Methods: A health technology assessment approach was implemented to investigate the economic, social, ethical, and organizational implications related to the adoption of the innovative fluorescence-guided view, with a focus on minimally invasive approach. With the support of a multidisciplinary team, qualitative and quantitative data were collected, by means of literature evidence, validated questionnaires and self-reported interviews, considering the dimensions resulting from the EUnetHTA Core Model.Results: From a systematic search of literature, we retrieved the following studies: 6 on hepatic, 1 on pancreatic, 4 on biliary, 2 on bariatric, 4 on endocrine, 2 on thoracic, 11 on colorectal, 7 on urology, 11 on gynecology, 2 on gastric surgery. Fluorescence guide has shown advantages on the length of hospitalization particularly in colorectal surgery, with a reduction of the rate of leakages and re-do anastomoses, in spite of a slight increase in operating time, and is confirmed to be a safe, efficacious, and sustainable vision technology. Clinical applications are still presenting a low evidence in the literature.Conclusion: The present paper, under the patronage of Italian Society of Endoscopic Surgery, based on an HTA approach, sustains the use of fluorescence-guided vision in minimally invasive surgery, in the fields of general, gynecologic, urologic, and thoracic surgery, as an efficient and economically sustainable technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To allow a widespread application of seismic microzonation studies in Italy, simplified cost effective procedures are required. To this purpose, regional abacuses allowing the evaluation of 1D litho-stratigraphical amplification phenomena based on a small set of cheap surface measurements have been proposed. These abacuses were initially elaborated by extensive one-dimensional numerical simulations of a wide set of representative seismo-stratigraphic configurations testified in the study area. In order to test effectiveness of the abacuses in use in the Marche Region (Central Italy), seismic amplification estimates deduced from this tool have been compared with outcomes of detailed seismic response studies carried out at a number of sites included in the area affected by the 2016–2017 seismic sequence in Central Italy. This analysis indicated that abacuses provide reliable estimates in the most part of the area except a specific geological domain where available subsoil information was not exhaustive when abacuses were initially formulated. Then, abacuses where partially reformulated by obtaining outcomes in line with independent observations. This in general, testifies the accuracy of the simplified approach but also the requirement for accurate field-testing before their widespread application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]