Genetics of population exchange along the historical Portuguese-Spanish border.

The present analysis compares the distribution of surnames by means of spatial autocorrelation analysis in the Spain-Portugal border region. The Spanish National Institute of Statistics provides a database of surnames of residents in the western Spanish provinces of Zamora, Salamanca, Cáceres, Badajoz and Huelva. The Spanish and Portuguese patterns of surname distribution were established according to various geographic axes. The results obtained show a low diversity of surnames in this region - especially in the centre - which can be explained by the absence of any major geographic barriers, with the exception of the mountain ranges between hydrographic basins, and by the presence of traditional roads that have existed since Roman times. The latter have resulted in a constant migratory flow over short-median distances, which, as can be deduced from the surnames, fits two north/south territorial axes running parallel to the border between Spain and Portugal. The distribution patterns of Portuguese and Spanish surnames differ with regard to their frequencies in the five provinces studied, which can be attributed to their respective historical, economic and social conditions. It is concluded that the border delimiting these two countries has affected the migratory flow, thereby conditioning the demographic and genetic structure of the western Spanish regions.

Holistic model-based monitoring of the human health status in an urban environment system: pilot study in Verona city, Italy.

INTRODUCTION: In recent decades the global health paradigm gained an increasing systemic characterization. The ecosystem health theory states that a healthy ecosystem, whether natural or artificial, significantly contributes to the good health status of the human population. METHODS: The present study describes an interdisciplinary monitoring model that retrospectively analyzes the intersection between the urban environment and citizens. The model analyzes both the biophysical and the anthropic subsystems through the application of landscape ecology and environmental quality indexes along with human health indicators. Particularly, ecological quality of landscape pattern, atmospheric pollution, outdoor noise levels and local health indicators were assessed. Verona municipality was chosen as study area to test the preliminary efficiency of the model. Territory was split into two superimposed layers of land units, which were further geo-referentiated with Geographical Information System (GIS) technology. Interdependence of any of the analyzed traits was further investigated with Fisher exact test. RESULTS: Landscape composition was assessed and an Average Ecological Quality (AEQ) score assigned to each land unit. A direct proportionality emerged for concentrations of considered air pollutants and traffic levels: a spatial model for the atmospheric pollution was drawn. A map depicting the distribution of traffic-related noise levels was also drawn. From chosen indicators, a quality class score was assigned to every minor and major land unit. Age-standardised rates about hospitalizations for the municipal population and specific rates for the over-65s/1000 inhabitants were calculated. Quality class assignement for each health indicator was graphically rendered. After direct standardisation of rates for the population sample, data were compared with two reference populations, the Regional population and the Local Socio-sanitary Unit (ULSS20) population. Standardised hospitalization rates for the whole municipal population always resulted lower than the ULSS20 rates, except for auditory pathologies. It was notable that rates of hospitalizations for cancerous diseases for Verona municipal population were four times and two times lower than the ULSS20 and the Regional population ones, respectively. Contingency table were made for the health main indicator (specific rates for the over-65s/1000 inhabitants) and the environmental quality key factors of landscape ecological quality, outdoor noise level and air pollution. H0 of independence was rejected for respiratory pathologies and air pollution and for the triad cardiocirculatory pathologies, air pollution and landscape ecological quality at (a = 0.05). Fisher exact test confirmed the non-independence of cardiocirculatory diseases and biophysical environment and the analogous association for respiratory pathologies when comparison was made with global environmental quality index. DISCUSSION: The first testing of the model suggests some possible elements of implementation and integration which could further enhance it. Among them, the subjective investigation of the health status assumes a primary role. On the whole the monitoring model seems to effectively represent the real complexity of the urban environment systems and should be regarded as an important contribution to the new way of health research.

Similarities in the surnames of island and continental populations of the north-western Mediterranean area.

This paper compares the structures of the surnames of 75 municipal populations living in six north-western Mediterranean regions. Its purpose is to unravel the relations between the local populations in Corsica and Sardinia and the links between these populations and those living in the Italian and French continental territory. On the basis of the matrix of similarity of surnames, some topological representations have been drafted showing the above-mentioned relations between populations under the light of their geographical position, their recent history and studies of genetic analysis. Corsica has an eterogeneous surname structure and evident similarity of the north with Tuscany and some centres of continental France. When only the populations of Sardinia were taken into consideration, it emerged that they differ among each other in relation to their geographical position and their history; when, instead, they were considered in relation to other populations outside the island, it was possible to observe that they form a highly different cluster. This study also identified many differences in the analysed geographical areas of Sardinia. In the minor islands - Elba, Giglio, Capraia - the structure of the surnames has a Tuscan origin as well as some similarity with other geographically distant areas, as in the case of the island of Giglio, if compared with some communities of Liguria.

[Dialysis and quality of life: identifying and managing critical aspects]. / Terapia dialitica e qualitá di vita: individuare le aree di criticitá per orientare alla metodica più idonea.

Living with a chronic disease is for the patient a ''disease experience'' that also affects the psychosocial sphere and has a negative impact on perceived quality of life. To estimate the effect of dialysis on the perceived quality of life and to identify by means of a specific questionnaire the aspects that are compromised most. From our results it emerged that the examined patients had a sufficiently good total perception of quality of life, even though about 30% of the patients reported critical aspects related to daily life and, in some age groups, also related to dialysis method. This study confirms the importance of developing educational and supportive predialysis programs in order to identify and reduce the critical aspects.

Microthrix parvicella foaming at the Fusina WWTP.

The Fusina WWTP receives civil and industrial wastewater from Venice and its hinterland. Its treatment capacity is in the range of 4,000-5,000 m3/h. In winter the Fusina WWTP is subjected to brown and viscous foams developed on the surface of the aeration basins and of the clarifiers. The microscopic observation of biological foams and activated sludge samples showed high concentration of the filamentous organism Microthrix parvicella. This paper investigates the growth of M. parvicella from January 1998 to January 1999 and relates it to foams developed on the aeration basins and clarifiers, to temperature, surfactants, BOD5, NH4, NO3, NO2, DO, PO4 and pH of the wastewater influent, to SVI and the other species of filamentous organisms of mixed liquor. The results demonstrate the strong connection of the foams developed with M. parvicella abundance, the synergic action with surfactants, the dependence of M. parvicella on temperature and no relation to the other chemical and physical parameters investigated.

Surnames as alleles: spatial distribution of surnames in a province of the Italian Alps.

The present paper seeks to analyse the spatial distribution of surnames in the province of Belluno in the Italian Alps, and describes the internal mobility of the population taking into consideration one of the most important and ancient roads in the area. The study is based on the analysis of the similarity of the frequencies of some autochthonous surnames depending on their geographical distance apart. The population considered turned out to be basically sedentary. When forced to migrate, the population preferred to go far from their homeland rather than inside the area: this happened probably because the opportunities that the province of Belluno could offer were quite scarce throughout the whole territory, and people hoped to improve their economic situation by going abroad.

Effective population size of a rural village on a large plain (Veggiano, Padua, Italy).

A small municipality of about 2,000 inhabitants on a large plain (that of the river Po, which flows across the whole of Northern Italy) was chosen as a model to study the level of genetic isolation of a population which is not delimited by clear geographical barriers. Wright's treatment of isolation by distance was considered to be applicable to this case. Estimates of the non-random component of inbreeding and of the immigration rate in the past showed that, despite the deeply rural environment, the population turnover in the area was extremely rapid. Although the parameter estimates were computed on the basis of little direct empirical evidence, it was concluded that the effective population size was at least one order of magnitude larger than might appear when considering the total population size of the municipality.

Simple and effective gas chromatographic mass spectrometric procedure for the speciation analysis of organotin compounds in specimens of marine mussels. An evaluation of the organotin pollution of the lagoon of venice.

This paper describes a simple, effective analytical procedure, based on a gas chromatographic mass spectrometric technique, for the speciation analysis of organotin compounds (OTC) in mussel samples. The direct alkylation reaction of the organotin chlorides in the aqueous digestion solution by NaBEt(4) allowed a short analysis time and a good recovery. The evaluation of the yield of each step constituting the analytical procedure indicated that the alkylation step is the most critical one. The proposed method was advantageously utilised to monitor the level of OTC pollution of the Lagoon of Venice. All the sites examined, both near to and far from anthropogenic activities, revealed significant levels of OTC pollution.