Spatial diffusion of surnames by long transhumance routes between highland and lowland: A study in Sardinia.

RIASSUNTO.

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.

Myocardial remodeling and arrhythmogenesis in moderate cardiac hypertrophy in rats.

In 47 male adult Wistar rats with 4-wk aortic coarctation (AC) and 39 age-matched sham-operated rats (SO) chronically instrumented for telemetry electrocardiogram recording, we investigated the mechanisms of arrhythmogenesis in moderate cardiac hypertrophy, with an approach from "in vivo" toward the cellular level, analyzing 1) stress-induced cardiac arrhythmias in all rats and 2) myocardial fibrosis in 35 animals and action potential duration and density of hyperpolarization-activated current in 19 others at the ventricular level. Aortic banding increased arterial blood pressure, cardiac weight, and ventricular myocyte volume by 11, 25, and 14%, respectively (P < 0.001-0.05). Ventricular arrhythmias occurred at similar rates in AC and SO rats throughout the stress procedure. Action potential duration and hyperpolarization-activated current were about twice as great and myocardial fibrosis about four times greater in AC animals (P < 0.005-0.05). Electrocardiogram data also revealed more supraventricular arrhythmias in AC rats during the baseline period and after stress and fewer atrioventricular block episodes after stress (P < 0.05). Thus stress-induced supraventricular and atrioventricular nodal, but not ventricular, arrhythmias were affected in moderate cardiac hypertrophy when ventricular morphofunctional alterations were evident.

[Biodemography: analyses on an actual urban population]. / Biodemografia: analisi su una popolazione urbana attuale.

PIP: The population dynamics of the Italian city of Parma are analyzed over the period 1989-1993 using data from the city's population records. Separate consideration is given to migration to and from the city, family characteristics, and family migration.^ieng