Provinces Of Italy Research Articles

Bloodstream infections due to carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae in Italy: results from nationwide surveillance, 2014 to 2017.

Following the rapid increase of infections due to carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) in Italy, the national surveillance of bloodstream infections (BSI) due to CPE (Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli) was instituted in 2013. All CPE-BSI cases reported to the surveillance in the years 2014–17 were analysed in order to investigate incidence rate (IR), trend, main individual characteristics and enzymes involved in CPE resistance. Throughout this period, 7,632 CPE-BSI cases (IR: 3.14/100,000 inhabitants) were reported from all 21 regions and autonomous provinces in Italy, with an increasing number of reported cases (2014: 1,403; 2015: 1,838; 2016: 2,183; 2017: 2,208). CPE-BSI cases mainly occurred in subjects aged over 60 years (70.9%) and more frequently in males (62.7%) than in females. Most of the cases originated in hospitals (87.2%), mainly in intensive care units (38.0%), and were associated with central or peripheral venous catheter use (23.9%) or with urinary tract infections (21.1%). Almost all CPE-BSI (98.1%) were due to K. pneumoniae carrying the K. pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC) enzyme (95.2%). These data show that carbapenemase-producing K. pneumoniae are endemic in our country, causing a high number of BSI and representing a threat to patient safety.

‘Participatory consociationalism? No, but South Tyrol's Autonomy Convention is evidence that power‐sharing can transform conflicts’

AbstractSouth Tyrol is an autonomous, predominantly German‐speaking province in Italy, and one of the most successful cases of power‐sharing in the world. Nevertheless, the Province recently conducted a participatory‐democratic process known as the ‘Autonomy Convention’ to debate and draft a proposal for revising the 1972 Autonomy Statute. It is the first such process with the stated intent of amending a power‐sharing arrangement, and our research questions are whether this represents a new type of consociational negotiation, and what made it possible. The answer to the first question is ‘no’, and the Convention is best seen as a ‘participatory‐ish consultation’ which had no formal power. But the problems that it faced, and the fact that it occurred at all, are evidence of consociational democracy's potential to transform conflicts. The Convention, we argue, is the result of ‘normal’, not ‘ethnic’ politics, and two generations of successful power‐sharing made that possible by desecuritising the relationship between South Tyrol's three official linguistic groups.

Active rearrangements in the cell wall follow polymer concentration during postharvest withering in the berry skin of Vitis vinifera cv. Corvina

During grape postharvest withering, a worldwide practice used to produce important high-quality wines, the solute concentration increases due to dehydration, and many organoleptic and quality traits, especially related to the berry skin, are affected in a cultivar-specific manner. Nevertheless, a complete comprehension of the underlying processes is still lacking.In this work, we applied ATR-FTIR micro-spectroscopy combined with PCA to monitor cell wall biochemical changes at three stages during postharvest withering on the internal and external sides of the berry skin of the Vitis vinifera cv. Corvina, an important local variety of the Verona province in Italy. The obtained results were integrated by profiling xylogucans and pectins through immunohistochemistry and by genome-wide transcriptomic analysis performed at the same withering stages.Our analysis indicates a gradual passive polymer concentration due to water loss in the first two months of postharvest withering, followed by active structural modifications in the last month of the process. Such rearrangements involve xyloglucans in the internal surface, cuticle components and cellulose in the external surface, and pectins in both surfaces. Moreover, by investigating the expression trend of cell wall metabolism-related genes, we identified several putative molecular markers associated to the polymer dynamics.The present study represents an important step towards an exhaustive comprehension of the postharvest withering process, which is of great interest from both the biological and technological points of view.

Can Integrated Practice Units work without the set-up of Accountable Care Organisations? Lessons learnt from the Breast Units’ experiences in Italian NHS

The paper provides an in-depht explorative analysis of the challenges and requirements to make Integrated Practice Units IPU Porter, 2013 work, relying on evidence from a research on Breast Cancer Integrated Care Pathways ICPs. The latter involved 4 provinces in Italy and the unit of analysis has been the breast cancer ICP, where “integrated” means yet the services’ integration, from preventative screening to end of life care, yet integration between the province Local Health Authority LHA and the public hospital where autonomous from the LHA, by setting up inter-organisational multiprofessional groups for designing a common ICP. Provinces have a middle size with on average 400k to 500k inhabitants. In all provinces, Breat Units BU according to EUSOMA are in place and, in two provinces, two BUs coexist. Indeed, in some cases there are private accredited hospitals with recognised BU. It is largely recognised that BU today represents the paradigmatic example of IPU. The study, based on quantative and qualitative analyses of ICPs, according to the PHM, provides key lessons over the efficacious roles of IPUs to deliver ICPs. The predominant understanding tackles out that the IPU model can not work efficaciously outside Accountable Care Organisations, featured by an integrated commissioning function over all services required by the ICP across different providers either public or private and by the capacity to steer and nudge patients’ choices. This understanding holds a crucial role for the Italian NHS, wherein LHAs are gaining increasing value as Health Population organisations, enlarging the population served and value chain of services provided. In this line, the study provides four lessons. Firstly, IPU as BUs actually does not include all services required as for screening or radiology services: the professional responsibilities and services are fragmented and the BU is not always able to manage effects as drop-out or patients shopping around. The solution of inter-organisational tumor boards are not largely spread-out. Secondly, this fragmentation largely belongs to the context setting, yet from the geography or the urbanisation level of LHA, which can influence the IPU’s efficacy; yet form the local path-dependency in setting-up agreements of integration/collaboration among providers and/or the LHA’s commissioning capacity and power. Third, whereas patient choice is a value and would be recognised, in most cases what can be observed is that most of the women shop around for accelerating some diagnostics more than seeking for centres of excellence, and in any case the latter usually are the most literate persons who maintain a contact with local services. Finally, the IPU model has enhanced the competition with the private providers, but given the mission of the IPU, new competitive patterns are emerging: namely a competition for the market but within targeted-services, and not the overall ICP. Private IPU would not be able to provide full IPC in a quasi –market as the Italian NHS. Indeed, the requirement for public providers to set up IPU/BU hinders any collaborative-competitive pattern unless it will not be promoted directly by the LHA, as commissioner, according to the ACO model.

Kebab: can the traditional cooking process sanitize a natural contamination by Listeria monocytogenes?

Over the last few years a considerable spread of ethnic foods was observed in Italy. Among them is the Döner kebab. During 2014-2015, in order to evaluate the effectiveness of traditional cooking process, raw product (defrosted), sliced cooked portions cut through electric knife and assembled sandwich were officially sampled in kebab houses and in a local industrial kebab producer in Reggio Emilia (a province in Italy). Microbiological researches for safety and hygienic microbiological indicators were carried out (research of Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, Campylobacter and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli; enumeration mesophilic aerobic bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, sulfite-reducing bacteria growing under anaerobic conditions, yeasts and molds). Between the raw and the cooked product an average of 3 log reduction in mesophilic aerobic bacteria counts was observed. In two out of three kebab houses sampled, which were supplied by the same local industrial producer, the presence of L. monocytogenes was detected. During the official inspection carried out at the production plant a contamination of L. monocytogenes was assessed in both ambient and instruments. Furthermore, 3 lots of products were analyzed and all were found to be contaminated by L. monocytogenes (always above 100 CFU/g). In order to verify the capability of the traditional cooking process to reduce the risk of contamination at an acceptable level, a batch of naturally contaminated kebab (4.5 log CFU/g) was cooked and sliced simulating a day work activity in a kebab shop. The product was then sampled during preparation and enumeration of L. monocytogenes was obtained. After an hour of cooking, the residual contamination was 1.8 log CFU/g, after two hours and a half L. monocytogenes was no longer detectable in the product, but half an hour later it was again detectable in 25g. At the end of the experiment, the contamination grown up to the same level enumerated after an hour of cooking (1.8 log CFU/g). Considering the microbiological results, traditional cooking obtained a rate of -2.40 log CFU/gh-1, a D=26 min that corresponds to a temperature of maximum 60°C (z=6). In conclusion, our experiment demonstrates the traditional kebab cooking process could not always guarantee a complete product decontamination.

The Seasonal Mobility of Sinti Fairground Workers in the Modena Province

Abstract This research report sheds light on the scarcely known world of Sinti fairground workers living in the Modena province in Italy's Emilia-Romagna region. The families described herein alternate between a settled life in winter and an itinerant one in summer. In wintertime, they remain in a so-called 'micro-area' situated in the Modena province. In summer, the families that live together during the winter months leave the microarea and spread out following precise itineraries. This report, based on ethnographic fieldwork, reveals the intricate pattern that connects working activities, family ties, spatial strategies and relations with the local authorities.

Intriguing yet simple skewness: kurtosis relation in economic and demographic data distributions, pointing to preferential attachment processes

ABSTRACTIn this paper, we propose that relations between high-order moments of data distributions, for example, between the skewness (S) and kurtosis (K), allow to point to theoretical models with understandable structural parameters. The illustrative data concern two cases: (i) the distribution of income taxes and (ii) that of inhabitants, after aggregation over each city in each province of Italy in 2011. Moreover, from the rank-size relationship, for either S or K, in both cases, it is shown that one obtains the parameters of the underlying (hypothetical) modeling distribution: in the present cases, the 2-parameter Beta function, itself related to the Yule–Simon distribution function, whence suggesting a growth model based on the preferential attachment process.

Leaf Wetness Evaluation Using Artificial Neural Network for Improving Apple Scab Fight

Precision agriculture represents a promising technological trend in which governments and local authorities are increasingly investing. In particular, optimising the use of pesticides and having localised models of plant disease are the most important goals for the farmers of the future. The Trentino province in Italy is known as a strong national producer of apples. Apple production has to face many issues, however, among which is apple scab. This disease depends mainly on leaf wetness data typically acquired by fixed sensors. Based on the exploitation of artificial neural networks, this work aims to spatially extend the measurements of such sensors across uncovered areas (areas deprived of sensors). Achieved results have been validated comparing the apple scab risk of the same zone using either real leaf wetness data and estimated data. Thanks to the proposed method, it is possible to get the most relevant parameter of apple scab risk in places where no leaf wetness sensor is available. Moreover, our method permits having a specific risk evaluation of apple scab infection for each orchard, leading to an optimization of the use of chemical pesticides.

Combining machine learning techniques, microanalyses and large geochemical datasets for tephrochronological studies in complex volcanic areas: New age constraints for the Pleistocene magmatism of central Italy

Characterization, correlation and provenance determination of tephra samples in sedimentary sections (tephrochronological studies) are powerful tools for establishing ages of depositional events, volcanic eruptions, and tephra dispersion. Despite the large literature and the advancements in this research field, the univocal attribution of tephra deposits to specific volcanic sources remains too often elusive. In this contribution, we test the application of a machine learning technique named Support Vector Machine to attempt shedding new light upon tephra deposits related to one of the most complex and debated volcanic regions on Earth: the Pliocene-Pleistocene magmatism in Italy. The machine learning algorithm was trained using one of the most comprehensive global petrological databases (GEOROC); 17 chemical elements including major and selected trace elements were chosen as input parameters. We first show the ability of support vector machines in discriminating among different Pliocene-Pleistocene volcanic provinces in Italy and then apply the same methodology to determine the volcanic source of tephra samples occurring in the Caio outcrop, an Early Pleistocene sedimentary section located in Central Italy.

The 'Gravity' of Quality: Research Quality and Universities' Attractiveness in Italy

This paper investigates whether or not research quality is significantly associated with a university's ability to attract students from other provinces in Italy. First university enrolments of students over the period 2003–2011 are regressed on several universities' research quality indicators computed from different bibliometric databases (ISI-Thompson, Scopus-Elsevier and Google Scholar) using fixed effects-gravity models. Our estimates suggest that improving research quality may be an effective way of reducing 'brain drain' from southern Italy.

Geochemical Signatures of Potassic to Sodic Adang Volcanics, Western Sulawesi: Implications for Their Tectonic Setting and Origin

DOI:10.17014/ijog.3.3.195-214The Adang Volcanics represent a series of (ultra) potassic to sodic lavas and tuffaceous rocks of predominantly trachytic composition, which forms the part of a sequence of Late Cenozoic high-K volcanic and associated intrusive rocks occurring extensively throughout Western Sulawesi. The tectonic setting and origin of these high-K rocks have been the subject of considerable debates. The Adang Volcanics have mafic to mafitic-intermediate characteristics (SiO2: 46 - 56 wt%) and a wide range of high alkaline contents (K2O: 0.80 - 9.08 %; Na2O: 0.90 - 7.21 %) with the Total Alkali of 6.67 - 12.60 %. Al2O3 values are relatively low (10.63 - 13.21 %) and TiO2 values relatively high (1.27 - 1.91 %). Zr and REE concentrations are also relatively high (Zr: 1154 - 2340 ppm; Total REE (TREY = TRE): 899.20 - 1256.50 ppm; TRExOy: 1079.76 - 1507.97 ppm), with an average Zr/TRE ratio of ~ 1.39. The major rock forming minerals are leucite/pseudoleucite, diopside/aegirine, and high temperature phlogopite. Geochemical plots (major oxides and trace elements) using various diagrams suggest the Adang Volcanics formed in a postsubduction, within-plate continental extension/initial rift tectonic setting. It is further suggested magma was generated by minor (< 0.1 %) partial melting of depleted MORB mantle material (garnet-lherzolite) with the silicate melt having undergone strong metasomatism. Melt enrichment is reflected in the alkaline nature of the rocks and geochemical signatures such as Nb/Zr > 0.0627 and (Hf/Sm)PM > 1.23. A comparison with the Vulsini ultrapotassic volcanics from the Roman Province in Italy shows both similarities (spidergram pattern indicating affinity with Group III ultrapotassics volcanics) and differences (nature of mantle metasomatism).

Clinical and health care setting of patients admitted at Pain Control Center Hospice of Solofra: A feasibility model of end-of-life care in the Avellino province of Italy.

59 Background: The Pain Control Center Hospice of Solofra (Italy) is managed with a mixed public / private, the first experience in the Campania region.We have evaluated the treatment procedures and the clinical outcome to make a comparison by between 123 evaluable patients in palliative care in 2015 and 232 evaluable patients in the biennium 2012-2014. Methods: The following characteristics: patient gender, mean hospitalization time, differentiation between cancer and non cancer patients, medical weapon use, venous access type, enteral and parenteral feeding, pain killer use,Karnofsky scale. Results: the average age is nearly overlapping being 70.5 yr vs 70.69 yr; average length of stay in hospice 24.33 days vs. 27.52 days; 79.67% had cancer vs 73.70%, while the non-cancer 20.32% vs 26.30%; 55.26% died in hospice vs 71.98%, while 44.7% were discharged home vs 24.56%; the performance status according to Karnofsky scale before admission to hospice 23.1% had index rating (%)- 50, 10.56 -40, 52.03%-30, 35.7%-20, 23.1%-10. 8.9% had ostomy vs 13.79%; 4.4% were carriers of PEG vs 6.3%; the central venous access already implanted at admission in 32.52% vs 26.72%; enteral feeding was administered in 23.7% vs 13.79% and parenteral feeding in 52.84% vs 46.98%; analgesic therapy with more opiates was already present on admission in 48.78% vs 40.94% with prevalence of trans TD formulations. Analgesic therapy was administered during the hospitalization in 66.66% vs 81.89%. 14.28% of cancer patients in 2015 have received morphine treatment vs 15.3%, 22.11% oxycodone / naloxone vs 19%, 58.16% trans-dermal fentanyl vs. 34%, 14.7% have supplements onset fentanyl, 2.4% with tapentadol vs na, 15.30% tramadol vs 9%, 4.2% codeine vs 15.3%. Conclusions: This report is a feasibility model of end of life-care in the Avellino province submitted to the public administrative control with the private organization supporting House Hospital Onlus. The present study shows gradual improvement of the knowledge of palliative care by the family doctors and the population of a territory with peculiar topography and induces public health authority to improve the care offered.

Vice-regents of the Dominican studium generale in Krakow in the modern period – selected aspects

The purpose of the study is to present selected aspects of the work of bachelors (vice-regents) of Krakow’s studium generale in modern period, especially in XVII century. One of the aspects shown in the text was the importance of studying outside the province in Italy, France and Spain for the intellectual formation of the bachelors of the studium generale. Next attention has been given particularly to the fraternal movement as bachelors were involved in promoting this form of piety especially membership in rosary confraternities.

Ongoing outbreak of invasive listeriosis due to serotype 1/2a Listeria monocytogenes, Ancona province, Italy, January 2015 to February 2016.

In the first seven weeks of 2016, five serotype 1/2a Listeria monocytogenes isolates were collected from patients with invasive listeriosis in Ancona province in Italy. These strains and six 1/2a isolates identified in 2015 in the same area were typed by ERIC-PCR and PFGE. A clonal relationship, documented between the two sets of isolates, suggested a listeriosis outbreak in Ancona that started most probably in 2015. Investigation into the source of infection is still ongoing.

Effects of environmental regulation on separate waste collection dynamics: empirical evidence from Italy

This paper aims to evaluate the extent to which current Italian legislation has been able to achieve the goals set for separate waste collection within the context of the ongoing revision of European Union (EU) policy. In Italy waste management is regulated by Legislative Decree 152/2006, which has set the main regulatory pillars: the responsibilities among the actors at different territorial levels (regions, provinces and municipalities); the waste tariff structure; penalties and incentives, such as the “landfill tax” and “green certificates” to promote energy recovery. Focussing on separate collection of municipal waste, the Italian law set three targets to achieve: 35% by 2006; 45% 2008, and 65% by 2012. We propose a two-step analysis focussing on 103 Italian provinces, using the longitudinal data provided by the Italian National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) for the period 1999–2011. First, using the transition probability matrix, we analyse the transition probabilities among three different separate waste collection states (low, medium and high). Second, by using a generalised ordered probit model, we verify the magnitude and significance of the parameter associated to the Legislative Decree 152/2006 and of some other selected variables in allowing provinces to move from a low separate collection state to a higher one. Our results show that the Legislative Decree has had the positive effect of driving Italy's provinces towards higher separate waste collection rates, but has not proved effective in lowering the gap among provinces: those in southern Italy remain the least dynamic. Finally, we show that citizen participation in ecological associations and voluntary activities has a positive effect on separate collection rates.

Food safety and young consumers: Testing a serious game as a risk communication tool

Raising consumers' awareness about food safety issues is one of the primary objectives of Italian public health organizations. New dynamic and interactive tools, based on web applications, are already playing a leading role in health promotion campaigns targeted at adolescents. Among the web-based tools specifically designed for young people, educational videogames have proved especially effective in furthering learning and disseminating information, as they arouse adolescents' interest and curiosity. When a number of cases of Haemolytic-uraemic syndrome (HUS) were reported in 2010, particularly among children, the Italian Ministry of Health stressed the need to implement communication initiatives aimed at raising consumers' awareness of the potential risks associated with raw milk consumption at home. The pilot study described in the article is a relevant example of educational projects implemented in Italy, oriented to transmit knowledge about food risks to young consumers (aged 16–18). To provide correct information on safe milk handling practices and to reduce health issues, including serious ones, the videogame “A mysterious poisoning” was developed. This tool was administered online to 359 upper secondary school students from four different provinces in Italy. The videogame covered all stages of the milk supply chain, from stable to table, and enabled players to identify the crucial moments when milk can be contaminated and to discover safe milk handling practices. By completing a series of tasks, students helped a detective discover the cause of a food poisoning outbreak. This videogame provided an opportunity for students to test their knowledge of the product and to receive more detailed and accurate information. Data collected through two structured questionnaires that were administered before and after the controlled use of the videogame showed that this serious game was capable of changing players' perception of risk exposure and their cognitive associations, particularly increasing their levels of knowledge about the risks associated with raw milk consumption.

Estimation of Soil Moisture in Mountain Areas Using SVR Technique Applied to Multiscale Active Radar Images at C-Band

This paper presents an approach for retrieval of soil moisture content (SMC) from different satellite sensors with a focus on mountain areas. The novelties of the paper are: the extension of an already developed method to coarse resolution data (150 m) in mountain environment with high land heterogeneity, with only VV polarization and the proper selection of input features. During the result analysis, several algorithm characteristics were clearly identified: 1) the performances showed to be strongly related to input features such as topography and vegetation indices; 2) the algorithm needs a training phase; 3) the averaging window needs to be proper selected to take into account both the speckle noise and the characteristics of the area under investigation; and 4) the algorithm, being data driven, can be considered as site dependent. The experimental analysis is carried out on images acquired over the Südtirol/Alto Adige Province in Italy during 2010-2011 from the RADARSAT2 and Envisat ASAR in Wide Swath mode. SMC maps were compared with spatially distributed ground measurements, resulting in a root mean squared error (RMSE) value ranging from 0.045 to 0.07 m <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</sup> /m <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</sup> . Concerning the multiscale analysis, the results indicated that RADARSAT2 maps are able to detect the spatial heterogeneity and soil moisture dynamics at local scale, while ASAR WS SMC maps are able to identify mainly the two main classes of pasture and meadows. When these estimates are compared with SMC values from meteorological stations a RMSE value of 0.10 m <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</sup> /m <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</sup> for both satellites indicated a reduced capability to follow the temporal dynamics.

Maternal risk factors for fetal alcohol spectrum disorders in a province in Italy

BackgroundMaternal risk factors for fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) in Italy and Mediterranean cultures need clarification, as there are few studies and most are plagued by inaccurate reporting of antenatal alcohol use. MethodsMaternal interviews (n=905) were carried out in a population-based study of the prevalence and characteristics of FASD in the Lazio region of Italy which provided data for multivariate case control comparisons and multiple correlation models. ResultsCase control findings from interviews seven years post-partum indicate that mothers of children with FASD are significantly more likely than randomly-selected controls or community mothers to: be shorter; have higher body mass indexes (BMI); be married to a man with legal problems; report more drinking three months pre-pregnancy; engage in more current drinking and drinking alone; and have alcohol problems in her family. Logistic regression analysis of multiple candidate predictors of a FASD diagnosis indicates that alcohol problems in the child's family is the most significant risk factor, making a diagnosis within the continuum of FASD 9 times more likely (95%C.I.=1.6 to 50.7). Sequential multiple regression analysis of the child's neuropsychological performance also identifies alcohol problems in the child's family as the only significant maternal risk variable (p<.001) when controlling for other potential risk factors. ConclusionsUnderreporting of prenatal alcohol use has been demonstrated among Italian and other Mediterranean antenatal samples, and it was suspected in this sample. Nevertheless, several significant maternal risk factors for FASD have been identified.

Epidemiology, species distribution, antifungal susceptibility and outcome of candidemia among Internal Medicine Wards of community hospitals of Udine province, Italy

Candidemia is an emerging problem among patients hospitalized in Internal Medicine Wards (IMW). We performed a retrospective study to assess the epidemiology, species distribution, antifungal susceptibility and outcome of candidaemia recorded over a 3-year period (2010-2012) among IMW of community hospitals of Udine province in Italy: forty-eight patients were identified, with an overall incidence of 1.44 cases/1000 hospital admissions/year. Candida albicans was the most frequent species, followed by Candida parapsilosis that accounted for 42.9% of Tolmezzo cases. All isolates were susceptible to amphotericin and caspofungin, while 11.4% of strains were not-susceptible to voriconazole and 14.3% to fluconazole. Crude mortality was 41.7%. In conclusion, in community hospitals overall incidence of candidemia is similar to tertiary care hospitals, but 80% of cases are detected in IMW. Candida species distribution is overlapping, but differences in local epidemiology were found and should be taken into consideration. No resistance to amphotericin and caspofungin was found while resistance to azoles was observed. Knowledge of this data might be useful when planning the best therapeutic strategy.

Dematiopleospora mariaegen. sp. nov., from OnonisSpinosain Italy

Dematiopleospora mariae, isolated from Ononis spinosa collected in Forli-Cesena Province in Italy, is introduced as a new ascomycete genus and species based on morphology and combined LSU and SSU sequence analyses. Phylogenetic analysis based on maximum parsimony (MP), maximum likelihood (ML) and Mr Bayes all support Dematiopleospora as being a distinct genus within the Phaeosphaeriaceae. Dematiopleospora is distinguished from other genera in this family in having ascospores whose central cells have longitudinal septa with light end cells, ascomata with a thick peridium and necks comprising short, light brown setae. Phylogenetic analysis also separates Dematiopleospora from other genera in the Phaeosphaeriaceae. Dematiopleospora forms a sister group with Entodesmium and Chaetosphaeronema, but these three genera are clearly separated in the molecular analysis with relatively high bootstrap support (89% and 99% respectively). The new genus is compared with similar genera of Phaeosphaeriaceae and a comprehensive description, and micrographs are provided.