Region South Italy Research Articles

Twenty-Four Novel Mutations in Wilson Disease Patients of Predominantly Italian Origin

Herein we report the results of mutation analysis of the ATP7B gene in a group of 134 Wilson disease (WD) families (268 chromosomes) prevalently of Italian origin. Using the SSCP and sequencing methods we identified 71 disease-causing mutations. Twenty-four were novel, while 19 more mutations already described, were identified in new populations in this study. A known mutation G591D showed a regional distribution, since it was only detected in 38.5% of the analyzed chromosomes in WD patients originating from Apulia, a region of South Italy. Detection of new mutations in the ATP7B gene increases our capability of molecular analysis that is essential for early diagnosis and treatment of WD.

Indicating disturbance content and context for preserved areas

An accepted goal of conservation is to build a conservation network that is resilient to environmental change. The conceptual patch-corridor-matrix model views individual conservation areas as connected components of a regional network capable of sustaining metapopulations and biodiversity, and assessment of contextual conditions in the matrix surrounding conservation areas is necessary for planning. Context is often assessed in terms of fixed-width buffers surrounding conservation areas, but in practice, different locations within the same conservation area experience different contexts. We present an alternate approach for describing the landscape context of conservation areas, and we illustrate the approach by assessing vegetation disturbance measured by Landsat NDVI changes over a 4-year period for 51 conservation areas in the Apulia region of south Italy. Insights gained from a multi-scale assessment of disturbance, coupled with information about land use and habitat mosaics are necessary to understand the distinctive features of different preserved areas and thus, to formulate appropriate plans for a regional conservation network to maintain or enhance biodiversity in the region.

Evaluating web interfaces of B2C e-commerce systems for typical agrifood products

E-commerce and geographical typicity of agrifood products are two leverages for the economic development of a lagging rural region where agribusiness is a leading sector of its economy. However, an effective response to this challenge much depends on how typical products are marketed through the internet to an international audience. This paper introduces a methodology for evaluating web interfaces of e-commerce systems of agrifood SMEs operating in an lagging rural region. The methodology has been applied to a regional survey where it is considered a sample of SMEs located in Calabria, a South Italy region. The collected data has been statistically analysed in order to get results on levels of B2C e-commerce adoption. A particular study is addressed to a classification of e-commerce interfaces depending on both SME's stage in the industry and the way how SME's 'typical producer' status is perceived by potential customers.

Seismic response to stress-strain fields in the lithosphere of Sicily

Earthquake locations and fault-plane solutions are investigated in Sicily and the surrounding areas, by using local network data for the period 1988-1995, and a recently proposed 3D model of the local crustal structure. The results were used for local-to-regional scale stress inversion and strain tensor computations, after integration by a set of selected focal mechanisms taken from the literature. The area under study appears to be affected by heterogeneity of seismic deformation and the stress field. The contraction-to-extension transition from west to east on a regional scale can find a reasonable explanation in the framework of current geodynamic models, such as those assuming the activity of two main tectonic sources in the South Italy region, e.g., the Africa-Europe north-south slow convergence and the faster eastward roll-back of a westward-dipping Ionian subducting slab (Cinque al., 1993). The analysis of low-magnitude (2.5-4.0) earthquakes permitted us to perform an investigation of local-scale strain heterogeneities in this region and to evidence notable changes in the deformation style when processes at different scales are considered.

Rainfall Depth—Duration Relationship for South Italy

In the present technical note, using recorded rainfall data h t of given duration t ≤ 60 min for four regions of South Italy (Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, and Puglia) published by the Italian Hydrographic Service, the applicability of a power-rainfall depth-duration relationship is tested. At first, for 15 Calabrian recording rain gauges, the independence of the ratio h t,T /h60,T from the return period T is tested by hypothesizing that h t are distributed according to an Extreme Value Distribution Type 1 (EV1) law, using six values of the return period. Then, for each geographical region, the exponent of the proposed power-rainfall depth-duration relationship is estimated by the least squares method. The comparison among the regional rainfall depth-duration relationships of the four regions of South Italy showed that the short-duration rainfall is dependent on geographical factors.

Comparing tests for soil fertility: 1. Conversion equations between olsen and mehlich 3 as phosphorus extractants for 120 soils of south italy

Abstract The multiple‐element extractant Mehlich 3 (M3) has not been tested extensively in Europe. In this Land, soil‐P test recommendations are based, since decades, on the evaluation of the Olsen‐extractable P, and the optimal soil‐P levels have been established to range between 1.5 and 3.0 mg of Olsen‐P per 100 g of soil. A research programme was started in order to assess the suitability of M3 as routine soil‐P test in European laboratories. As a first approach, we develop conversion equations from Olsen‐P to M3‐P, in order to assess the agreement and the consistency of the measurements under a wide range of chemical and physical soil properties. To this aim, 120 samples with drastically contrasting features were selected within 206 soils collected from all the regions of South Italy. Soil‐P ranges were 0.07–60.53 for M3, and 0.08–21.47 mg/100 g for Olsen. The results showed that M3‐P was a P extractant more efficient than Olsen. The amounts of M3‐P were, on the average, twice as large as the Olsen‐P ...