Province Of Verona Research Articles

Perfluoroalchilic food contamination in the PFAS high-risk area of the Veneto Region (Northern Italy)

In a wide area among the provinces of Vicenza, Verona, and Padua (Veneto Region, Northern Italy), one of the larger known massive contamination of the environment by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) occurred since the year 1965. The most important source of human exposure was through aquiferous and contaminated water supplies (the regional authorities distinguished red zone A - aquiferous - and red zone B - water supply) for a total of slightly less than two hundred thousand exposed people. Food contamination and food contribution to total human exposure were assessed by a food monitoring campaign on the years 2016-2017 by the National Health Institute sponsored by Veneto Region.Thanks to the availability of the individual records of the monitoring campaign, we evaluated the spatial distribution of PFAS contamination by food matrix. Generally speaking, PFAS contamination was widespread over the entire red zone (either A or B). Some zones appeared to be higher contaminated consistently with the water plume. Other higher contaminated zones were less consistent and such result raises questions about routes of environmental pollution.

Hypertrophic Pyloric Stenosis: 10 Years' Experience with Standard Open and Laparoscopic Approach.

PurposeHypertrophic pyloric stenosis (HPS) is the most common cause of gastric obstruction in newborns. Extra-mucosal pyloromyotomy can be performed through a small laparotomy or laparoscopy. The aim of this study was to compare the two surgical techniques. We also analyzed the incidence of HPS in infants in the last 10 years in relation to the demographic trend of our province.MethodsWe analyzed all the cases of HPS treated at our Unit between January 2010 and December 2019. The data were obtained from operating systems. Data about the demographic trends, in particular, the number of births and the population residing in the province of Verona from 2010 to 2019, were also retrieved.ResultsDuring the study period, 60 patients were treated for HPS and met the inclusion criteria. Of these, 56 males and 4 females with an average age of 38±14 days at surgery were included. No differences were found in terms of the duration of surgery, post-operative complications, duration of hospitalization, and weight at the time of surgery. The only statistically significant data was the chlorine level in cases with and without post-operative vomiting (97±3.5 vs. 102±3.3 mmol/L, p<0.05). There was a lower incidence of HPS from 2014 to 2019; however, there was no significant evidence regarding the correlation between this and the reduced birth rate recorded in the province of Verona during the same period.ConclusionAlthough laparoscopic pyloromyotomy is a highly complex procedure, it is a feasible alternative to the classic open technique.

Emergence of Lyme borreliosis in the province of Verona, Northern Italy: Five-years of sentinel surveillance

We investigated the epidemiology, clinical manifestations, laboratory data and antibiotic treatment of Lyme borreliosis in the province of Verona, Northern Italy, during the period 2015–2019. One hundred and 29 cases of Lyme borreliosis were diagnosed in a single hospital representing 27 % of all cases reported in the Veneto region in the same period. The mean annual incidence of Lyme borreliosis was 0.992/100,000 inhabitants. A peak incidence of 2/100,000 inhabitants was observed in 2018. Early localized Lyme borreliosis was the most common presentation (74 %), followed by early disseminated Lyme borreliosis (21 %). One possible early Lyme neuroborreliosis and two cranial neuropathies were diagnosed. IgM and/or IgG borrelia antibodies were positive in 90 % of the cases. This significant increase of Lyme borreliosis incidence in the province of Verona highlights the need to increase knowledge on its epidemiology and clinical manifestation among both the general population and clinicians to allow early diagnosis and treatment.

Director ownership and performance of small and medium enterprises: insights from Northeast Italy

Purpose of the paper: This article examines the relationship between the proportion of shares that are owned by directors and a firm’s financial performance in small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Methodology: We collected data on ownership and director structures from 214 SMEs in the provinces of Verona and Vicenza (Italy). We used the return on assets (ROA) ratio as a proxy for financial performance over a 4-year period (2014-2017) and implemented an ordinary least squares (OLS) regression model with time-period and industry fixed effects. Results: We found a statistically significant correlation between director ownership and the ROA ratio and identified a nonlinear relationship indicating that the influence of director ownership on performance may be positive or negative and that both the convergence of interests and entrenchment effects are present, depending on the level of ownership and other contextual variables such as it being a family firm, firm age and generational change. Research limitations: Despite our efforts, reverse causality problems cannot be completely excluded. Collecting data in a limited geographical context over a four-year period restricts the generalization of our results and the use of the Likert scale (1-5) to evaluate managerial ownership may reduce the accuracy of our analysis. Practical implications: Directors and shareholders should carefully consider the benefits deriving from director ownership in overlapping roles, and regulators could better define corporate governance models. Originality of the paper: This study specifically addressed the issue of director ownership in SMEs by considering their relevant contextual variables, such as family firm, firm age, and generational change.

Is COVID-19 Impacting Cancer Screening? A Survey of Prostate-Specific Antigen Test Requests during a Local Outbreak

Background. Although the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemics is directly contributing to derange global health and fitness, the restrictive measures applied for containing the outbreaks are also impacting detection and management of many diseases, including cancers. This study aimed to establish if and how the COVID-19 outbreak may have impacted the practice of routine prostate cancer screening in Verona, Italy.Methods. We searched the laboratory information system of the Service of Laboratory Medicine of the University Hospitals of Verona to identify all test requests for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and vitamin D (Vit D; i.e., the most locally requested immunochemical test) for outpatients during the last five years (December 10, 2016, to December 10, 2020). The weekly requests for these tests placed between February 25 and December 9, 2020, was compared to those placed during the period of the previous four years (i.e., 2016-2019).Results. The volume of test requests for both Vit D and PSA did not differ in 2020 compared to the previous four years. However, a dramatic decline was observed during the local lockdown period (between March 10 and May 17, 2020), with a median decrease of 76% for Vit D and 62% for PSA, respectively. This reduction was compensated by 13% increase for Vit D and 43% increase for PSA in the post-lockdown period. Conclusion. These results show that the lockdown period established during the first peak of the COVID-19 outbreak in Italy’s Verona province was associated with a dramatic decrease in routine prostate cancer screening.

TREATMENT OF HYPERTENSION IN PRIMARY CARE

Objective: Drug utilization and clinical outcomes in hypertensive patients are suboptimal in different Countries, including Italy, leaving a large proportion of patients not at target blood pressure (BP). Design and method: We designed an observational study to define the number of patients diagnosed as hypertensive within the general adult population, the number of drugs prescribed to each patients and the number of hypertensive patients who were effectively treated. To this aim, clinical data collected by 150 General Practitioners (GPs) from 228.406 subjects living in the province of Verona (approximately 30% of the adult population) were analyzed after anonymization. Data retrieved from GPs official database concerned age, gender, number of antihypertensive agents prescribed at the same time over a period of 24 months, BP defined as categorical variable (cutoff 140/90 mmHg). Results: Data concerning the number of prescribed antihypertensive agents and BP control in relation to age are shown in the graph. A total of 43.526 subjects had a diagnosis of arterial hypertension (19% of the entire population, females 53%), 66% of them were aged 65 years or more and 86% received antihypertensive medications in the previous 2 years. The number of prescriptions increased with age. BP recordings were missing in 38% of cases. One third of all patients did not reach normal BP. Approximately 15% of patients could be considered as having resistant hypertension since requiring 4 drugs or not reaching normal BP with 3 drugs. Younger subjects (less than 65 years) more likely had BP not recorded (46%) and often received 1 or 2 antihypertensive agents, whether or not BP was controlled. Elderly patients (65 years or more) often required complex antihypertensive treatment (29% received 3–4 drugs) and their BP, in spite of a more stringent clinical follow up (66% had BP recorded), was uncontrolled in 48% of cases.Conclusions: BP control is not achieved in a large proportion of hypertensives, particularly the elderly patients although receiving a larger number of antihypertensive drugs. The present investigation helps to define the patients who may benefit from active monitoring and intervention aimed at improving the clinical outcomes.

New diseases due to indigenous fungi in a changing world: The case of hop hornbeam canker in the Italian Alps

Cankers and diebacks of European hop hornbeam (Ostrya carpinifolia) have been observed in the Italian Alps since 2001. In 2013, and 2014, field and laboratory investigations were performed in the provinces of Trento, Padua and Verona (northern Italy) to assess the presence and spread of disease affecting O. carpinifolia. Environmental and dendrometric data were recorded and analyzed, and samples were collected for the laboratory assays. Disease was observed in 106 of the 270 plots surveyed. In the majority of these, there were a small number of infections, but in some areas, severe attacks and multiple infections were recorded. Symptoms of decline, undoubtedly connected to cankers spreading across small surfaces, were observed in 31 plots. The presence of disease was positively correlated with sites predisposed to drought and correlated with lower altitudes. The fungus Botryosphaeria dothidea was found to be the primary agent involved in the disease, although Dothiorella parva was also isolated from the same infected tissues. However, both fungi were also obtained from healthy tissues, confirming their role as endophytes and/or latent pathogens. In inoculation tests, both species proved to be weakly pathogenic, but under laboratory conditions, they differed in their growth behaviors in relation to temperature. The annual growth of natural infection in the field is greater with higher autumn temperatures. The results indicate that the disease affecting O. carpinifolia occurred as a consequence of drought-related factors and high temperatures, and under changing climatic conditions, the disease is spreading in the surveyed areas of northeastern Italy. This study confirms field observations that revealed a higher incidence of new diseases in forests as a result of new climatic conditions with frequent extreme phenomena.

A Single-Center, Phase 3, Randomized Controlled Trial of Pancreaticojejunostomy vs Pancreaticogastrostomy with Externalized Stent in High-Risk Pancreatic Anastomosis

Background: Patients at high risk for postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) still represent a major concern after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). While several meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have supported pancreaticogastrostomy (PG), other trials have highlighted the superiority of pancreaticojejunostomy (PJ) with externalized transanastomotic stents. This RCT compared PJ to PG, both with externalized transanastomotic stents, specifically in the setting of high POPF risk. Methods: Patients undergoing elective PD were prospectively enrolled. The Fistula Risk Score was intraoperatively calculated to identify patients at high risk for POPF that were subsequently randomized according to a 1:1 allocation. The primary endpoint was POPF. The secondary endpoints were Clavien-Dindo ≥ 3 morbidity, postpancreatectomy hemorrhage (PPH), delayed gastric emptying (DGE) and average complication burden (ACB). Findings: The study lasted from July 2017 to March 2019. A total of 604 patients were screened for eligibility, 82 were at high risk for POPF (FRS 7 - 10), and 72 were randomized to PG (n= 36) or PJ (n= 36). There was no significant difference in the incidence of POPF (50.0 vs. 38.9%, p= 0.477) between PG and PJ, but in the patients who developed a POPF, the ACB was lower for PJ (0.39 vs. 0.25, p= 0.039). Additionally, the rates of PPH (38.9 vs 25.0%, p= 0.312) and DGE (44.4 vs. 50.0%, p= 0.814) were similar, but patients who underwent PG presented a significantly higher incidence of Clavien-Dindo ≥ 3 morbidity (47.2 vs. 22.2%, p= 0.047). Interpretation: In patients at the highest risk for POPF, PG and PJ show similar rates of POPF. However, PG was associated with an increased incidence of Clavien-Dindo ≥ 3 morbidity and with an increased ACB in the patients who developed a POPF. Clinical Trial Registration: NCT03212196 (https://www.clinicaltrial.gov). Funding Statement: This study did not receive any financial support. Declaration of Interests: All other authors declare no competing interests. Ethical Approval Statement: The study protocol was approved by the local ethics committee (Ethics Committee of the provinces of Verona and Rovigo, approval number 1041CESC). The trial was performed in accordance with the good clinical practice guidelines, the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki, and the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) guidelines. All eligible patients provided written informed consent at the time of hospital admission.

Long-term concentrations of fine particulate matter and impact on human health in Verona, Italy

Verona is an Italian city which experiences low levels of air quality due to its location near the centre of the Po Valley, one of the most polluted areas in Italy and in Europe. High pollutant concentrations, in particular of fine aerosol particles, are associated with detrimental effects on human health. The present study analyses the ground-based measurements of particulate matter with a diameter ≤2.5μm (PM2.5) and ≤10μm (PM10) registered in Verona and its province since 2002 to 2015. The annual means and the number of days when the European standards were exceeded show that air quality has slightly improved in the analysed period, with statistically significant negative trends present in both PM10 and PM2.5 levels. The annual mortality due to different diseases attributable to PM2.5 has been estimated for the period 2009–2014 by employing concentration-response functions based on epidemiological cohort studies. Results show that, on average, about 299 deaths per year (3 are infants) are caused by PM2.5 related diseases in Verona province. Among these, about 88 deaths per year (1 is infant) occur in Verona municipality. This means that 11.3% of the total deaths due to diseases of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems is attributable to long-term exposure to PM2.5 pollution.

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.

The first directly dated cave bear from the Covoli di Velo Cave (Verona Province, Veneto, northern Italy) with some discussion of Italian Alps cave bears

The first directly dated cave bear from the Covoli di Velo Cave (Verona Province, Veneto, northern Italy) with some discussion of Italian Alps cave bears

OPPORTUNISTIC SCREENING FOR ATRIAL FIBRILLATION IN THE PHARMACIES

Objective: Opportunistic screening outside medical clinics using easily available devices measuring blood pressure while simultaneously detecting irregular pulse could be potentially useful to identify patients with asymptomatic or unknown atrial fibrillation, thus reducing the burden of cardiovascular events, primarily systemic thromboembolism (NICE medical technology guidance 13, 2015). We performed a cross-sectional observational study aimed at evaluate the prevalence of atrial fibrillation and associated clinical conditions in adults older than 50 years living in the province of Verona. Design and method: All the citizens aged 50 or more were invited through an information campaign to reach their pharmacy to have their blood pressure and heart rate monitored with the Microlife Afib® device, which utilises an algorithm to calculate the irregularity of interval times between heartbeats and identify atrial fibrillation. Pharmacists collected for 6 months also anthropometric and demographic data of the participants, along with information concerning their personal history of cardiovascular disease and the use of anti-hypertensive and anti-thrombotic agents. All those who were positive to the screening for atrial fibrillation were referred to their medical doctor. Results: A total number of 3109 citizens took part in the study; 1605 of them were hypertensive, 297 diabetic and 372 obese. Positive for atrial fibrillation were 99 subjects (56 males). Only 44 of them had a previous diagnosis of atrial fibrillation and were receiving anticoagulation agents (77%) or aspirin (7%). Although subject positive to the screening were hypertensive, diabetic or obese in the same proportion of the negative ones, they had in a larger proportion a previous stroke (7% versus 2%, P < 0.01). Conclusions: Aim of our investigation was to obtain epidemiological data concerning the prevalence of atrial fibrillation, to identify previously non-detected cases and to promote consciousness in the population concerning the risk factors and the clinical consequences of atrial fibrillation. The results of our study indicate that opportunistic screening for atrial fibrillation in the pharmacies is feasible and allows identify a large number of subjects with silent, non-previously diagnosed atrial fibrillation, and is potentially useful in large-scale projects aimed at the prevention of cardiovascular mortality.

Extended screening for infectious diseases among newly-arrived asylum seekers from Africa and Asia, Verona province, Italy, April 2014 to June 2015.

Background and aimManagement of health issues presented by newly-arrived migrants is often limited to communicable diseases even though other health issues may be more prevalent. We report the results of infectious disease screening proposed to 462 recently-arrived asylum seekers over 14 years of age in Verona province between April 2014 and June 2015. Methods: Screening for latent tuberculosis (TB) was performed via tuberculin skin test (TST) and/or QuantiFERON-TB Gold in-tube assay and/or chest X-ray. An ELISA was used to screen for syphilis. Stool microscopy was used to screen for helminthic infections, and serology was also used for strongyloidiasis and schistosomiasis. Screening for the latter also included urine filtration and microscopy. Results: Most individuals came from sub-Saharan Africa (77.5%), with others coming from Asia (21.0%) and North Africa (1.5%). The prevalence of viral diseases/markers of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection was 1.3%, HCV infection was 0.85% and hepatitis B virus surface antigen was 11.6%. Serological tests for syphilis were positive in 3.7% of individuals. Of 125 individuals screened for TB via the TST, 44.8% were positive and of 118 screened via the assay, 44.0% were positive. Of 458 individuals tested for strongyloidiasis, 91 (19.9%) were positive, and 76 of 358 (21.2%) individuals from sub-Saharan Africa were positive for schistosomiasis. Conclusions: The screening of viral diseases is questionable because of low prevalence and/or long-term, expensive treatments. For opposing reasons, helminthic infections are probably worth to be targeted by screening strategies in asylum seekers of selected countries of origin.

Levers supporting tariff growth for water services: evidence from a contingent valuation analysis

The backwardness of the water utilities sector necessitates urgent investment in infrastructure to improve water quality and efficiency in water supply networks. A policy of tariff growth represents the main source to sustain such investments. Therefore, customer engagement in the form of willingness to pay (WTP) is highly desirable by water utilities to obtain social legitimization and support. This study examines the determinants of consumers' WTP for improvement programs for three drinking water issues: quality of water sources, renewal of water mains, and building of new wastewater treatment plants. The study is based on a survey conducted among a sample of 587 customers of a water utility located in the province of Verona in the north of Italy. The contingence valuation method is used to measure WTP. Specifically, an ordinal logistic regression model yields the following significant determinants of WTP: quality of water and services provided, preference for privatization of the water utility, sustainable consumption of water, and some socio-demographic variables. The findings provide interesting insights into the drivers of WTP as well as managerial recommendations for water utilities. In particular, the findings show that water utilities need to improve service and water quality to increase customers' acceptance of tariff growth. In addition, utilities should invest in customer education and communication activities focusing on specific age groups (e.g., older customers) to enhance their WTP. Finally, communication strategies should reinforce the possible role of liberalization and privatization in supporting infrastructure investments.

Data collection of patients with diabetes in family medicine: a study in north-eastern Italy

BackgroundStudies on data collection and quality of care in Italian family medicine are lacking. The aim of this study was to assess the completeness of data collection of patients with diabetes in a large sample of family physicians in the province of Verona, Veneto region, a benchmark for the Italian National Health System.MethodsWe extracted the data on all the patients with diabetes from the electronic health records of 270 family physicians in 2006 and 2009. We reported the percentage of patients with data recorded for 12 indicators of performance derived from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence diabetes guidelines. Secondarily, we assessed quality of care using the Q-score (the lower the score, the greater the risk of cardiovascular events).ResultsPatients with diabetes were 18,507 in 2006 and 20,744 in 2009, and the percentage of patients registered as having diabetes was 4.9% and 5.4% of the total population, respectively (p < 0.001). Data collection improved for all the indicators between 2006 and 2009 but the performance was still low at the end of the study period: patients with no data recorded were 42% in 2006 and 32% in 2009, while patients with data recorded for ≥5 indicators were 9% in 2006 and 17% in 2009. The Q-score improved (mean ± SD, 20.7 ± 3.0 in 2006 vs 21.3 ± 3.6 in 2009, p < 0.001) but most patients were at increased risk of cardiovascular events in both years (Q-score ≤ 20).ConclusionsWe documented an improvement in data collection and quality of care for patients with diabetes during the study period. Nonetheless, data collection was still unsatisfactory in comparison with international benchmarks in 2009. Structural interventions in the organization of family medicine, which have not been implemented since the study period, should be prioritised in Italy.

Assessing efficiency drivers in municipal solid waste collection services through a non-parametric method

Municipal solid waste collection is a public service with impact on the environment, public health, and the appearance of a municipal area. The standard of efficiency achieved in providing this service has a direct impact on household expenditure, since the costs of collection are recovered through citizens’ taxes. The failure to consider relevant performance drivers recently led some Italian waste utilities into bankruptcy and financial collapse. Following prior research to identify the environmental and operational variables affecting the efficiency and quality of waste collection services, this study applies a more suitable and robust non-parametric method based on conditional order-m efficiency to identify the performance drivers of the waste collection services in 40 municipalities in Verona province, Italy. The exogenous variables studied could be clustered as 1) customer features (size of population served, population density, tourist flows, and percentage of non-residential customers; 2) household features, measured by number of inhabitants per house; and 3) operational features, represented by tons of waste collected for each load, method adopted (curbside or street bin), and maturity achieved with a given method. The study demonstrates that all variables affect the cost efficiency of waste collection with different intensity and direction.

Estimated Net Ecosystem Exchange (NEE) of Turfgrass at Different Management Intensities in a Golf Course in the Province of Verona

Estimated Net Ecosystem Exchange (NEE) of Turfgrass at Different Management Intensities in a Golf Course in the Province of Verona

First record of Pliensbachian (Lower Jurassic) amber and associated palynoflora from the Monti Lessini (northern Italy)

The fossil record of amber dates back to the Palaeozoic, but it is only since the Mesozoic that amber became relatively common, probably because of the spreading of resin-producing plants. In Italy, the oldest ambers come from the Middle and Upper Triassic of the Dolomites. Cretaceous ambers come from some Albian sites in the Dolomites and from the Coniacian–Santonian of Vernasso, Julian Prealps, northern Italy. Until now, no Jurassic sites with amber have been reported in Italy, and this “Jurassic gap” seems generalized, since there are only a few Jurassic ambers described all over the world. Here, we report the first finding of Lower Jurassic (Pliensbachian) amber from the Bellori locality (Grezzana, Verona Province, Northern Italy). The amber was found in two clayey-coal levels containing plant remains and cuticles, with subordinate bivalves, foraminifera and ostracods. Palynomorphs of the amber levels are dominated by levigate and ornamented spores (ferns) and Circumpolles (conifers). Foraminiferal linings and algal cysts are also present. The freshwater alga Pseudoschizaea is reported for the first time from the Lower Jurassic. The amber shows different kinds of preservation, some peculiar features probably connected with the plant structure, and colours ranging from light yellow to blackish red. Moreover, it includes millimetre-sized wood structures (“mummified wood”) and gas bubbles. Fourier-transform–Infrared, thermogravimetric and differential thermogravimetric analyses were carried out and resulted in a clear characterization of this amber with respect to all others known so far. These data, together with sedimentological observations and fossil content analysis, suggest a coastal palaeoenvironment under rather wet conditions, comparable with the present-day Everglades, with the addition of a monsoonal climate as in the modern southern Asia.

Biodiversity of Staphylinidae (Coleoptera) in the Province of Verona (Veneto, Northern Italy)

A commented catalogue of Coleoptera Staphylinidae present in Verona province (Veneto, Northern Italy) is provided. It is based on published as well as mostly unpublished records, with the Sette collection at the Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Verona as main source. These records are filed in a freely downloadable database (http://www.societaentomologicaitaliana.it/it/archivio-comunicazioni/78-archiviati/269-database-staphylinidae-verona.html). Verona province is a very diverse area, with habitats ranging from montane/alpine to hill and plain, which are natural, seminatural or anthropogenic. A total of 988 species are listed. Localities, habitats, microhabitats, collecting methods, altitudinal range, months of capture, latest year of capture and number of specimens are given for each species. Comments are added for 149 remarkable species or genera (&lt;em&gt;i.e&lt;/em&gt;. new to Italy, endemic, with particular geographic distribution, living in particular habitats, introduced, problematic from a taxonomic point of view), 7 species are new records for Italy (&lt;em&gt;Tachyporus corpulentus J.&lt;/em&gt; Sahlberg, 1876, &lt;em&gt;Aleochara bellonata&lt;/em&gt; Krása, 1922, &lt;em&gt;Aleochara marmotae&lt;/em&gt; Sainte-Claire Deville, 1927, &lt;em&gt;Atheta (Ceritaxa) flavipes&lt;/em&gt; (Hochhuth, 1860), &lt;em&gt;Atheta (Philhygra) pseudoelongatula&lt;/em&gt; Bernhauer, 1907, &lt;em&gt;Stenomastax platygaster&lt;/em&gt; (Kraatz, 1859), &lt;em&gt;Carpelimus boops rondaensis&lt;/em&gt; (Fagel, 1957)), one is very probably new to science (&lt;em&gt;Leptusa&lt;/em&gt; sp.). The biogeographic analysis of the data is mostly based on the comparison of the main areas of the province (Monte Baldo, Lessinia, Morene del Garda, course of Adige river, and plain). The presence of a good percentage (5%) of endemic species is pointed out. The communities inhabiting the principal habitats and microhabitats are commented on, and remarkable species living in the protected areas of the province are listed.

A new Navicula (Bacillariophyta) species from low-elevation carbonate springs affected by anthropogenic disturbance

Diatom assemblages in carbonate spring habitats at low elevations, with low discharge, and affected by direct human impacts were studied only recently and in some geographic areas. We describe and characterize the ecology of a new Navicula species from springs with these characteristics within the basin of the River Adige in the south-eastern Alps and Alpine foothills (Province of Verona, Italy). Navicula veronensis sp. nov. is in the group of species around N. cincta but has distinct outline, size, central area, and proximal raphe endings. The availability of data on the distribution of the new species in streams of the Island of Cyprus allowed to quantitatively compare the ecological preferences, niche position, and niche breadth of Navicula veronensis sp. nov. with those of allied species. The new species was found to be characteristic of medium-high conductivity freshwaters, rich in sulphates and chloride, often nitrate enriched and affected by marked discharge fluctuations and seasonal desiccation. Niche position however differed only slightly from those of morphologically-similar species, with the exception of Navicula dealpina that was found to be characteristic of oligotrophic, calcium-bicarbonate rich environments with medium(-low) conductivity. Canonical Correspondence Analysis clearly showed that the most influential environmental variables determining the diatom assemblages of low-elevation carbonate springs affected by anthropogenic disturbance were nitrate enrichment, spring morphology alteration (in particular for water abstraction), and low discharge.