Towards a Geological Information System: the CARGeo System and the Regione Lombardia Geological Database.

In the framework of the national mapping program «CARGNew Italian Geological Map at 1:50.000 scale», Regione Lombardia is generating a detailed map (1:10.000 scale) of its territory. Surveying criteria have been carefully defined in order to produce homogeneous geological maps: geological survey has been performed at the 1:10.000 scale, and data have been stored in a GIS-oriented database. The detailed survey scale improved the geological knowledge: the new maps represent an important tool for territorial planning requirements of public administrations and engineering geologists (e.g. in hydrogeological and seismic risk evaluation). Field geologists performed data input in the geological data base by alternating field campaigns and data input throughout the year, taking advantage of periods when field activities are slackened (i.e. according to climate conditions). In this way, data entry is nearly synchronous with data collection, and field data become quickly accessible. Data entry by the field geologists on one side slows down the field activity, however, it guarantees a precise digitalization of geometric data and a correct attribute assignment, allowing to optimize working time. To allow the data entry to non-GIS-specialized users, we developed an ArcView®-VisualBasic®-MSAccess® application, enabling the simultaneous acquisition of geometric and alphanumeric data. Data base management and cartographic production are performed with ArcInfo®, through specific procedures which, after data reorganization and control (both alphanumeric and geometric), lead to the final cartographic output at different scales. The 1:10.000 geological database is migrated in the ArcSDE structure and prepared for data view, query and download (www.cartografia.regione.lombardia.it/cargweb) using ESRI (ArcIMS) tools. From the 1:10.000 geological database we derived the database for the 1:50.000 CARG maps by both automatic and manual generalization according to the CARG-APAT standards. During the different phases of the project, several problems arose, due to both project organization and data storage system (from data collection in the field to elaboration and digitalization, and, in case, to final publication). – Data collection: the survey activity was divided between «bedrock » and «quaternary» specialists. The double survey provided a high-quality geological description of the territory, but slowed the generation of the data-flow. Based on this experience, the last assigned areas are surveyed by a single geologist, under the supervision of quaternary and bedrock experts. – Users feedback: geologists are normally used to draw their maps on paper; learning how to produce electronic maps can be difficult, and the software tools have to be studied very carefully and present user friendly interfaces. Nevertheless, in our experience, a training period has to be planned, and geologists have to be supported by a GIS expert, who can understand their needs and modify the software accordingly. – System architecture: the ArcView®-VisualBasic®-MSAccess® (Windows platform) – ArcInfo® (UNIX platform) environment, revealed problems in the client-server stability of an earlier version; some unsolved troubles remain, mainly related to the network architecture. The presence in the CARG-Regione Lombardia crew of consultant geologists, experienced and trained in collection, analysis and data entry in the final database, accelerated the critical phases of: – Data base derivation from Regione Lombardia dataset to CARG-APAT standard

Neu3 Activity Enhances Egfr Activation Without Affecting Egfr Expression

n/

Long-term mortality and incidence of cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes in diabetic and nondiabetic obese patientsundergoing gastric banding: a controlled study

Background and aim: Aim of this retrospective study was to compare long-term mortality and incidence of new diseases [diabetes and cardiovascular (CV) disease] in morbidly obese diabetic and nondiabetic patients, undergoing gastric banding (LAGB) in comparison to medical treatment. Patients and methods: Medical records of obese patients [body mass index (BMI) > 35 kg/m(2) undergoing LAGB (n = 385; 52 with diabetes) or medical treatment (controls, n = 681; 127 with diabetes), during the period 1995-2001 (visit 1)] were collected. Patients were matched for age, sex, BMI, and blood pressure. Identification codes of patients were entered in the Italian National Health System Lumbardy database, that contains life status, causes of death, as well as exemptions, drug prescriptions, and hospital admissions (proxies of diseases) from visit 1 to September 2012. Survival was compared across LAGB patients and matched controls using Kaplan-Meier plots adjusted Cox regression analyses. Results: Observation period was 13.9 +/- 1.87 (mean +/- SD). Mortality rate was 2.6, 6.6, and 10.1 % in controls at 5, 10, and 15 years, respectively; mortality rate was 0.8, 2.5, and 3.1 % in LAGB patients at 5, 10, and 15 years, respectively. Compared to controls, surgery was associated with reduced mortality [HR 0.35, 95 % CI 0.19-0.65, p < 0.001 at univariate analysis, HR 0.41, 95 % CI 0.21-0.76, p < 0.005 at adjusted analysis], similar in diabetic [HR 0.34, 95 % CI 0.13-0.87, p = 0.025] and nondiabetic [HR 0.42, 95 % CI 0.19-0.97, p = 0.041] patients. Surgery was also associated with lower incidence of diabetes (15 vs 48 cases, p = 0.035) and CV diseases (52 vs 124 cases, p = 0.048), and of hospital admissions (88 vs 197, p = 0.04). Conclusion: Up to 17 years, gastric banding is associated with reduced mortality in diabetic and nondiabetic patients, and with reduced incidence of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases

LEARNING FROM THE PAST TO FACE THE FUTURE: LANDSLIDES IN THE PIAVE VALLEY (EASTERN ALPS, ITALY)

Landslides are a critical process in landscape evolution and may pose a serious threat to people and infrastructure. In the last decades, a growing interest in such phenomena has developed in the Alps, where narrow valleys are increasingly in\uachabited, and landslides have caused several casualties. Understanding the driving factors, triggers, evolution, and impact of past and future failures is of the utmost importance when dealing with land use and risk reduction. In this paper, four distinct case stud\uacies are presented, showing how different approaches can interact and produce a comprehensive understanding of a landslide event. All examples lie in the middle sector of the Piave Valley (NE Italy) and deal with failures that occurred in the distant past (i.e., the historic Masiere di Vedana rock avalanche), in the near past (i.e., the 1963 Vajont event), in the present (i.e., the 60-years -lasting Tessina landslide) and in the future (i.e., possible Mt. Peron instabilities). The final goal of the paper is to show how the understanding of past landslides is fundamental to obtain reliable predictions on future failures, and how modelling designed to predict the evolution of potential detachments can be applied to understand the dynamics of ancient events

Albuminoid genes: evolving at the interface of dispensability and selection

The albuminoid gene family comprises vitamin D-binding protein (GC), alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), afamin (AFM), and albumin (ALB). Albumin is the most abundant human serum protein, and, as the other family members, acts as a transporter of endogenous and exogenous substances including thyroxine, fatty acids, and drugs. Instead, the major cargo of GC is 25-hydroxyvitamin D. We performed an evolutionarystudy of albuminoid genes and we show that ALB evolved adaptively in mammals. Most positively selected sites are located within albumin-binding sites for fatty acids and thyroxine, as well as at the contact surface with neonatal Fc receptor. Positive selection was also detected for residues forming the prostaglandin-binding pocket. Adaptation to hibernation/torpor might explain the signatures of episodic positive selection we detected for few mammalian lineages. Application of a population genetics-phylogenetics approach showed that purifying selection represented a major force acting on albuminoid genes in both humans and chimpanzees, with the strongest constraint observed for human GC. Population genetic analysis revealed that GC was also the target of locally exerted selective pressure, which drove the frequency increase of different haplotypes in distinct human populations. A search for known variants that modulate GC and 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations revealed linkage disequilibrium with positively selected variants, although European and Asian major GC haplotypes carry alleles with reported opposite effect on GC concentration. Data herein indicate that albumin, an extremely abundant housekeeping protein, was the target of pervasive and episodic selection in mammals, whereas GC represented a selection target during the recent evolution of human populations

Functional Characterization of a CRH Missense Mutation Identified in an ADNFLE Family

Nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy has been historically considered a channelopathy caused by mutations in subunits of the neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor or in a recently reported potassium channel. However, these mutations account for only a minority of patients, and the existence of at least a new locus for the disease has been demonstrated. In 2005, we detected two nucleotide variations in the promoter of the CRH gene coding for the corticotropin releasing hormone in 7 patients. These variations cosegregated with the disease and were demonstrated to alter the cellular levels of this hormone. Here, we report the identification in an Italian affected family of a novel missense mutation (hpreproCRH p.Pro30Arg) located in the region of the CRH coding for the protein pro-sequence. The mutation was detected in heterozygosity in the two affected individuals. In vitro assays demonstrated that this mutation results in reduced levels of protein secretion in the short time thus suggesting that mutated people could present an altered capability to respond immediately to stress agents

Extensive Positive Selection Drives the Evolution of Nonstructural Proteins in Lineage C Betacoronaviruses

Middle East respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (MERS-CoV) spreads to humans via zoonotic transmission from camels. MERS-CoV belongs to lineage C of betacoronaviruses (betaCoVs), which also includes viruses isolated from bats and hedgehogs. A large portion of the betaCoV genome consists of two open reading frames (ORF1a and ORF1b) that are translated into polyproteins. These are cleaved by viral proteases to generate 16 nonstructural proteins (nsp1 to nsp16) which compose the viral replication-transcription complex. We investigated the evolution of ORF1a and ORF1b in lineage C betaCoVs. Results indicated widespread positive selection, acting mostly on ORF1a. The proportion of positively selected sites in ORF1a was much higher than that previously reported for the surface-exposed spike protein. Selected sites were unevenly distributed, with nsp3 representing the preferential target. Several pairs of coevolving sites were also detected, possibly indicating epistatic interactions; most of these were located in nsp3. Adaptive evolution at nsp3 is ongoing in MERS-CoV strains, and two selected sites (G720 and R911) were detected in the protease domain. While position 720 is variable in camel-derived viruses, suggesting that the selective event does not represent a specific adaptation to humans, the R911C substitution was observed only in human-derived MERS-CoV isolates, including the viral strain responsible for the recent South Korean outbreak. It will be extremely important to assess whether these changes affect host range or other viral phenotypes. More generally, data herein indicate that CoV nsp3 represents a major selection target and that nsp3 sequencing should be envisaged in monitoring programs and field surveys

OASes and STING : Adaptive evolution in concert

OAS(2'-5'-oligoadenylate synthases)proteinsand cyclic GMP-AMP synthase(cGAS,genesymbol: MB21D1)patrol the cytoplasmfor the presence of foreign nucleic acids. Upon binding to double-stranded RNA or double-stranded DNA, OAS proteins and cGAS produce nucleotide second messengers to activate RNase L and STING (stimulator of interferon genes, gene symbol: TMEM173), respectively; this leads to the initiation of antiviral responses. We analyzed the evolutionary history of the MB21D1-TMEM173 and OAS-RNASEL axes in primates and bats and found evidence of widespread positive selection in both orders. In TMEM173, residue 230, a major determinant of response to natural ligands and to mimetic drugs (e.g., DMXAA), was positively selected in Primates and Chiroptera. In both orders, selection also targeted an a-helix/loop element in RNase L that modulates the enzyme preference for single-stranded RNA versus stem loops. Analysis of positively selected sites in OAS1, OAS2, and MB21D1 revealed parallel evolution, with the corresponding residues being selected in different genes. As this cannot result from gene conversion, these data suggest that selective pressure acting on OAS and MB21D1 genes is related to nucleic acid recognition and to the specific mechanism of enzyme activation, which requires a conformational change. Finally, a population genetics-phylogenetics analysis in humans, chimpanzees, and gorillas detected several positively selected sites in most genes. Data herein shed light into species-specific differences in infection susceptibility and in response to synthetic compounds, with relevance for the design of synthetic compounds as vaccine adjuvants

Towards a map of the Upper Pleistocene loess of the Po Plain Loess Basin (Northern Italy)

Upper Pleistocene (MIS 4-2) loess sequences occur in most of continental Europe and in Northern Italy along the Po Plain Loess Basin. Loess is distributed along the flanks of the Po Plain and was deposited on glacial deposits, fluvial terraces, uplifted isolated hills, karst plateaus, slopes and basins of secondary valleys. Loess bodies are generally tiny and affected by pedogenesis, being locally slightly reworked by slope processes and bioturbation. Notwithstanding, loess in the Po Plain is an important archive of paleoenviron-mental record and its mapping provides new insights in paleoenvironmental and palaeoseismic reconstructions of Northern Italy