Quaternary marine and continental unconformity-bounded stratigraphic units of the NW Sicily coastal belt

In the coastal sector of NW Sicily, the regional correlation of relevant unconformities recognised within the Quaternary sedimentary successions allowed the mapping of seven unconformitybounded stratigraphic units (UBSUs). The regional unconformities are marine or subaerial erosional surfaces, as well as non-depositional surfaces, locally marked by paleosoils. The erosional surfaces were produced from marine abrasion, surface water overland/ concentrated flow, river erosion, karst solution, mass movement, or wind erosion. The main lithofacies of the Quaternary UBSUs consist of: (a) marine and coastal bioclastic calcarenites, (b) aeolian sandstones, (c) river deposits, (d) colluvial deposits, (e) talus slope deposits, (f) landslide deposits, and (g) chemical carbonates (travertines and speleothems). Quaternary environmental changes, due to tectonics, climate, and sea-level oscillations, are the causes that favoured the development of erosion/deposition processes responsible for the genesis of unconformities and deposits. As a result, through the UBSU map of the NW Sicilian coastal belt, it is possible to: (i) recognise stratigraphic units controlled by tectonic, climatic, and environmental processes (and their interplay) and (ii) detect Quaternary sedimentary evolution

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a coverage inventory for each HRA including an 1) inventory of the banked coverage from the land banks, 2) an inventory of existing coverage in sensitive and non-sensitive land using TRPA LiDAR data, and 3) an inventory of the capacity for coverage transfers into Centers. Item One: Inventory of the banked coverage from the land banks The table below provides a current inventory of the banked coverage in different HRAs. The dat

Lung recurrence of papillary thyroid cancer diagnosed with antithyroglobulin antibodies after 10 years from initial treatment.

Introduction: Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is the most common endocrine malignancy. More than 98% of patients achieve an excellent response with no evidence of clinical, biochemical, or structural disease after initial treatment. In these patients structural recurrence is rare, more frequently diagnosed in the first 5 years from initial treatment and almost invariably localized in neck lymph nodes. Patient: We report the case of a woman affected by PTC who presented with rapidly rising anti-thyroglobulin antibodies (TgAb) level after 10 years from clinical, morphological and biochemical remission. Diagnosis and Treatment: In 2003, a 56 year old patient was treated with total thyroidectomy and radioiodine remnant ablation (RRA) for a PTC (2 cm) with minimal extrathyroidal extension (T3N1aM0 according to the 6th AJCC TNM staging system) associated with diffuse lymphocytic thyroiditis. In 2004 the patient was free of disease defined as undetectable Tg after recombinant human TSH administration in the absence of TgAb and structural disease. Since February 2012 the appearance and progressive increase of TgAb titer was observed and in 2014 a18FDG-PET scan documented three hypermetabolic lesions suggestive of lung micrometastases. The lung lesions were cytologically confirmed as PTC metastases. Both the primary tissue and the lung metastasis were positive for BRAF V600E mutation. The patient was treated with 131-radioiodine that showed radioiodine avid lung lesions that lose the ability to take up iodine at the following treatment. The patient is still alive and the lung lesions are growing slowly. Conclusions: Structural recurrence in patients that demonstrated an excellent response after initial treatment for PTC is extremely rare, and distant metastases exceptional but possible. This case is peculiar because recurrence was early identified after 10 years from initial treatment for the presence of detectable TgAb in a patient that had an histological diagnosis of lymphocytic thyroiditis but with an atypical clinical presentation (normal thyroid at neck ultrasound and undetectable TgAb and anti-thyroid peroxidase antibodies). For this reason TgAb should be tested with Tg in patients with a history of lymphocytic thyroiditis, either histological or humoral, also when TgAb is in the normal range and not suggestive of autoimmune thyroiditis

Thyroid cancers: From surgery to current and future systemic therapies through their molecular identities

Differentiated thyroid cancers (DTC) are commonly and successfully treated with total thyroidectomy plus/minus radioiodine therapy (RAI). Medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) is only treated with surgery but only intrathyroidal tumors are cured. The worst prognosis is for anaplastic (ATC) and poorly differentiated thyroid cancer (PDTC). Whenever a local or metastatic advanced disease is present, other treatments are required, varying from local to systemic therapies. In the last decade, the efficacy of the targeted therapies and, in particular, tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) has been demonstrated. They can prolong the disease progression-free survival and represent the most important therapeutic option for the treatment of advanced and progressive thyroid cancer. Currently, lenvatinib and sorafenib are the approved drugs for the treatment of RAI-refractory DTC and PDTC while advanced MTC can be treated with either cabozantinib or vandetanib. Dabrafenib plus trametinib is the only approved treatment by FDA for BRAFV600E mutated ATC. A new generation of TKIs, specifically for single altered oncogenes, is under evaluation in phase 2 and 3 clinical trials. The aim of this review was to provide an overview of the current and future treatments of thyroid cancer with regards to the advanced and progressive cases that require systemic therapies that are becoming more and more targeted on the molecular identity of the tumor

The pattern of brittle deformation in Central America for an assessment of the seismo-tectonic framework

A seismo-tectonic map depicting the principal structural elements of the northern Central American region has been meticulously crafted to characterize the tectonic setting and the individual seismo-tectonic structures of this area. This region is subject to heightened seismic activity, with a large number of medium-high Magnitude occurrences transpiring annually. This map is presented alongside an informative dataset wherein fault trace locations, geometry and kinematics descriptors and other available metadata have been stored. Therefore, the map offers a detailed and up-to-date depiction of the brittle deformation across the region, serving as a valuable resource for a comprehensive assessment of the seismo-tectonic framework. Moreover, the map and its accompanying database summarize fault characteristics for seismic hazard analysts and for civil protection workers, proving to be useful instruments in pinpointing areas where urgent fault research should be conducted from a seismic risk standpoint

A New MEN2 Syndrome with Clinical Features of Both MEN2A and MEN2B Associated with a New RET Germline Deletion

Background. Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 (MEN2) is a hereditary cancer syndrome caused by RET proto-oncogene mutation. Two different clinical variants of MEN2 are known (MEN2A and MEN2B): medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) almost always present and associated with pheochromocytoma (Pheo), and primary hyperparathyroidism (HPTH) in MEN2A and with Pheo and other nonendocrine diseases in MEN2B. Case Report. A 7-year-old girl, previously treated for a pelvic plexiform neurofibroma, arrived at our observation with a peculiar MEN2B syndrome and with HPTH. The neck ultrasound showed bilateral thyroid nodules, local lymph node lesions, and a suspicious left hyperplastic parathyroid. The CT scan showed a megacolon and described the persistence of the pelvic tumor. A new RET germline deletion in exon 11 (c.1892_1899delCGAGCT; p.Glu632_Leu633del) was found. She underwent total thyroidectomy, central compartment and latero-cervical lymph node dissection, and neck exploration for primary HPTH. The histology confirmed bilateral MTC, multiple lymph node metastases, a hyperplastic parathyroid, and a parathyroid adenoma. Conclusions. This is the first case of a complex syndrome characterized by peculiar features of MEN2B, without Pheo but with a pelvic plexiform neurofibroma and with HPTH, which is typical of MEN2A. A "de novo"new germline RET deletion located in exon 11 was found

Soil deformation analysis through fluid-dynamic modelling and DInSAR measurements: a focus on groundwater withdrawal in the Ravenna area (Italy)

This study aims at assessing the deformation processes affecting an area NW of the city of Ravenna (northern Italy), caused by groundwater withdrawal activities. In situ data, geologic and structural maps, piezometric measurements, underground water withdrawal volumes, and satellite C-band SAR data were used to jointly exploit two different techniques: 1) fluid-dynamic and geomechanical modelling (by RSE S.p.A), and 2) Differential Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry (DInSAR) analysis (by CNR - IREA). The results of the comparative analysis presented in this work brought new evidence about the contribution of groundwater withdrawal to the total subsidence affecting the area during the 2000-2017 time interval. In particular, they show an increase of the subsidence from year 2000 to 2010 and a decrease from year 2010 to 2017. These results are generally in line with groundwater withdrawal data that report a reduction of the extracted water volumes during the considered temporal interval. Meantime, they show a delay effect in the subsidence process, partially recovered during the 2010-2017 thanks to a stabilisation of the extracted groundwater volumes. The presented results shade new light on the groundwater withdrawal contribution to the subsidence of the analysed zone, although further investigations are foreseen to better clarify the ongoing scenario

RET protein expression has no prognostic impact on the long-term outcome of papillary thyroid carcinoma

BACKGROUND: RET proto-oncogene rearrangements (RET/PTC) are causative events in the pathogenesis of a subset of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). The prevalence of RET/PTC varies in different countries and according to specific clinical features: it is higher after radiation exposure and it is claimed to be higher in young patients. Conflicting results are reported regarding the prognostic role of RET/PTC activation. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prognostic meaning of RET/PTC rearrangement on the long term outcome of PTC. METHODS: We have studied the expression of the RET encoded protein in 127 papillary thyroid carcinomas by immunohistochemistry using a polyclonal antibody against the tyrosine-kinase domain of the RET protein. These cases have been collected during 1970-1985, and have a mean (+/-S.D.) period of follow-up of 18.6+/-3.7 years (range 12-27 years). The results have been compared with the patients' outcome. RESULTS: The tyrosine-kinase domain of RET was expressed in 82 (64.6%) papillary carcinomas. Among them, RET was highly expressed in 65 (51.2%) cases and moderately expressed in 17 (13.4%). RET expression was absent in 45 (35.4%) cases. No correlation was found between RET expression and other parameters such as sex, age at diagnosis, tumor class and histological variant. Follow-up analysis showed no influence of RET expression on patients' outcome. By multivariate analysis, age (>45 years) and tumor class IV, but not sex and RET expression were adverse prognostic indicators of death. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, our analysis indicates that RET expression is frequently found in PTC, and has no influence on tumor outcome

Geohazard features of the north-western Sicily and Pantelleria

We present maps of geohazard features identified across north-western Sicily and Pantelleria in the framework of the Magic project (MArine Geohazard along Italian Coasts), which involved Italian marine geological researchers in 2007-2013. These seafloor features were recognized using high-resolution bathymetry data and rely on the morphological expression of the seafloor and shallow sub-surface processes. The north-western Sicily is a complex continental margin, affected by morphodynamic, depositional, and tectonic processes. The Egadi offshore is controlled by fault escarpments and alternating retreating and progradational processes. Ustica and Pantelleria submerged edifices show the effect of volcanic activity. The Ustica seafloor is interested in volcanic, tectonic, and gravitational instability processes, while the Pantelleria offshore underwent erosive-depositional processes and the effect of bottom currents. Two levels of interpretation are represented: the physiographic domain at a scale of 1:250.000 and the morphological units and morpho-bathymetric elements at a 1:100.000 scale